What I'm Made Of
Chapter One:
Let the Tournament begin! The return of Double D.
Furious claps of thunder echoed throughout the misty mountain side, the earth began to shake trembling from the fierce battle that was taking place. Flashes of orange and white blurs were locked in combat. Both of the blurs possessed a great amount of speed and power.
The sheer raw force that both of the blurs were creating between the two of them while they were intertwined in midair had begun to tear apart the surrounding landscape. Nearby mountains and hillsides began to collapse, the vary earth below the two blurs could no longer withstand the enormous amount of pressure. As a huge creator had begun to form underneath the two blurs.
Both blurs finally separated from each other and retreated to the opposite sides of each other. The white blur landed onto a nearby Cliffside while the orange blur crashed into a nearby mountainside. The white blur began to fade and reveled a man inside, the man was breathing hard while he was bent over his knees trying to keep his balance.
The man appeared to be in his early forties he stood seven feet tall, long dark spiky gray hair that he kept in a ponytail. He sported a white faded colored sleeveless Gi. In front of the Gi were two gray lions facing toward each other and on the back of his Gi were two lion heads in the shape of the Yin Yang symbol, the lion head on top was white while the other lion head on the bottom was black.
The man's Gi was torn in some areas as a result of the intense battle he was just in a moment ago. As the man had finally caught his breath he focused his attention towards the mountain side where the orange blur had crashed into. The man could not see clearly as a huge cloud of dust blocked his view.
Then upon further examination a figure of a young man facing down at the old man could be seen through the cloud of dust. The boy appeared to be sixteen years old. The boy stood six feet tall. He had long dark spiky hair that he kept in a ponytail much like the old man did but his hair wasn't as long as the old man's was, also the upper half of the boy's head was covered by a black colored beanie. The boy also sported an orange sleeveless Gi with black training pants, in front of the boy's Gi was a golden lion headed emblem. The boy's Gi was also torn in multiple places as well.
Both the old man and the young boy ignored the excruciating pain that was ricocheting throughout their bodies. The two fighters stared down at each other anticipating they're opponent's next move, winds from the northern skies broke the brief moment of silence as the boy created a small sonic boom as he jumped from the mountain side. Hurdling himself at great speeds towards the older man.
Seeing this the older man quickly jumped into the air only missing the boy's attack by mere seconds. The boy crashed into the earth below while the older man was trying to formulate a new attack strategy, the boy then quickly rebound off the ground and flew higher than the older man.
The man was in awe of how quick the boy was able to recover from his last attack. He then spun his body forward as he fell. he then aimed himself towards the man waiting until the last second to extended his right leg and performed a spinning axe kick. The older man had no time to think, he quickly crossed his arms together and placed them above his head just as the boy's spinning axe kick made its contact.
The old man could feel the shockwaves of the boy's kick ricocheting through his entire body. He knew he couldn't allow the fight to continue like this. The man quickly grabbed the boy's leg with both his hands and began to spun them both at great speeds. Then he used all the strength he had left and threw the boy straight to the ground.
The boy crashed into a pile of rocks while the older man tried to land on his feet, but as as he touch ground his body gave into the stress that he had suppressed throughout the fight and immediately collapsed onto the ground below. The man struggled to see the crash site of where he threw the boy but in his amazement the boy was slowly lifting himself off the ground.
The old man slowly and painfully lifted himself off the ground as well and faced the young boy. Both the boy and the old man bowed to each other sowing each other a sign of respect.
"You have done well my apprentice." The old man said
"Huff…Huff thank you master." The boy replied
"Come now Double D I think we have had enough training for one day don't you think?"
"But….Huff….Huff… Master Raion I can still fight."
"No Double D we have been training since day break. A warrior must allow himself not only time to train but also time to rest as well and besides we must get you back to the estate soon."
"Why?" Double D asked with a confused look on his face.
"Don't you remember you have a plane to catch soon."
Double D soon remembered that the next day he would indeed catch a flight and return to his home city. Double D had a small smile as he looked down at his hand and clenched it as tight as he could.
"So it's been four years huh." Double D said in a soft tone.
"Indeed it has." Master Raion replied.
Then Double D and Master Raion made their way back to the estate. It only took them a few minutes to get back from the training grounds. The estate was a huge Japanese themed mansion. As soon as Double D and Master Raion had entered the estate intoxicating aromas had filled the air making both Double D and Master Raion vary hungry.
"Tora we're home!" Master Raion shouted as he and Double D removed they're shoes at the front door.
"Okay dinner is almost done!" a young woman's voice replied.
Double D made his way to the kitchen while Master Raion retreated to his study room. As he entered the kitchen Double D found a young beautiful girl chopping vegetables while putting the finishing touches to the meal she was preparing.
"Hey Tora is there anything I could do to help?" Double asked.
"Um yes would you set the table for me please Double D?" Tora asked while she placed the chopped vegetables in a dish.
"I'd be honored to." Doubled D replied while bowing to her in an attempt to amuse her.
She couldn't help herself when she giggled at Double D's joke. Tora was about fifteen years old. She stood at five feet ten inches. She had long dark hair that she kept in braids. She wore a red blouse with similar lion head emblem as the one on Double D's Gi, with a kilt colored skirt and black tights.
Tora was also Master Raion's adopted daughter and was Double D's only friend besides Master Raion since his training had begun. Double D had finished setting up the table with Master Raion's finest China just as Tora had finished preparing the meal.
"Father, dinner is ready!" Tora shouted.
Then Master Raion, Double D, and Tora sat around the table Sezia style and had entered a moment of prayer. Master Raion had lead the prayer.
"Thank you great spirits for allowing us to enjoy this wonderful meal that my daughter had prepared for us, and please allow my dear apprentice Double D to have a safe trip home tomorrow he has been gone for so long now and he deserves a safe trip home. Amen"
Then everyone had begun the feast. The meal was made of pork fried rice, almond chicken, egg rolls, and fried tofu. Master Raion couldn't help but notice how his daughter wasn't eating that much and that she also seem sad about something as well.
"Tora is something bothering you? You haven't touched anything on your plate yet." He asked.
After hearing Master Raion's question Double swallowed some of the pork fried rice and redirected his attention to Tora this only made her blush.
"I..I' am fine father really I' am." Tora said while trying to mask her sadness.
"I see." Master Raion said wile scratching his chin. He then turn his attention to Double D. "Double D would you mind going down to the well and fetch us a pale of water please."
Double D did what he was asked and left the dining room for the well. As soon as he left Master Raion had brought up what he wanted to talk about with Tora.
"Now Tora please tell me what's wrong?" Master Raion pleaded with his daughter.
"N….Nothing is wrong father, honest" Tora insisted. But her father knew otherwise.
"It's because he's leaving tomorrow isn't it?"
Tora was shocked to find out that her father knew what was troubling her. There was a moment of silence. Then Double D had entered the room while carrying a pale of water.
"Hey guys what did I miss?" Double D asked in a happy tone.
"Oh, nothing really." Master Raion replied in a nonchalant tone. While Tora sat quietly.
Then just as everyone was finishing their meals Master Raion made an announcement.
"Alright seeing as we've finished supper I have an announcement for the two of you."
Double D and Tora both looked at Master Raion each wondering what he wanted to talk to them about.
"Now since we all know Double D is returning to his home so that he may participate in the upcoming tournament I'd like to give you both something important!"
Master Raion slowly walked over to the living room and reached for a nearby dresser drawer. After he pulled out the drawer he then pulled out a big white box with two slips of paper on top of it and returned to the kitchen. Upon his return he gave both Tora and Double D each a slip of paper.
"Father what's this piece of pap." Tora was interrupted as she read the slip of paper her father had given her.
"A round trip Flight, to Metro city."
Double D was in shock as he found out the slip of paper was actually a plane ticket for the same flight as his for the next day.
"Sensei what's going on?" Double D asked.
"Well it is simple my apprentice. You see I won't be able to join you on your trip and I won't be able to until the week of the tournament. So on the same day I purchased your ticket I thought who would be better to tag along with you until I' am able to join you. Then I thought the best person for the job was none other than Tora."
Tora was filled with much happiness and joy while hugging her father.
"Thank you father." Tora kept repeating while kissing her father's cheek.
"You are welcome sweetie." He replied while laughing
"But sensei don't you think it'd be better if you went with me instead?" Double D asked.
"It's like I said I won't be able to attend until the week of the tournament, and besides I can trust leaving you alone with my daughter right Double D?" Master Raion asked while cracking his knuckles and giving Double D an evil smile.
"Yes, yes of course master." Double D replied in a frighten tone.
"Good I'm glad I can trust my student."
"Actually I'm glad that Tora is coming with me."
Both Tora and Raion looked towards Double D each with their own questionable faces.
"No, no I don't mean anything profane or anything like that. What I mean to say is it's just that I'm nervous about returning home and it will help if I had a friend who came home with me as it would make the adjusting much easier."
"Ah well I'm glad to hear you say that Double D in fact I'd like to give you something."
Master Raion then gave Double D the big white box. Double D was surprised to have been given a present from Master Raion.
"Well aren't ya gonna open it?" Raion asked while grinning.
As Double D opened the box he was in even more shock to find what was inside the box.
"M..Master ar….are you sure?" Double D asked with a surprised expression on his face.
"Yes I' am Double D go ahead try it on."
Double D slowly pulled out from the box the upper half of a brand new Gi that looked exactly similar to Master Raion's. The Gi was a brighter shade of white than Master Raion's, and instead of the color gray the lion emblems on the front of the Gi were gold colored.
As Double D removed the upper half of his old Gi Tora's face grew a deep shade of red. Even though he wore a dark gray tank top underneath his Gi it still revealed how muscular and toned his body actually was.
'Wow it's hard to believe that when I first met Double D he was just this scrawny looking kid, and now seeing how his body was transformed from all the training that he and my father went through." Tora thought to herself then after a few moments Tora had to stop herself from putting dirty thoughts in her head about Double D.
'Yup he's a regular Bruce Lee alright." Master Raion said to himself. "It's hard to believe how much potential this boy has he may actually be able to master my greatest technique."
Then just as Double D had finished putting on the Gi's vest he looked further down in the white box and found a headband. Double D slowly picked up the headband and stared at it in awe as he gazed at the golden lion head emblem.
"That's incredible Double D the golden lion head emblem is only given to those who have mastered high levels of our clan's fighting style." Tora said with a happy expression on her face. But then her expression turned into a look of surprise. "Wait does that mean that Double D can use.." Tora was cut off by her father while he answered her question.
"Well not all the way yet but he is close to entering the first stages of my ultimate technique."
"Wow Double D you're stronger than I thought." Tora said in a soft yet shy tone while she was trying to hide the blush from her face.
Double D just giggled while scratching under his nose with his index finger.
"Alright you two it's getting pretty late and you both have an early morning. So I suggest that you both pack your bags and be prepared for tomorrow."
Both Double D and Tora went to their rooms and packed their bags and prepared themselves for the next day.