Training with Rubi(Closed)

Adrian moved quickly through the motions of his favored style. The blade danced within his grasp, weaving left and right, striking out at the enemies he imagined to be there, or the weapons that said enemies were thrusting toward him. He moved and weaved, his eyes narrowing as he licked his lips. He brought the weapon around before it came to a stop suddenly. It took everything he had not to continue the slash because there, floating in front of him was his ever present partner, Rubi the winged cat. Yeah she claimed to be a baby red dragon but he was pretty sure that she wasn't. He frowned, watching her as she stared at him, her head tilted. She had her teeth gripping the blade of the sword making it look as if she had stopped it by herself, without him being the one that stopped the slash. He pulled the blade back, as she released it, frowning at him as one paw came up to rub her jaw.

"What are you doing Rubi? I could have cut your head off." he said, frowning.

"You almost did! That's not funny!" she complained.

"But I didn't so there. Just relax, okay? So what are you doing out here? I thought you were going to sleep in."

"I could have but you were making too much noise so I got up to watch you."

"But you didn't have to watch from so close!"

"Shut up! Besides I don't like that sword... There's something... wrong about it."

"It's staying Rubi. My grandmother left it to me."

"But she left you that other one with that guy Seiki."

"Because I don't need it anymore."

"Whatever. What are you working on today?"

"I am training to perfect my style of combat. So I'm going to work my muscles until they're too sore to keep moving."

"By waving your sword around? Fuck... It's not like you ever get tired waving it around, dumbass."

"And what do you propose?"

"Taking hits and getting more used to it!"

With that Rubi took a deep breath, Adrian's eyes widening as she spat lightning out at him. He screamed in pain as he let the weapon fall to the ground his arms curling in as he fell on his ass. He curled up as he managed to get to his side, his eyes squeezing shut as he panted lightly.

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Pain surged through Adrian's frame as he lay there curled in a ball. It slowly dulled to a tingling before it faded away. As soon as it was gone he shook and slowly lifted himself into a sitting position. Getting back up he glared at her, his eyes narrowing. His hand reached out, almost as if he were going to strangle her but she just flew up and moved away from him before she smirked and flew around over him. It had hurt but he had been in worse pain before. Then again she might be getting back at him for what he had done to her when they'd met. He didn't know, and he didn't care. All he wanted was to get back at her. And if that meant he was going to leave his sword where it was so be it. He willed the weapon to his hand, summoning it with a swirl of black mist before he drew it back. Once more the weapon distorted, as it always did as he willed the air around it to swirl and dance to his whims.

Drawing the weapon back he slashed, hard, the weapon coming back over his shoulder before it reversed directions, casting the air itself toward Rubi in a violent vortex. But the flying red cat had been around Adrian enough to know what he would be up to, and using her agility she thrust herself downward under the large vortex. It passed by harmlessly over her ruffling her fur a bit at the worst. Adrian growled and drew the weapon back again but Rubi was more than ready this time. At nearly ground level she sprayed water at him out of her mouth, throwing the swordsman from his feet and to the ground with a wet splat.

Adrian hit the ground and rolled, his body cold and wet. Getting up he drew the weapon back before he sneezed, his aim going off as his eyes closed, the vortex being thrown off to Rubi's right. She didn't even need to try and dodge it. With him wet she knew this was going to REALLY hurt. So she drew in breath again and spat a large bolt of lightning at him. Adrian whimpered, the Devil's Teardrop falling from his hand as his eyes widened. This was going to hurt a lot. And it did. It very much hurt.

(400/800)

The bolt of lightning surged through him and into the ground, his body curling up as he screamed once again in pain. The other attack had been like getting punched but this was like... getting struck by lightning after being splashed with a bucket of water. It really hurt. He got up as the pain faded and he had just about enough of this. And he was going to make sure that whatever the cat's reasons he was going to make her pay. Sure he liked a little pain here and there, but that was not the case at the moment! And he was going to make her pay for what she had done. He growled and picked the Devil's Teardrop up off the ground, rather than will it to himself. He growled and charged forward, his eyes wide as his anger got the better of him. Shrieking a curse to the sky. But Adrian had little else on his mind, not caring what he looked like, attacking a creature the size of a cat. And it wasn't until she breathed in again that he remembered she could breathe fire too.

His eyes widened as she took a deep breath turning he ran, throwing the Devil's Teardrop up as he screamed in fear. Rubi flew after him, exhaling fire as she chased after him. She laughed and spat fireball after fireball at Adrian's back while he ran around like some coward, his arms above his head, as he screamed in terror. He moved in circles, fear overwhelming him. Or so it seemed. He laughed and fell over, his hand reaching out, catching Rubi's soft belly. He heard her cry out "Oh shit" as he pulled her down against him. He laughed softly as he pet the winged cat softly. He lay there panting lightly before he sat up, frowning down at the critter in his hands.

"You need to be more careful." he said, frowning at her. "I might not forgive you because you have that strange look. Don't start..."

Too late. Rubi was staring up at him, her eyes big and round, giving him "The Look." It made hearts melt and people bend to her will. And despite his experience, Adrian growled and let her go. He folded his arms over his chest and shook his head before he looked at the evil grin on her face. He paled, watching her before she spat on him again, the blast of water catching him off guard throwing him back against the ground again.

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Adrian lay there, staring up at the sky before he sat up, glaring at her. But he let it go, shaking his head as he slowly got to his feet. He dusted at himself but was surprised when she sprayed fire at him until he was dry and telling her to stop. He quickly slapped at a small fire that she had started in his robes, before he willed the Devil's Teardrop to him. Sheathing the weapon at his hip he smiled gently to her before stroking her under the chin. He moved patiently to where they had set up camp. He sat down and she moved to his lap, purring as he pet her. He leaned back against a tree, his eyes closing as he let his body recover from what had happened. He would have to rely on himself for a while. But if Rubi was this powerful now he could only wonder what it was like if she were able to be much more devastating. If she could get stronger then there was no reason he couldn't use her as a permanent partner. Granted she wasn't on the same level as Isuku or ever would be. But she was fun to be around, even if she couldn't be everything he needed or wanted.

The cat was powerful already. Much higher than others. But if she were a dragon as she claimed then she had the potential to get stronger. She just had to find a way to do it. And if she could do it, then he could make sure she was at his side. Hell if she were a dragon he could ride her! And that would be awesome. He couldn't imagine something better to ride into battle. And people would be more afraid of it. He could get his revenge and work on building up a reputation for himself as a slayer among them. But it would take time. And time was something he had plenty of here in the past. But that was only if time in the present wasn't flowing. If he wanted to become that much stronger, he would have to grow in even greater power. But there were no shortcuts in growing in power. One could only be so powerful, and only so strong. But there was no telling exactly how powerful that was. He had already unlocked the power of the Soul Eater, so he had to find something else to make himself even more powerful.

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"You seem distracted." came Rubi's voice.

"I am. I was thinking of what the future will hold. I mean, don't get me wrong I don't intend to leave you, but I don't intend to stay here either. The future awaits and I will find a way to move humanity into the future. Some people want the past, others want the present. But I want the future, to see what it holds. Will we end up dying out or will the world heal and return to it's former self?" he wondered.

"You should be careful. I mean talk like that around a temple and you might be named a traitor to humanity. Demons and angels aren't unheard of. But they are very few and far in between. And they are all exceptionally powerful. And the mystics here are powerful, and capable of great things. Moving earth and water, but you seem to be attuned to Air. The way you wave your sword around, bending the Air around the blade of your weapon as if it didn't have a choice. I think it's amazing. But you show only so much control." she said, looking up at him as he scratched her chin.

"I believe in five elements. Air, Earth, Fire, Water, and Void. Each represents part of us. Perhaps the most attuned portion of my body and soul is the element of Air. But there's no real way to tell. I have to master the other elements. I have to master them and bend them to my will. I WILL learn to bend them the same way I bend the air around my sword. Who knows. One day you might breathe at me only to find your fire coming back at you."

"I'll just counter it with water then hit you with lightning."

"It doesn't matter Rubi. You did well. It really hurt, damn. Did you even hold back at all because that lightning and water trick was pretty good. I didn't see it coming until it was too late."

"Lightning is amplified by water. It's not like I wrote the laws of the world, I just knew to use it. Fire, however, is probably my favorite. But it doesn't matter. So what do you intend to do when we get back to your future?"

"I'm going to show you the city and I'm going to get your help to destroy my enemies."

"I don't know if I'm going to like this plan..."

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-day 2-

"You're fast but you can't keep it up! And on top of that I can move silently as I go! You can't!" Rubi said.

Her wings were fluttering as she moved, her body twisting and turning as she flew among the branches of the forest of the past realm. Adrian ran below her, his body moving along the ground as quickly as he could, his body shifting and dancing between the trees as he went, his knees coming up high to avoid anything that might try to trip him up. Animals and plants were strange like that. His arms were extended out behind him, his eyes narrowed as he focused on the road in front of him. He willed his vision to tunnel as he moved, his focus intense as he went. He was used to it, and imagined someone shadowing him. They moved within his shadow, shifting with him with everything they had. Adrian had a way to go if he wanted to get strong. If he got Rubi strong enough she could fight him and the two of them could fight on even ground. For now he was stuck with having to deal with taking it easy on her and following her lead. For a baby she was wise, but he wasn't about to let her beat him in combat at all.

"You'll never be the master of darkness like that!" she called. "Fu Leng should be the shadows themselves, melding with them, disappearing in and out of them, able to move like a ghost!"

"Fu Leng is no ghost. Fu Leng is the shining light in darkness hidden in the deepest depths of a demon's heart! Say what you will about the shadow dragon but he is still a Kami. Fallen or cast out of heaven he was more than capable of destroying the enemy. There was nothing they could do to stop him from growing even more powerful. Unlike his siblings he saw the world of peace and tranquility as a risk. He created Hell when he failed to take over the mortal realm." Adrian explained.

"Sounds like a bad guy to me." Rubi countered.

"From a certain point of view sure! But no true villain believes they are doing evil. And for evil to prevail, good men need only do nothing. If I achieve my plans then it will be for naught if nobody has what it takes to rise up and strike me down!" Adrian said.

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=day 2=

"Why do you want to die so much? So many people fight to save themselves, but you fight to die." Rubi said.

"I don't fight to die. There is a difference between the warrior that fights only to see himself die. And one that has accepted death. I welcome death, but I don't yearn for it. If my time comes then my time comes. But it will be on MY terms. This rune, this cursed magic... This is MY strength, MY power, and nobody can match it. I will become the most powerful warrior in this world, and if I have to stop them by myself then SO BE IT!" he shouted, his fist slamming into a tree.

"ADRIAN! SNAP OUT OF IT!" Rubi shouted.

Adrian's eyes widened for a moment before he stepped back. He looked at his hand and frowned before he looked at the cat above him. He could remember punching the tree but it was distant, like he'd watched someone else do it in a movie. A memory that he knew was real but it was like a dream. He frowned, waiting there before he cracked his knuckles his hand flexing lightly.

Rubi stared at him, her eyes wide as she came to rest on a branch. She watched him as he stared at his hand, his eyes narrowing as he blinked. This was getting strange. He'd been strange for a human since she'd come to know him, but as she came to get to know him more, she found herself wondering if he knew what he was saying half the time. At one minute he was talking of being the light shining in the darkness, and at others he was going on about death. It was strange, even for Adrian, as she had come to know him.

"I'm sorry Rubi. I don't know what happened. This damned thing keeps feeding me emotions and memories. I haven't been sleeping much. This thing keeps showing me things. Memories, nightmares, I don't know. They're things that are strange. They aren't mine. But try as I might nothing can stop me from seeing the deaths of people I love. People I have never met before but people that my heart wrenches for." he explained.

"Sometimes death is more heartbreaking for people when it's for someone they've never met. A loved one that dies is expected. The elderly pass on but people dying before their time... Witnessing their death is hard." the cat responded.

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=day 2=

"Don't patronize me Rubi. Please. Never do that. I know you don't understand because you're not like me. You haven't experienced what I have. And these memories aren't helping! I was strange enough without the feeling of these things that invade my mind. I see things that I should never know. Things that are impossible! I see a ship hidden in the fog with no actual form! The inside full of creatures from another world! And the captain of that boat. A formless shadow that hovers over the ground... The destruction of a village by a woman, a knight, and a vampire! The death of people that I don't know! But no matter how much I tell myself I don't know them it feels as if they're deeply important! A revolutionary leader slain because she protected a child rather than fought! A bodyguard and dear friend! A man I know to be my father! There are countless other examples!" Adrian ranted, his body pacing back and forth as he fought to keep himself grounded.

"Adrian you cannot dwell on this! It will drive you mad! Listen to me. Whatever this thing is it isn't you! Whatever these emotions are they aren't yours! But you cannot resist them! Pain only persists if you resist against it! But if you accept it then the pain comes and goes! Sadness comes and grows stronger the more you fight against it. The more you fight your hatred, the more you feed it, the more you give it strength over you! DO NOT GIVE IT STRENGTH! EMBRACE YOUR EMOTIONS DON'T SHUT THEM OUT!" Rubi countered.

Adrian moved back and forth his body shaking as Rubi's words struck home. The more you fought against your hatred the more it grew in strength. Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering. Fight anger with anger and you only feed it. But there was nothing to explain the sorrow that was darkening the swordsman's soul. He paced, his fingers curling and uncurling. His body was trembling as tears fell down his face.

"I can't... I can't Rubi... I'm afraid." he said, falling to his knees as his strength left his legs.

He blinked, realizing that Rubi was on his shoulder, nuzzling against the side of his head. It was the feline equivalent of a hug, and he knew it. But it wasn't the same. Her comfort was nice but it wasn't the same as what he needed. Comfort could only go so far, but he was appreciative of her attempt anyway.

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=day 2=

Ieyui
Nobomenu
Renmiri
Yojuyogo
Hasatekanae
Kutamae

The words gently flew from Rubi's mouth, echoing lightly through the forest, her eyes closed as she sang. Her tiny body was perched on a branch above Adrian. The swordsman was sitting there listening to her. And for the first time in a long time he had a feeling of peace washing over him. It was fleeting but it was bliss. He wasn't worried, wasn't thinking of anything around him except for the peace that the song from the cat brought him. He didn't care that she was repeating lyrics, that she didn't seem to be making any sense. The only thing that mattered was that while she was singing he was completely calm.

He sighed lightly as she ended the song. She took a few deep breaths and he watched her for a moment. Whatever had happened he was calm for now. That was all that mattered, and he didn't care if the world ended around him. Rising he stretched and yawned, his arms over his head. He smiled softly as he walked in a small circle before he grumbled something incoherently.

"You shouldn't be up and about. You should be relaxing. That's what days like this are for. So please, stop your training if only for a little while. I mean it's not like you're the only one fighting to save humanity. There have to be others out there, right?" Rubi asked.

"There is nobody out there with my strength or potential. Give me the time I need and I will be able to vanquish everyone that comes after me!" he said.

"Adrian you need to be careful. There's no telling what that mark on your chest is doing to you. For all you know these thoughts aren't yours!"

"But they might be! For all I know these are the thoughts that have ALWAYS flowed in my soul."

"I don't believe you. Adrian, you're a good person. Whatever this thing is, it's turning you into something you aren't."

"Or it's releasing what I really am inside. I used to tell people I was the human embodiment of Fu Leng, the Shadow Dragon. And perhaps I really am."

"You and I both know you don't believe that. You're not some random monster! You're a good man that needs to find guidance. That's all. Please Adrian, stop this madness, and let's just move on."

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=day 2=

"You're wrong. This is nothing but power. Strength in and of itself in my world. It's power, pure unhindered power. But everything has a price. And this has yet to declare it's own. But from what I can tell, the people who bore it before me lost everyone close to them because it took their souls." Adrian explained.

"How do you know that?" Rubi asked. "Because their memories are inside it? How are you so sure it's power that it's offering you and not anything else?"

"Because it whispers. It offers power in exchange for souls."

"Adrian, I don't know what the hell you're thinking but whatever that thing is it is NOT your friend. Get rid of it before bad things happen! I don't want to see you in pain. But I know for a fact that if I had power to give, and needed souls to live, I would offer people their most cherished dreams to get what I wanted. And then when I was done, I'd leave them behind, a dried up, husk of a person."

"You're different from this thing. I'm, in control. I can stop it any time I want, and it will obey my commands. No.. NO! That's not right. I'm not in control, I have to keep my mind focused. Dammit, this thing is getting stronger and stronger. I'll be fine if I can just keep focused on my mission. If I can do that then nothing will be able to stop me, not even this thing that's trying to take me over.

Shrugging Adrian just stared at her for a moment before he smiled at her. He nodded and sighed before he sat down, and relaxed against a tree once more. He had to stay focused. And Rubi could help him with that. He smiled wider as she went back to singing her song, her words filling the small area around them with the peaceful calm he had been craving. In this calm he couldn't hear the Soul Eater, but was able to think clearly. It was something special about the song or maybe the way Rubi sang it. He could almost faintly remember it from so very long ago. But it was a memory he didn't know was his or not. It might have been his grandmother, the red haired woman Odessa, or the three eyed woman he kept seeing in his dreams.

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