A/N: 05.05.2019
Wow. This took a LOT longer than I expected to finish. Sorry about that. Anyway, so, this part of Brooklyn's training, as well as Part 1, were inspired in part by "Brooklyn – Transmutation" by Neomae, which can be found on DevArt. It's really, really cool. Check it out when you can.
So, let's, once again, show the "Night Souls" timeline.
Timeline:
- More Than What We Are
- Define Yourself
- Make It
- Lessons Part 1: The Old Style
- Changes
- Lessons Part 2: The New Ways
Enjoy!
Lessons Part 2: The New Ways
After their initial meeting, Brooklyn returned to the rooftop of Naomichi Mutoh and began training with him. They started with the basics for two weeks before moving on to more varied samurai sword techniques afterward. After a month, Mutoh realized that many of the lessons that had taken him weeks to learn, took Brooklyn mere days, or rather nights, to nearly master. Brooklyn became so experienced that Mutoh began training the gargoyle in hand-to-hand combat of varying styles. Another month of training showed Brooklyn to be, naturally, adept at not only fighting but the skills and virtues of an honorable samurai.
One night, after observing a flurry of movements from Brooklyn, Mutoh, who was sitting on a crate, whispered, "Amazing."
Brooklyn stopped and bowed, "Thanks, sensei." He rose up.
"You have so much natural talent as a warrior, Brooklyn. I imagine it comes from years of defending your protectorate."
"Yeah, probably. But, I still have a lot to learn."
"We all do." Mutoh picked up his own kendo stick and tossed Brooklyn his, "Let's continue."
Brooklyn smiled, "Yeah!"
They practiced against each other for the next couple of weeks, testing each other in combat. Mutoh soon found that his assessment of Brooklyn incredibly accurate; the gargoyle was capable in many ways beyond just warfare. He had a heart and compassion that Mutoh found to be his strongest qualities. Someday, Brooklyn would become one of the greatest warriors of all time.
Mutoh realized that that day may be coming faster than he realized. Brooklyn's ability as a fighter had long since been there. It just, vastly, improved in a short amount of time.
Mutoh decided it was time to move on to the utmost of advanced lessons he could teach.
"How much experience do you have with magic?" Mutoh asked, after a training session. "Outside of the usual, of course."
Brooklyn chuckled, "Quite a bit."
Mutoh smiled. "Hm." He presented his right hand, opened his palm, a symbol shined in his palm, and a small flicker of fire appeared, hovering above the symbol.
"Is that a rune?" Brooklyn asked.
"Hai." Mutoh smiled. "This is the Fire Rune. My family is descended from explorers in ancient times. The legend says that my ancestor said that we had to see where the sun set as well as where it rose. My ancestors made once travelled to Scotland, where they found these. The claim was they met a man who said he was descended from the Knights of the Round Table."
"He probably was."
"It was rumored that they are an ancient magic that the Scottish used to keep monsters at bay. But, for whatever reason, those monsters were nowhere to be found anymore so the runes fell out of use. These have been passed down through my family, from generation to generation."
"And you've kept them all this time?" Brooklyn asked.
"It's a duty I swore to," Mutoh said. "And these are far too dangerous to just leave anywhere."
"Power like that, you have no idea."
"You know what's funny?" Mutoh asked. "A normal person would think such things were just a story. If you were not here, without the stories of your clan and things that have happened over the past couple of years, I would think these runes were the only magic in this world."
Brooklyn chuckled. "There's a lot more, let me tell ya."
"Indeed." Mutoh stared at him. "Come with me."
Brooklyn followed him into the loft and they walked to Mutoh's study.
"I always found my family to be a contradiction," Mutoh explained. "I always laughed at the candy commercial because, except for them being Korean, I can relate to the contradiction of being Japanese with a lot of roots connected to Scottish history."
Brooklyn smiled.
Mutoh knelt down, opened his safe, and pulled out an old, medium-sized wooden chest that he placed on his desk. "Not all contradictions are bad, Brooklyn."
"Tell me about it. I like the candy from those commercials, too."
Mutoh smiled and opened the chest. He pulled out a rune stone with a symbol etched on to it. "All of the powers comes from these."
Brooklyn stared in wonder, "Amazing."
"I am going to train in how to properly use these," Mutoh said. He reached into his palm and a light flashed for a moment and a stone rune appeared. "These can be absorbed, directly, into the body for control. Not too many at a time, mind you. That could destroy your body."
"Yeah, let's avoid that," Brooklyn said.
Mutoh chuckled. "Indeed." He handed Brooklyn the rune, "Try it."
Brooklyn placed the rune in his hand and, somehow, he could feel the power in it.
"Will it. Assert your command over it."
Brooklyn did just that. A light shined again and the rune absorbed itself into his hand. Brooklyn's eyes became wide. "Whoa." He willed a small flame in his palm. "Wow."
"This will be the next step your training, Brooklyn," Mutoh said.
"Yes, sir!"
Another month of trial and error showed Mutoh, again, what a natural affinity Brooklyn had for combat and even magic. It took almost no time for Brooklyn to get used to the power of the fire rune and use it effectively in training. They met at an old abandoned warehouse to train, properly, without risk of damaging Mutoh's home or being noticed. They trained with a couple of other runes that Mutoh had personal knowledge of and discussed the potential power in the others.
With the skill, knowledge, and wisdom Brooklyn had displayed, Mutoh realized something: he could take Brooklyn no further.
At Mutoh's home, one night, after an hour of training and a brief sparring session, Mutoh stopped and smiled.
"What's up?" Brooklyn asked.
"I'm out of lessons," Mutoh admitted with a shrug.
Brooklyn was taken back. It took him a few seconds to grasp that. "Wh… what?"
"I have nothing more to teach you, Brooklyn. A warrior, like you… I've taken you as far as I can."
"No! No way! You haven't! I mean… I still have so much to learn!"
"Perhaps, you do," Mutoh admitted. "But life is a much better teacher than I am. As good as I am, I can't prepare for everything you'll face. Besides, I know you'll face far more than I can ever imagine."
Brooklyn looked down, downtrodden. "But… I enjoy being here."
Mutoh chuckled, "I never said I couldn't come visit, Brooklyn. I just think that, as your sensei, my task is complete."
Brooklyn slowly began to accept that. He sighed but smiled. "Well, I'll still visit."
"You make this old man happy." Mutoh set his kendo stick down. "But, there is something I need to give you. Let's call it a 'graduation gift.'"
"Alright."
Mutoh beckoned Brooklyn to follow him. They walked back inside the loft and Mutoh pulled out a katana in a jet-black scabbard with matching hilt.
"I had this made," Mutoh said. "A friend in Okinawa owed me a favor. It took him about a month but it… is special."
Brooklyn took the sword and began to unsheathe it, noticing black engravings of Japanese kanji on the perfect blade.
"Wow," Brooklyn whispered in wonder. He read the kanji and smiled.
"Bushido," Mutoh said.
"'The way of warriors'," Brooklyn translated. He smiled and sheathed the sword back. "Thank you, sensei."
"Not your sensei anymore." Mutoh walked over to his desk. He put the chest, containing the runes, on top of the desk, causing Brooklyn to stare at him, curiously.
Mutoh opened the chest and gazed at the runes, "The power in these is… amazing. And terrifying. It's power that only a true warrior can properly use and control." He looked up at Brooklyn. "Only a true warrior can, wisely, use them and protect them." He looked back at the runes, "And that's why I," he closed the case, "I can't think of anyone better to pass them along to," he picked up the chest and presented it to Brooklyn, "than you."
Brooklyn's eyes widened as his mouth fell open. "Mr. Mutoh… Sensei… I can't…"
"You can. My family has been guardians of these runes for generations, but my time is fast approaching." He smiled, ruefully, "I barely speak to my son, anymore, and, though I have many nieces and nephews, I would only trust immediate family with this."
Brooklyn's face went blank.
"I came to New York to see the other magic in the world. That's how I found you. The more I got to know you, you… you remind me of my son. Full of potential, passion, and drive. But you're not him. You're your own man. Uh. Gargoyle."
Brooklyn smiled.
"You, Brooklyn, will carry on this legacy, my legacy. Because you will forge your own legacy from this day forward."
"Sensei…"
"It's been an honor teaching you, Brooklyn," Mutoh said. "But you have no more to learn from me."
"I don't think that's remotely true," Brooklyn said.
"A good teacher doesn't teach his students everything, because the teacher knows that he doesn't know everything. Above all else, a good teacher teaches his student how to learn and how to keep learning long after the teacher and student have parted ways."
Brooklyn smiled. He looked back at the chest, exhaled, and accepted this gift.
"You know how train yourself," Mutoh said. "Keep learning. Should you need anything at all, Brooklyn, you know where to find me."
"Yes, sir."
Mutoh and Brooklyn walked back outside. Mutoh pulled up a lawn chair and sat down. "Your lessons may be complete but that doesn't mean that you can't come by and see an old man from time to time. I don't get many visitors."
"You might get sick of me as a dinner guest," Brooklyn said.
"Hmm. Interesting theory. Let's test it and find out."
Fastening his katana to his back and tucking the box under his arm, Brooklyn hopped up on the ledge. He looked back at his teacher, "Arigato, Mutoh-san."
"Thank you, Brooklyn," Mutoh replied.
Brooklyn turned, extended his wings, and glided out off into the night.
A/N: So, where is the "Night Souls" series going? I'm going to do a full-on chapter story but I need a lot more time to develop it. That being said, I am constantly brainstorming it ever chance I get. Maybe within a year or so, it'll be up.
Also, I would like to announce that I will soon be reposting several stories, including this one, on AO3. For more information, check out my profile page for all of the ways to contact me and find my work and you can also PM me here.
Thank you all so much and see you in the future!