Through the months that Naspha trained with Kyiak, he learned many new techniques. He learned how to levitate, teleport, he learned how to increase his speed, how to hide his power levels from others, and his fighting skill and energy projection grew in power amazingly. He would practice by doing things like fighting with Kyiak while his eyes were closed, shooting a fireball then trying to catch up with it, even fighting himself with the tri-form technique. And as she promised, his mother Miya would visit him everyday. Them and Kyiak would sit down for lunch, talk about current events, how she was, how they were, and Naspha would show off what he had learned. She would stay for an hour or two, then would go back. But one day when she came to visit, he noticed that she wasn't walking so well. She said she has just fallen, and that it was nothing. He shrugged, and the day went on. But as the weeks past, she stopped coming everyday, and started coming every other day, then once a week, once a month, and then, she stopped coming all together. Kyiak assured him it was b/c of the sickness going around, and Naspha was reassured. Then one day when he was about 9, he was training with Kyiak; there was a knock on the dojo door. Kyiak excused himself, and answered it. Naspha returned to his training, but was distracted by a happy giggle from Kyiak he turned around to see three people standing behind Kyiak. Kyiak introduced them.
"Naspha, I'd like to introduce to you, the newest trainees. I'd like you to meet, Aura, Henzu, and Rick." Naspha took a good look at the newest additions to the dojo. Aura was a girl about 5'6", with golden blonde hair in a pony tail, about down to her shoulder blades. She had a perfect complexion, and a great body Naspha had to admit. He turned his head to look towards Rick. Rick was not a very tall guy. He was about the same height as Aura, and he had the classic little boy haircut. Brown hair parted to the side, and he wore glasses. He had just arrived, and was already smiling. Naspha later found out that he was always like that. And the last one, was Henzu. He was a large guy, standing at about 6 feet. He had a Chinese face, and the belly of a pig. He was extremely large for his age, but Naspha could sense that he was Henzu was even more powerful than he was. They were all dressed in the uniforms Naspha worn, and they were also ready to start the training. Kyiak informed Naspha that they were all from different planets that were being oppressed, and escaped here for training that might save their families' lives. They all had their own special powers that they had to learn how to control. Aura had the power to harness small jolts of lightning, and could heal people's wounds to some extent. In time she would be able to harness more lightning power, and heal wound better Kyiak told her. Rick was not only super smart, but also he cold form and control "time bombs." He could form these small red orbs of energy, and depending on how much he charged it, could form it into, time bombs, destructive spheres, or bombs that explode on command. And Henzu was just plain super strong, and could turn himself invisible. Naspha turned his head back towards his old teacher.
"Get ready to begin folks. Aura, Rick, Henzu, on three, attack Naspha. 1, 2, 3."
The battle was over. All four students stand apart, holding their sore arms and legs. Surprisingly, Naspha was able to hold off the attack of all three of them! The only one he had trouble with was Henzu.
"With some more intensive training, he'll become more powerful than me." Naspha thought to himself with dismay. They all turned their heads towards Kyiak as he burst out in laughter.
"Good my young ones. Aura, Rick, and Henzu, this is the first step in your training: attacking a single target as a unit. One of you separately is no match for Naspha, and you've just started. Naspha this is the next step in your training: evading multiple attacks. You've done it before with this before with the tri-form technique, but not with different power levels like this. All of you will practice like this for 3 hours everyday. If you want to make teams, that's up to you. But do not train alone you got me?" The pupils bowed in recognition, and Kyiak walked out of the room, for them to continue their training.
"Alright, we pick teams now. Rick and I verse Aura and tall guy with the tail."
"Hey leave my tail out of this you big goon." Naspha said getting offensive.
"Fine with me Henzu. Aura is that Alright with you?" Rick asked. She looked at Naspha and smiled.
"Yeah it's alright with me. What about you Naspha?" He gave a quick grin.
"Fine with me. Hey, you and me Aura could easily take those guys. Just distract them with your beauty." Aura blushed and turned away.
"Enough talk, let's FIGHT!!!!!!!!!" Henzu ran towards Naspha with quick speed for such a big guy. Naspha got in battle ready position, and smiled. When Henzu was about a foot away, he swung his massive arm out, but hit nothing but air, as Naspha vaulted into the air, and landed his foot down in Henzu's face. The giant landed on the ground with a thud, and Naspha looked down is satisfaction. But when he looked up, he was just in time to catch Rick's boot in the face. This sent Naspha flying back into the wall. As Rick was wallowing in his superiority, he was zapped by a small bolt of lightning sent out from Aura's hand. He dropped to the ground with a loud "ugh" and Aura ran over to Naspha finding him talking to himself.
"Little nerd, I forgot about him."
"Naspha are you OK?"
"Yeah I'm fine sweet thing. Thanks anyway."
"STOP right now." Kyiak yelled from behind. "I do not want to see that again."
"See what?" Rick asked.
"No using your powers in your training. That comes later on in the training." They all nodded and Aura helped Naspha get up. They reformed into their groups and started the battle over again.
Henzu fell onto his knees, then fell face first onto the blue matted ground. Rick lay beside him on his back, his eyes closed, and his body lifeless. Naspha stood his right arm over his left, nursing the extraordinary pain coming from it. He dropped down onto one knee from exhaustion, and he heard Aura do the same from behind him. Kyiak came from behind a door and clapped his hands in pleasure.
"Good my young pupils. You two put up a good fight against Naspha and Aura." He said facing the recently come-to Henzu and Rick. "And you Naspha are learning much in multiple attack evasions, and working with others. Soon my young ones, you will be ready for the final step in your training. But now come. I'm sure you are all exhausted.
Over the weeks and months, the training between the four intensified. As their strive for victory grew, so did their power levels. They practiced many of the same techniques Naspha had when he first started, on eachother. Finally when Naspha was at the age of twelve, Kyiak approached him and the others, as they were sitting around the table, talking.
"What is it Kyiak?" Naspha asked leaning forward.
"You knew this time would come and now it finally has. You have all trained hard and well, but there was always something you needed to discover: How to fend for yourselves. The final stage of your training has come. And to pass this final stage, you must spend two weeks in the Cave of Oblivion, and travel towards the back, to face, and defeat the dreaded monster that dwells in the deepest crevices of that cave."
"But no one who ever entered that cave has ever returned."
"That is the choice you must make. You can enter the cave, and receive the full potential of your powers and risk death, or you can simply choose to stay here and be safe."
"That's it? You mean if I want I can just stay here?" Henzu asked gleefully. Kyiak closed his eyes and nodded his head slowly.
"But if you choose to stay, you will never proceed past the power levels you are at now, and the hope your people put in you to save them, will be wasted. Your planets will not get the help they need from you, and your planets will be destroyed." Henzu sank back down into his seat, and Aura put a worried look on her face. Naspha stood up with a determined look on his face.
"I'll do it, no doubt. If I acquire the powers I have inside, then I'll be able to protect my mom better." The image of that night when she was almost raped, flashed into his head. He closed his eyes, and tilted his head down. Tears slowly appeared dripping out from his eyelids. Aura got up and walked over to Naspha, putting her hand on his shoulder. He took his hand and covered hers with it.
"I promise you mom, I'll come back to you." Without hesitation after that, Aura quickly answered as well.
"I'm going too. You guys could use a healer, and I think I should stick by Naspha on this one." He turned towards her, and gave her a hug. As he placed his head on her shoulder, he started tearing again.
"Thank you Aura. I promise I'll protect you too." After a couple minutes, Kyiak then turned to Henzu and Rick.
"Well young ones. Will you stick together with eachother, or will you two chicken out, and take the easy way out?" Rick jumped out of his chair with his fists clenched.
"I'm going too. No way am I gonna let Aura and Naspha go off and get themselves hurt. I'll stick by you guys too." He walked over to them, and they both gave him a hug.
"Well Henzu, will you do the same? Or will you stay here? I have a nice custard in the kitchen for you." Henzu, licked his lips, and a drop of sweat escaped his brow.
"I guess I'll go along. I mean, you need a bodyguard. And no one is stronger than me." the other three laughed, but Henzu didn't get the joke. Kyiak smiled and nodded his head.
"Well then my young ones, the time has come. Gather your things together, then come to me for some final words of wisdom."
The four young warriors had gathered all there things, and were all ready to go. They had everything packed. Sleeping bags, tents, toiletries, first-aid things, and all the usual stuff you need for a camping trip. They all changed into different clothes too. Before they all walked out the door, Kyiak gathered them around him.
"Are you all sure you want to do this? I will warn you one last time of the danger that awaits you. There is great evil in that, greater than you can imagine. What awaits could be hunger, sickness, starvation, defeat, jealousy, and even death. You need to be ready not only with supplies, but also with you emotions and your mind as well. Keep in mind that you are there for the benefit of your people and families, and always remember that you love eachother very much. Let this love always shine through you, to keep the evil away from your hearts." They all nodded out of sync, and Kyiak pulled Henzu toward him.
"Henzu, your size and your strength is great. Remember to use your strength only for good, and protect your friends with you. Your invisibility is a great skill, used correctly, you can accomplish much with it. You have progressed much in this training, and you possess a power level of 3000. Now go my pupil, and make me proud." Henzu smiled and nodded, walked towards the door, but stopped when he reached it to wait for the others. Rick then stepped over to Kyiak.
"Rick your supreme intelligence is something that could definitely benefit you and the others in the cave. And you bomb manipulation ability is something no one else here possesses. This skill could take you to great new levels. With this final step in the cave, you will be able to master this skill. You too have learned much from this training like Henzu, and you possess a power level of 2000. You are getting stronger by the day. Now go my pupil, and make me proud." Rick nodded his head slowly, and gave a big grin. He walked over to where Henzu was standing by the door, and they gave each other pats on the back. Aura walked over to Kyiak, and it was her turn for a pep talk.
"Aura, you came with the intention of learning how to harness your magic with lightning but instead have acquired great talent in the art of healing. This makes you the most useful fighter going into the cave. Be sure to keep your eyes on what is right and use your powers as much as needed. And please Aura watch over Naspha. It does not take a genius to see there is something-special happening between you two. Protect him as well as the others. And if dearly needed, feel free to unleash the power of lightning. You possess a power level of 1000. Now go my pupil, and make me proud." She giggled, hugged Kyiak, and hopped over to Henzu and Rick. Naspha knew it was his turn so he walked over to the old man, and looked him in the eye.
"Naspha my son, you have achieved more power, and progressed the most out of all four of you kids. I remember the first day your mother brought you here. You were unwilling to even give me a chance to train you. But over the years, you grew to love the art of fighting. You looked out for the others when they first came, and I can see you have a special attraction to Aura. I could sense as soon as you got here that there was a great hidden power inside of you. One day that power will be released full fury. With this training completed, you can become an incredibly strong warrior. But I warn you Naspha, your body can absolutely not handle that power inside of you. If you release it, you might destroy yourself. So be careful to control your anger, for it might be taken out on the wrong people. I want you to know that you have made me very proud Naspha, and if your mother were here, she would feel the same. I pray that you will survive this training, so that you can come back and protect your mother.
You possess a power level of 2500, and I believe that you have the potential to be a great warrior. I select you to be the leader of them all Naspha, so watch over all of them, and always remember that your mother and I love you dearly. Now go, young one, and make me proud."
Naspha stared for a while at the large but quaint and peaceful martial arts dojo. He thought back to when he first came. He remembered when his mother would come and visit, and he would show off all that he learned. His walk down memory lane was interrupted by Aura's hand of his shoulder.
"Hey you alright?" he quickly jerked his head around. Then sighed and turned back.
"Yeah I'm OK I guess. It's just that, I spent some good years with Kyiak. I'm really gonna miss him. There's a chance we might not even see him ever again. We could lose our lives in that cave."
"I know Naspha. But if we stick together and look out for each other, I'm sure everything is going to turn out OK. And besides Kyiak is a wily old man. He'll get by somehow. Probably re-open the dojo for other kids." Naspha nodded.
"Yeah you're probably right." He pulled out a rolled up sheet of paper from out of his bag that was flung over his shoulder. He unrolled it, and looked intently at it.
"Well according to the map Kyiak gave me, the cave is about 30 miles that way." He turned fully around, and pointed towards a range of mountains thrown against the horizon. "If we start now, we can make it there by sometime tomorrow afternoon."
"Well what are we waiting for? Let's get going!" Rick said enthusiastically. Naspha rolled the map back up, and placed it back in his bag. He wrapped his arm around Aura's shoulder, and together, they headed off towards their destiny.
It was nightfall now, and the night air was cold against the warriors' skin. They had been traveling for 10 hours already, having left at 12 in the afternoon about, and everyone was complaining to Naspha about setting down for the night.
"Hey Naspha could we stop for the night? My feet hurt, I'm freezing my butt off, and I'm hungry."
"You're always hungry you big baboon." Rick said, annoyed with all the complaining Henzu had done already.
"Shut up you little runt. If you're not careful I might just have to eat you."
"Oh yeah you're real scary." Rick replied sarcastically. Rick pushed Henzu, which phased him very little, and Henzu struck back, by thrusting his body forward, throwing Rick backwards into the long grass.
"Hey guys come down. If I'm reading this map right, there should be a small town just over that hill in front of us. So we'll see if there is anything over there and if not we'll settle down. I don't want to waste our supplies if we don't have to."
"Fine." Henzu replied with a loud sigh. Naspha and the others continued on forward, and came to the top of the hill they had been climbing. Naspha smiled and turned his head towards Henzu.
"See I told you. Look. I can see the lights to a village down there. We can go down there and see if we can find food and lodging for the night." The whole group smiled when they heard the news and started running down towards the small town. But when they got a few yards away, they paused. What appeared to be a quaint little town, turned out to be a prison town. A town where they threw all the misfits and failures of life b/c nobody wanted to live with them. It was something like Naspha or anyone else there could possibly imagine. There were grown men and women, lying wasted in the streets. People were actually sleeping in puddles of their own vomit and filth. People were fist fighting out in the open, but no body cared enough to try and help or break it up. Most of the small buildings were bars. The others appeared to be dwellings of some sort. They were just about to turn around and leave when they heard a loud high-pitched scream of a women, come from some back alley. No body cared to help except for the group of young warriors. They quick turned their heads and started running through the rocky disgusting streets. They came to a intersection of alleys, and were stumped until they heard the scream again. They looked to their right, and saw a group of for men all huddled around what appeared to be a terrified women. Naspha yelled to them.
"Hey you useless pieces of shit, get your hands off that lady."
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!! Who's gonna stop us kid? You?" the mention of the chance of a bunch of kids beating them, brought the men into hysterics. "Good one kid, keep talking your killing me."
"That's exactly what we'll do." With those words, the young boy threw his arms out, and the familiar yellow aura surrounded him again. He screamed at the top of his lungs, and his comrades jumped into the air, and vanished. Naspha put his arms down and, and jumped forward, flying towards the man who was standing farthest out from the group. The man smiled evilly.
"Neat trick kid, I can do that too." The man drew his arm back, and hurled it forward as Naspha was in arms reach. But to the man's surprise, the punch never connected. As his fist was about to hit what was Naspha's face, the boy disappeared and reappeared behind him. The man didn't notice in time to manage a defense, and was shoved forward by Naspha's blow to his back. The other three attackers, wide eyed were still recovering from seeing a small boy take on a full grown man, didn't have a chance to attack either as Naspha's comrades soon reappeared, each at a different time, seeming to fly out of nowhere and rail each man in the head. The three men who had received blows to the head were lying unconscious, but Naspha's man wasn't done yet. He got up on his knees slowly, and bent forward to crack his back. He screamed in pain at the sensation that shot up and down his spine, and got up fully and turned around to face Naspha.
"You little rat." The man said with teeth clenched. "You're gonna pay for that." The man stuck his right arm straightforward, and started laughing as a small red orb appeared on his palm, and was shot out at Naspha, growing larger as it got closer. The quad of kids never moved, not even when the small orb, now large sphere, crashed into them, and sent smoke and debris from the nearby buildings flying everywhere. It took a while for the smoke to clear, but when it did, it was pleasing to the sight. Buildings were missing shingles and boards, and roofs had let part of them crash down to the ground due to the force of the impact. He lowered his arm, and smiled a twisted smile, revealing his yellow disgusting teeth. Then he heard something that froze him in his place, and made his jaw drop.
"Nice try buddy boy, could pass for a good fireworks show, but not enough to defeat us." He turned around to see the four he had just "disposed of" standing with arms crossed and hands at their hips. Naspha uncrossed his arms, and thrust them forward almost touching the man's stomach. The alley lit up for only a short time as a large yellow burst of energy from escaped from Naspha's touching hands, and sent the man flying backwards. He smashed against the wall at the end of the alley way head first, which opened up a large gash in his head very quickly, sending the blood against the wall, and also into a puddle on the ground where he lay. The blast had pierced a whole through his stomach which sent his internal organs all over the place. One of his intestines, and still stuck to the hard brick wall. But Naspha's attention switched from the recently deceased man lying bloody on the ground, to the women who was covering her head with her hands and arms, in a poor attempt to defend herself from the falling debris and pieces of flesh. He quickly ran over to her, and touched her shoulder.
"Ma'am are you OK? You're not hurt are you? Do you need help?"
The women slowly lowered her arms and turned her head to the young rescuer. Naspha jumped back in surprise at what he saw was something he would've never expected.
"Mom, is….is that you?" her eyes looked curious, but she soon changed that expression.
"Naspha?"
"Yes." He said watery-eyed.
"Yes Naspha it's me mom." She flew her arms forward, and wrapped them around his neck. He did the same, and they both started to cry.
"I never thought I'd see you again mom. It's so good to see you."
"Yes Naspha, it's good to see you too." Naspha kneeled down to be on level with his mother and they sat there for uncountable minutes, hugging and crying. They finally withdrew from the hug, and they were both smiling, not minding the tears that were rolling down their cheeks. After a while of just looking at each other, Miya finally spoke.
"Aren't you going to introduce me to your friends?" Naspha let out a small chuckle.
"Sure I am. Let's find a place to stay, and I'll tell you about everything."
They walked far out of the town, to a little house about a half a mile away. It was a small wooden house, with a small square tin roof, covering what was supposed to a porch. Miya knocked on the flimsy tin door, and someone poked her head out.
"Miya, hi. Who are these kids with you?"
"Well this is my son Naspha, and these are his friends."
"How come you're back so early? You shift isn't over for another two hours?" she looked down shamefully then back up.
"It happened again."
"They came after you again?"
"Yes, but fortunately Naspha and his friends were passing by. They saved me from those men. And well, I don't think they'll be bothering me again."
"Well come on in before some of their friends find out where you're hiding. Come quick and we'll talk."
The inside of the small hut was similar to Kyiak's domain back by the dojo. The room in which you entered was a small kitchen with some cabinets on the walls, and round table in the middle of the room. Miya, her friend, Henzu and Rick sat down on the chairs around the table. Naspha and Aura had to remain standing b/c of the lack of chairs. Miya's friend spoke.
"So what are you doing passing through this lowly scum town?"
"Well, I we were students under Kyiak's training, when he sat us down and told us about the final stage of our training. We have to spend two weeks in the Cave of Oblivion. And it's about a ways over there." Naspha said pointing north.
"Never heard of it" Miya said after about a minute or two of thought.
"It's supposed to be a cave of unimaginable evil. Our training cannot be complete until we go in there and survive for two weeks."
"Sounds dangerous."
"Yes you four could get seriously hurt." Miya chimed in after her friend.
"We know. If we aren't strong enough, we very well could face death." Miya said not a word. Just put her head in her hands.
"Don't worry mom Kyiak has taught us really well. I honestly think this cave will be a piece of cake for us."
"I hope so Naspha, I sincerely do."
"But you've heard about me, now let me hear about you mom. Last time I saw you, you were still living with Leia. How did you end up here?"
"Well, as all of you know, this is a confinement for 'the scum of the earth.' One night while I was walking along with Leia, one of the men who you saved me from so many years ago, attacked us again. But this time he was alone. So while the man was having his jollies with me, it gave Leia the time to grab a weapon. So she grabbed a metal bar from the ground, and gave him hell. She cracked his skull in two. Some police who had heard my screams, were running to see what happened. Not wanting to get Leia in trouble, I told her to run, and I would take all the blame. She, of course, refused, but I eventually convinced her to go. When the police found me, they saw the bar on the ground, my clothes messed up, and the man lying dead and bloody on the ground. So they sent me here for 5 years. This happened about 2 years ago. When I first came, none of the men would leave me alone. Then one night, when I was being attacked, Abby here came and chased them away." She rubbed the shoulder of the women sitting at her left. "She let me live with her in this house, and hooked me up with a job at one of the pubs. I don't get paid of course, but I get free meals whenever I like. Mr. Jackson, the one who owns the pub, is actually quite nice. He's gotten used to everything that goes on in there, b/c he was sentenced for life, and has been there for 12 years."
"Well I promise you one thing mom, when we come out of that cave, I'll come and take you away from here and we can find somewhere else to live."
"So where is this cave you're looking for?"
"Well, it's about 10 miles north of here. So walking two miles an hour we can get there in about 5 hours tomorrow." "Well you guys can stay here for the night, and we'll take care of you until you have to go."
Note to the readers. Here are some descriptions of Naspha and his friends if you're still having trouble visualizing them
Rick-he looks like Yuffie from Final Fantasy 7 only he's not a girl
Henzu-looks like a miz between Yajirobe, and Android 19