Chapter 11
He dressed up.
Tempest had found his nano bots Alley placed into his transformation device could be programed to change the clothing into a more elegant and sophisticated look. He altered it to become dress pants and a shirt and appeared rather dapper doing so. Taking a deep breath he looked himself in the mirror and nodded to his appearance. Today is the day he sees if he can continue on his dream.
As he left the room, he found his mother had also dressed for the occasion, even his father went the extra mile! He wore white dress pants and a shirt of all things, he retracted not just his dragons, but wings as well to appear less threatening than before. With that, he gave a nod. It was time to go.
Tempest gulped his nerves as his mother flew them over the mountain and into City Y. When their feet hit the ground, they approached the sumo stables. There, they stood.
Everyone under the guidance of Onimaru, await him. But, a pale look came over their faces as their eyes came upon Garou. "You can't be serious!" one shouted.
"This isn't fair, this isn't right! He's the son of Garou!" protested Ryo.
Onimaru was just as stunned, yet held off on his words. Tempest was about to speak until his father's arm went up. "I got this." He approached them alone, the sumos stood on edge as the human monster came closer. Then, as he stared into each of their faces, he did something Tempest never thought he would.
He went on his knees, bowing his head and offered his sincerest apologies!
"The actions I have committed here are mine and mine alone. Please, I ask of you, do not bind my son to these sins against your stable." He said with great sincerity. "I will accept punishment for my misdoings, but do not punish my son!"
His mother followed suit as she too bowed her head to Onimaru and the others. "My son… has never had a dream like this before. Please, do not take it away from him, do not let the cause of one hinder that of another who has done no wrong."
He was moved to tears. His father on the ground, his mother bowing with great respect to those before her. "Mom… dad…" he whispered.
"He has already soiled the name of sumo!" one protested. "His father has shown great disrespect towards us in the past…"
"Enough." Onimaru ordered, his attention turned to Tempest's father. "Stand." He said.
Slowly, he rose once more. "Please, I will accept…"
"That's enough of that. In the past, yes, you have disrespected our stable. But also recent actions have saved it. You do not recall, a few years back, our city was under attack. This dojo was going to be destroyed had you not appeared. You saved it." Onimaru explained.
"Then, Tempest…"
"He is welcomed to join us. I do ask though, if this becomes too much for him, will you train him?" There came an odd smirk over Onimaru. "You know how he trains, what technique we use and how to achieve the results we desire. If he does not want to train here, I ask of you to continue it with him."
It was the strangest request Tempest ever heard. Onimaru wants his father to train him if this isn't suitable? He gave a proud nod. "I got him this far." He said with a smirk.
This stunned the other sumos greatly. Tempest began to approach as his mother embraced him tightly. "Call if you want to leave, but as what was just said. Your father will continue to train you if you wish to continue."
"Thanks mom."
Tempest then turned to his father. There were no words as he pulled him into his arms and embraced him wholeheartedly. "Thank you…" he whispered.
"Any time," as he pulled away, his father gave him a good slap on the back. "Kick some ass!"
He watched his parents leave as he turned to the sumo stables. He carried but a small duffle bag of clothing, it would be his first time away from home. Hopefully his heart will be able to take it.
#
He never knew what to expect.
Tempest only read about sumo life on line and in books, but it appears to all be true, as well as the traditions and customs that follow. Being the newest member, when it comes to meals. Not only does he have to cook everything for his seniors, he must wait until the very end to eat. Perhaps his little habit he developed when he was young will pay off here. He always ate last anyways! But there was far more to it than this. They will start training at five in the morning, they will go for hours until it is time to eat. "Our main concern with you is weight," Onimaru stated. "You have the skills yet… lack size in a sense. You are still young so we can work with this. However our main concern is to bulk you up!"
Tempest looked over himself. He really doesn't fit in as a sumo wrestler looking lean and trim. "I have tried," he explained. "No matter what I eat though, I cannot appear any bigger."
"We have a technique for that." Onimaru said with a grin. "For now, let us celebrate our new arrival! We will have a feast in his honor!"
The others cheered aloud to the notion, yet as he smiled to the thought of it all, Tempest already felt the animosity growing against him in the room…
#
He was surprised to find a mawashi belt in his bag.
The moment he made his way into the stable, he searched his bag and found one in there! Apparently his sister Athena made it and left a note. "I've decided to try making my own clothing line, but first I had to make this. I hope it works! Athena." He read to himself.
He smiled to hi sister's efforts, the remarkable thing is it fit him perfectly despite the fact Athena never took measurements from him!
He remembered the one he wore at the Association when his father insisted he train himself being comfortable wearing such a thing. It was awkward as people stopped and stared at him, however he remembered the reaction he got out of Misty. Since then, it's been his focus, think of her reaction and hers alone.
He stared in the mirror once more as he looked over his gear "Damn, I feel naked…" he muttered, but he had to get over that, after all everyone else is wearing one. It's to show all who witness the battle that these men are depending on nothing more than their own strengths. With that, he took a deep breath and joined practice.
When he walked out wearing one, the others paused and stared at him oddly. "That boy has to get some meat on his bones, that's a pathetic look to a mawashi belt!"
There was no issue in training when Onimaru was around. Everyone treated him with respect and like a fellow sumo. But he learned the harsh truth a few days later when Onimaru was out.
Despite the time he spent with the others as they trained lifting weights, doing drills and a light sparring session. When it came time to eat, he would wait his turn as tradition dictated, yet he found when Onimaru wasn't around, things changed drastically. When it came to his turn, he found little left in food. "Oh, I didn't make enough…" he thought. He ate what he could but soon found that this wasn't an accident.
Lunch was the same issue, but there was even less food. Dinner, there was nothing leftover for him. He started to see that he wasn't wanted here, and the top sumos of the stable were going to starve him out. It went on for three days, to the point Tempest was starving. He sighed and decided to step outside for some night air. Training was done for the day, so he figured he would call up Misty. She was busy with her internship to say the least, the chief wanted to take them on as apprentices, but he turned down the offer to become a sumo wrestler. Misty on the other hand jumped at the chance.
He called her up to see what she was up to. "Tempest! How the sumo stables?" she asked.
He didn't want to tell her it was bad, but it was also only a few days in. "It's okay, it's a big…"
GRUMBLE…
He froze as his stomach roared. "Was that your stomach!?" she demanded.
"Oh… yes, I didn't quite have dinner yet… there doesn't appear to be much to eat…" the phone went dead. "Misty?" he asked, but wondered if perhaps it was a bad connection. He tried again but she wasn't answering. "Did I say something wrong?"
He sighed and went back inside, the others were playing cards and yet no one invited him to join. He was going to go to bed to sleep when a car screeched outside of the dojo. "What the hell is that?"
They were curious and went to the front door, as they opened it, Misty stood there. She appeared rather angry to say the least as her eyes flared like a fiery rage! "Where is Tempest!" she demanded.
He froze to her tone. Tempest came from the dorm and saw her standing at the front door, pissed off to say the least. "Misty…"
"Outside, this instant!" she demanded.
The sumos Oooo and laughed at him being demanded around by this young woman. However, she was very good looking to say the least. Yet as he stepped outside the door, he froze to the sight of a food truck! "Misty…"
"I borrowed the catering truck, also our cooking instructor heard me over the phone, guess what. We got leftovers from today's job!" she opened up the back of the truck and revealed the food she brought along. "You are not leaving here until you have had your fill… understood?" she said in a stern tone.
He smiled and nodded full heartedly.
He sat at the end of the truck and began to help himself. The food was divine to say the least, yet it brought unwanted attention. "ARE YOU GOING OFF DIET!"
The largest sumo was named Ryo, and he ran the stable when Onimaru wasn't there. Needless to say who is behind the notion of starving him out. "I haven't eaten yet, in fact, I haven't eaten well in three days!" Tempest protested.
"You are to eat with us and eat what we eat! This is unacceptable!" he protested.
Misty however stood there with her arms crossed. "Really? Is it not dishonorable for a sumo to neglect his fellow stable mates when it comes to training? Is he not helping you grow stronger and in return you refused to offer him the same courtesy he has given you!" she demanded. "I get it, this is hazing in the stables, pick on the new guy… or are you simply too terrified of him that he's is far better than you anticipated… in fact, he's far better than you are at sumo!"
There was silence.
Tempest ate everything Misty brought for him, enough to satisfy him and end the hunger pain he had endured. "Oh, that was good!" he purred.
She smiled as he stood up from the truck. He embraced her whole-heartedly. "Thank you for the wonderful meal."
She hugged him back. "Any time big boy, now, got back in there and train until you become the best!"
It was the little pep talk he needed to get by. She packed the truck back up and drove home, yet there came a glare on the other sumos. Some were impressed, but those who were with Ryo were not…
#
They were a lot rougher with him than usual. Tempest endured the strikes, the stiff blows and even moves that are not to be in sumo wrestling by these six larger men in the stables. But he endured. He had to.
He would suffer a full week of abuse from them. They starved him, beat him as much as they could, and yet despite it all. None gained a victory from Tempest when they sparred with him.
He was in the middle of yet another sparring session with Ryo. He was going at him with everything he had and demanded that Tempest not fight back as part of his 'balance' training. Time and time again, he endured the largest of the sumos throwing his full weight into him, in hopes of knocking him down. But to no avail.
"Why don't you just leave!" demanded Ryo. "You are not needed here, I was to be the one to defeat Raiden, not you!"
"Then get stronger rather than focus your energy on me!" Tempest scolded.
"You distract all who are here! You are only here because you are the son of Garou, despite the fact you look NOTHING like him! What were you, a reject or something? Your old man didn't even want you around so he sent you here!" laughed Ryo.
He began to think things over but sighed aloud. "You know what… fine!" he announced. "I will leave!" This stunned the stables, Ryo was grinning with victory. "I'll go independent. And knock you down a few pegs on my way to become Yokozuna!"
"Big talk for a small man!"
Tempest glared at him. "Watch yourself… you'll be knocked off your feet again in no time."
Tempest began left the spar room and began to pack his things, he was nearly done when a commotion broke out. Oni returned.
"What do you mean he's leaving!?"
"He doesn't have the heart to be a sumo wrestler, that's all." Ryo lied.
Tempest changed into his civilian clothing as he emerged from the room. He glared at Ryo before turning to Oni. "I will go train with my father, I'll be independent from this moment on. Thank you for the lessons I learned, I assure you… I took them all to heart."
Oni was devastated, but his glare turned to Ryo. Yet, as he looked back to Tempest he nodded in agreement. "I have spoke with your father, I have no doubt in my mind that he will train you well, and not to mention challenge you where you can grow. Be well, Tempest."
He gave a gracious bow and walked out. He was there for just over a week in the stables and he was already out the door. He didn't feel challenged either. He was holding back his strength for the sake of the others, but now, he has to push himself farther and harder than ever before.
For that, he needs his father.
