The next day at the Apple Family, Applejack woke up it has been almost a month that Spike left completely off the grid, she went downstairs and to make breakfast, her family came down.

"Hey sis" Big Mac spoke.

"Yeah" Applejack replied.

"this came for you" he replied as he walked in and handed her a piece of paper with her name on it, A.J opened it walking to the other room reading it in private, she started to read it her eyes following the letter, she smiled happily her Grandmother arrived "What is it?" she asked.

"It's a letter from Spike" Applejack smiled showing her the letter, who put her reading glasses on.

"Well how about that after what he's been through, he's made contact" Granny Smith smirked "To You" she said.

"And you approve of his secret" A.J asked, when Spike left after the fallen out and it was too late to ask for forgiveness when their friends and her little sister realized it their mistake too late, the two told Big Mac and Granny about his dark secret, at first they were shocked but understood awhile later it just caught them off-guard.

"At first I thought he didn't tell ya'll sooner because he didn't give a hoot of a secret that big, but now I know he was scared of the secret" Granny spoke.

"I was the very first one he told" Applejack spoke up.

"Well there ye'w go he trusts ye'w enough to tell you the secret first, I'll grant him this it was brave of him to take a leap of faith like that" Granny Smith said "I know I'm not a Martial Artists with zen advice but, Every choice path or turn in life is based on A Leap of Faith" she said.

"That would be something Sugarcube would say" Applejack smirked.

"Unfortunately when he took another leap of faith he missed the other edge and fell" Granny Smith frowned "But it seems like his putting himself back together" she smirked.

"Yes he is" A.J smirked.


Spike/ Dracul returned to Japony, He found his Sensei.

"Dracul your back" Sensei bowed Dracul bowed back.

"Problem taking care of" Dracul informed "The Black Death made an appearance" he said.

"did anyone see you and do people know another part of you is loose in their city?" Sensei asked.

"I know the city where the camera's are and know how to stay in their blindspots, I paid very close attention on how to evade and stay in the shadows thanks for one of our allies" Dracul replied.

"Speaking of shadows and allies, the next step to your training starts tomorrow" Sensei said, Dracul just nodded.

"I was wonder Sensei when I grow up some, i was wondering if I could have help, building a new place on top of the mountain" Dracul asked.

Sensei just smirked and nodded "I'll make it better, when you leave I'll have it ready for you" he said.

Dracul just nodded "I'm going to check things then turn in for the night" he spoke as he bowed as Sensei bowed back and left.

Dracul made his rounds and went to his room closing the sliding door he went to sleep.

Later he fell into a deep state, he looked at the door that his darkside was behind, the door seemed to be, cracked and some dark strands seem working their way through, Spike/ Dracul closed his eyes and concentrated on the door and the strands and pushed them back in the cracks and the door repaired itself.

hours later Dracul woke up early and started hiking up the mountain and climbed the rest when he got half way up, when he arrived he started to get some training in to stay on top of it, he practiced everything vigorously for a few hours mixing old techniques with the new after a few hours Spike stopped and started meditating sensing around him hours later after he did some more Kata's he created with different punches, kicks strikes and stances, he wanted to practice his other training to keep them sharp, his stealth and remain undetected, So going back down he got to the town and disappeared with a blink of an eye.

Dracul kept an eye on the villagers, unseen in the still dark early morning, he listened to conversations from some trainee's while jabbing at a training pole with a bokken, then he stood in a crowd as some warriors walked right past not even seeing him, when a villager walked infront of him and when he past Dracul was gone.

Minutes later Dracul had slipped past villagers and warriors undetected, hiding in plain sight and listening to conversations not giving a hint he was listening, he then stopped the training knowing he did everything he was taught to hide, sneak and evade from The Assassin's, he made sure his stealth and evading was pitch perfect before coming back.

he found his Sensei and another figure, he smirked slipping behind a post and disappeared from sight and going low across roof tops staying low and made it 3 feet behind the 2.

"Hello" Dracul spoke making them jump.

"Uh Hi Dracul didn't even sense you coming" Sensei smirked.

"just getting some Training in" Dracul said.

"Not bad man, I could barely hear you coming, I heard you when arrived in the proximity but then it was quiet, thought you left" the man Smirked.

"this is Terry from The Ninja tribe which your training will require two types of training he will explain it when you arrive at their Tribe" Sensei explained.

"Understood, I will learn as much as I can" Dracul promised.

"I have no doubt" Sensei smirked.

"Before we start do you want to eat?" Dracul asked the man.

"No thanks, we shall eat when we arrive" Terry replied "Thanks for the offer" he smirked and the two left as they bowed to Sensei.


hours later after riding on their horses for hours, the two arrived at a temple with a Circle with a roaring Dragon's head and another temple 10 yards away with a very dark gray trident like shape like a three toed Dragon footprint with red lines going from mid toe to the middle.

He started to walk over there "Uh that is for when your ready for more advance training, like the ninja's there first day the train til the graduate they train with a blindfold, learn to let go of their sight and trust their other senses" Terry told him.

Dracul nodded "Because your eyes can deceive you and their is a saying the blind can see the truth better" he stated.

"Yep you have that concept down" Terry smirked "Means things might be simpler for you here" he said.

"Well I wouldn't go that far" Dracul said.

"Really from what our Assassin allies say, you mastered your training quickly" Terry smirked.

"And never believe everything you hear, some could saying things to trick or betray you, I had experience with that in the path" Dracul said frowning when he said saying things to trick or betray you, Thinking of Garble the guy who betrayed everyone not just him but everyone in his Clan.

Then another voice "I hear words of a wise warrior" before them was a Ninja in robes with a yellow sash and graying dark hair.

"Welcome Dracul" The Sensei bowed like his clan does and followed suit "But since you've begun a new lifestyle requires a new name" he said "speak your mind" he stated.

"Is it alright I require a name when you feel I'm worthy of it" Dracul said.

"Of course Dracul, you must be tired get some rest" Sensei spoke.

knowing this was a test to see if he was commented to train and learn he answered "Death does not wait for you to be ready and I won't let Death be ready for me" he stated wisely making the two smirk.

his new Sensei looked at Tarry "I think he will make it" he said.

"Not going to argue with that" Tarry replied, then Dracul looking at the two studying them "And I also like to start at the very beginning work my way up" he said.

"we admire your commitment and you haven't begun our training" Sensei nodded "Terry take Dracul to the other newcomers but put him with older guys his age or close" he stated the two bowed and left.

Later the two entered the temple and went into a room with other new teenagers "Okay class Sutando" he called they just looked at sat there.

"That means stand" Dracul said making them stand.

"Thank you" Terry said as Dracul stood in the back where the taller were "Okay yew were taught some techniques you all no the code, The Warrior's way" he said.

"so lets have a Trial by fire" Tarry clapped and the newcomers picked a partner and the groups stood back watching, Dracul picked a opponent taller than him and beefier.

"Hajime" Tarry spoke the two bowed at Tarry and each other, then they began Dracul watched them with his trained eyes following and hearing their movements, he pointed out a few or alot of errors after tagging each other with a hit, he saw their hits were half down or the joints were turned the wrong way.

The groups went and it Was Dracul's and his opponents turn, the tow stepped to the line "Okay all I say is don't take it easy on him" Tarry warned the guy.

"You kidding I'm twice his height and 30 pounds more" he bragged as he looked at Tarry Dracul shook his head.

"Than you shouldn't have a problem" Tarry smirked.

"It's not the biggest animal that wins a fight, it's the amount of fight thats in the animal is what wins a fight" Dracul stated, the two bowed at Terry and each other, Dracul stood ready his opponent charged and tried to kick him with a flying kick, but Dracul stepped in caught the leg and placed a hand on the opponent's lower stomach and flipped him on the floor, he stood back.

"lucky move, I'm the best in class" he said popping up and swinging but Dracul dropped on his hands and knee spun swept the guy at the ankles making him fall but gasp when he fell on a knee in his stomach, then placing his other foot on is stomach stomach wheeled him over his head and popped up, in a stance.

The opponent swept or tried to, but Dracul stepped back raising a foot avoiding the attack and his opponent got up and did a high kicked but was avoided and the leg was grabbed jabbed in the stomach , grabbed his head and tossed him aside with a turn and stood in a stance.

Dracul stepped in and blocked a strike grabbed the wrist turned and jabbed him in the ribs with an elbow, followed by a hammer fist to the stomach and turned flipped him on the ground still holding the arm twisting it and got to the side wrapped it in a leg hold and torqued the arm a bit making the opponent tap the ground, Dracul broke away and backed up but still on guard.

"Yame" Terry called the two stopped and bowed "Okay line up" he ordered, they followed the order and stood ready.

"nice job, some showed promise and other's went above" Terry spoke "So real training will begin" he said "The style that I'm teaching is called Ninjutsu, so follow along" he said getting in a stance and started demonstrating Ninjutsu while the class followed his movements, Dracul payed close attention and did them, Ninjutsu was definetly different, the punches, the kicks the strike and throws also the stances.

Terry stopped as go in a attention class and turned to them "Okay I'm not going to lie that was awful, but some of you passed and one of you was correct" he said, Terry went over them again and Dracul did them with no problem's, then he told the ones that passed to come over and the fails stood aside as he taught them more trick moves, Dracul was doing them like it was second nature, then again when is one was already a trained warrior they learn to adapt which was excetly what Dracul was doing.

Then it was just Dracul going over the moves, then Terry speed up and was doing advance movements as Dracul did it at the same speed like the two were looking at a mirror, Terry went over everything at top speed with Dracul going over the moves just as fast, then Terry stopped.

Try them again without me this time" Terry said "From the beginning" he spoke as Dracul stopped and stood in ready stance and with top speed he did everything, every strike every kick and every punch and stance and foot work, from beginning to advance , Dracul did them all and finished with a handless backflip and spun on a leg and jumped with a roundhouse

"KIAI" Dracul/ Spike yelled as stood in a ready stance.

"Good" Terry nodded "Very Good" he said.

Hour later Terry went over the weapons they used, Kama's Chained weapons like a japonese version of a mace, tied with a the stick the length of a footlong sub with a long sturdy chain with a solid lemon size metal ball and a Kama with a long chain and ball of metal.

Showed the class how to use them, Dracul followed the movements and quickly perfected them "All right everyone fall in" he ordered the groups lined up "Good we resume tomorrow" he said then tapping his stick two times they left.

Dracul arrived at his room, finding a white gi and obi he put it on and went to the palace dinner room and ate a large portion of food and left to his room and got some sleep.

Dracul then felt his sleep was stirred as he sense a dark and cold force, he got into a deeper state and saw the door in his mind was more cracked than before and the chains were broken and the frame was bent as black seaweed like tentacles were slivering out, he concentrated and the door and frame repaired itself and the tentacles were forced back in and the door was fixed and locked with the chains again he then made more appear on it.

He dream was more relaxed for the rest of the night.

weeks later Dracul trained and progressed remarkably quickly getting a new color sash around his waist, he mastered Ninjutsu and the weapon use he was taught with, then was taught smaller weapons like karambits, Kunai's and slightly curved bladed ninja stars, was taught how to throw them at targets, then tested to throw them at different targets and just like with Assassin's was tested to hit them without being seen, then taught to blend in the shadows and control his heartbeat.

He was taught two new styles like Kenpo and Taijutsu, then new style for a katana called Battojutsu which involves quick and precised sword techniques for quick draw cuts and slashes, he was showed how to use a pair of Tonfa's and showed the kata for them, then was taught to use Tonfa's with a blade coming from the ends, was shown slash and stab techniques for them and how to turn them and flip the blade and strike and retract the blade.

again and again he passed his Sensei's and Terry's requirements with flying colors.

Half of the month has gone by and he progressed quickly and fiercely, the training and the extra work, like climbing and lifting bags of sand with rope, dragging a cart of sand bags with a rope tied to the cart and him, first a few bags but increased the load, also helped around the Temple and village with chores, making weapon's and carrying large baskets of water attached to a long sturdy stick.

The work gave him another growth spurt, he was 6ft 1 and now had a body of Decathlete, there was actually Ninja girls and Samurai girl warriors and Female Assassin's that actually couldn't help but stare at him, sure when he was training as a Samurai made him grow to 5ft 11 and a fit triathlete looking body made alot of girls from his Clan loose focus in training but now his muscles and height were twice his old size and the ladies were almost drooling.

his hair also gotten longer and fuller it reached the back of his neck, he also got a new scar on the other side of his face, when he was learning who to use a new weapon he made, the whip blade it shaped like Katana with a smaller hilt but when you touch a small button near the hilt the blade goes slack and presto a whip blade while he forgot where the button was when he was swinging it around and accidentally touched it and the motion jerked back as the blade whipped black against his face, the scar was horizontal on the middle part of cheek and across his jaw, he made a note the next hour or so to stare at the button just to remember where it was, but soon he mastered the techniques and movements, even made a kata for it, then used how to use two whip-blades in each hand and using two whip-blades in each hand was tricky, actually one was tricky enough and two was hell to learn to master in his opinion but he manage to master them.

aswell on his free time he trained his other old training from Samurai and Assassin to recent from Ninja training, everything and it was all becoming second nature and naturally to him, his sensei's were thinking he was almost ready to ascend to greater levels.