Chap 4. A tomcat that knows how to make friends part 2.

Luna was on the ground, having been pinned down by Happy. She looked up at the cat and snarled at him. She pinched her middle finger and thumb, and tightened the grip on it. "Shot put!" She flicked at Happy with a small wave a force.

Happy dodged but got hit on one of his ears. "Owie." He let go of Luna and rubbed his ear. Luna took that chance and got back to her feet. She twisted and drove her foot at him but he swayed to the left, dodging the kick, and grabbed her foot. "That hurt lu- oh!" Happy pushed her foot out the way and darted past her.

"Huh?" Luna looked back at him and saw him approach a shelf that had an assortment of blades.

Happy took one of them down and examined it. It was a curved single edged blade, with a few inches of the back edge sharpened, and a chanted hilt that curved the opposite way. Its guard was cupped and disc shaped and its wooden handle had a cord wrapped on it.

"Hmmm." It was about the size of a normal katana. He gripped its handle and held it up, looking over it some more.

"Hey! Dont ignore me over a katana, you asshole!" Luna yelled at him.

"Dao." He responded.

"Huh?"

"This is a Dao, not a Katana." He turned to her. "You can tell based off the hilt and the few inches of the back edge that is sharpened." He pointed to the areas he mentioned.

"Like I care!" She yelled and darted right at him. "Drive-" she was about to attack

Happy quickly jabbed the sword into the ground and brung his hands together to quickly form three hand symbols. "Spiders net!" He pushed out both his paws and a red web shot out and wrapped around Luna.

"Crap!" The web entangled onto her and she fell to the ground, unable to move. "Damnit!"

"Hehehe." Happy walked up to her with a devilish smile.

Luna looked up at him and shivered. "Wh-whats so funny?"

"There's no escape."

"What? Damnit!" She started to sweat. 'Hes with them!?' She thought as panic rose within her. 'No! Not again!' She tried to wiggle free. 'He sacrificed himself to let me go! I can't go back!' She snarled at him "I wont let you take-"

"We shall begin the lesson with the katana." Happy said now holding a katana.

"Huh?..." Luna's panic disappeared. Now replaced with confusion.

"Now a katana is a single edged curved blade. It's typically got a long grip for two hands."

"I didn't ask for a weapons lesson!" She yelled at him but he continued anyway.

"What was that he just did?" Bass asked Lex.

"With the hole hand symbol thing?" Lex inquired.

"Yea that, I saw him doing that in the fights too. It seems to be something different from magic."

"No idea. I was gonna ask him once we got him back to his teacher."

"His teacher?"

"A nice human named Ashelot." Jean answered.

"Oh?"

"Yea, they came into Shallot town together. They apparently live in the moon forest here."

"That's legal now?"

"Bassy it's always been legal, just real restricted in some cases." Lex informed her.

"Huh. Interesting. What are those restrictions?"

"Well it depends on the location. If you want to live near town, on the edge, you have to be in view so they can monitor you. Halfway in, you need an official statement that allows living there, and supply any moon drops you find."

"All of them?"

"Nah. Just half. Lastly the middle is totally off limits. Reason being; monsters."

"Oh yea. The moon forest is a nice place till you get to the middle, that's where all the danger is."

"Mhm, and the town doesn't want to be held accountable for anyone geting hurt there by being allowed to live there. Hunts are ok though."

"Uh, guys?" Jean got their attention.

"What's up?" Lex asked him.

"Look." He pointed to Luna and Happy.

The two took a gander at the fox and hellcat and their jaws dropped.

"So, wait, why curve the handle at all?" Luna asked Happy. She was sitting down and pointing to one of the swords infront of her.

"In some cases, to improve handling." Happy answered.

"Are they...no way." Lex said baffled.

"Aww they're becoming friends!" Jean said with excitement.

Luna heard Jean and blushed. She swiveled her gaze at him. "N-no were not!"

"Looks like you two are geting along well." Lex said with a tease.

"Shut up! Bass how long till my drivers are done?"

"Just come by tomorow." Bass told her.

"Alright."

"Bring Happy and you'll get a friendship discount." Bass couldn't help herself.

"He's not my freind!" She yelled before storming off.

"Ahh we were just geting to the Kodachi's." Happy said a little sad.

"You know swords well." Lex commented.

"My teacher has some books on them as well as some blades of his own."

"Do you use them?"

"Well, no not really."

"Not really?"

"Hmmm dont tell Ashelot but I do tend to practice some when hes not looking."

"Want to suprise him, huh?"

Happy nodded and smiled.

"Speaking of which, we should probably go meet up with him."

"It is geting late, so why not." Happy got up and placed the swords back.

"See ya later Bassy." Lex told his girlfriend when they left.

They walked down the streets and headed back to where they met up.

"Hey, can I ask you something?" Lex asked Happy.

"What is it?" Happy looked his way.

"What's with those hand symbols? It doesn't look like any magic I've seen."

"Oh. My Ninjutsu?"

"Ninjutsu?"

"Yea. it uses chakra instead of ether."

"What's chakra?" Jean asked.

"Its a spiritual energy inside the body that creates a bonding bridge between the physical realm and the spiritual. The hand symbols I use are like a incantation that's used to give it shape when exiting my gates."

"And gates are-?"

"Gates are like…" Happy tried to find the words. "Think of a waterfall. The fall is the gate while the water is the chakra."

"I don't get it." Lex stated

"So you're saying it's these Gates that give you Chakra?" Jean theorized

"Yea!" Happy confirmed for Jean

"How'd you understand th-" Lex started

"So you have a Gate that produces this energy, and you use these hand symbols to form that energy?" Jean said cutting of Lex

"Something like that but it's not A Gate." Happy responded to Jean.

"Huh?"

"I have about four gates. The Throat Gate, Heart Gate, Root Gate, and the Crown Gate. Luckily for me they're all balanced."

"So there's more than one?"

"There are seven. The rest are Sacral, Solar, and Third eye."

"Why do you only have four then?"

"Because when it came to awakening my gates those four were the only ones to respond. At first, I only had three, but my training with Ashelot awakened a fourth."

"Is it possible to have all seven gates?"

"Yes but it's really hard."

"Oh. Does Ashelot have all seven?"

Happy shook his head. "He only has six."

"So close. Which is he missing?"

"Third eye."

"How does someone awaken a Gate?"

"Well to do so requires a ritual that involves a chakra stone."

"How does it go?" Jean was geting curiouser as Happy explained, also gaining an increasing interest.

"First a circle drawing is placed on the ground, candles placed on the ring of it, and then the one to awaken their gates lies on the center with a stone placed on their chest. Then there's a chant, and the stone is sucked ontp the body. The stone runs its course through the body and comes out as just a black rock, signaling the end of the ritual."

"Fascinating!"

"And painful."

"Painfull?"

"Yea," Happy shivered nd hugged himself in fear, "you feel it going through your body like something passing through your veins, all while you can't move, the tensing in your body makes it worse. Ugh I hated it, and it's not better or easier the second time, trust me."

"Ouch!" Jean, seeing Happy's reaction, cringed in response.

"Yeah. When Ashelot sensed my fourth Gate's presence I was both excited and scared."

"I bet. Now how do those hand symbols fit in?"

"The hand symbols are how I shape the chakra, or rather communicate with it."

"Explain?"

"Well I-"

"He's gonna have to explain it tomorrow for ya Jean. Look." Lex pointed down the road, pointing out Ashelot.

"Guess it's time to head back. I'll definitely see you guys tomorrow." Happy gave his goodbye before heading to his teacher.

"Bye Happy!" Jean waved

"That was fun. Can't wait to learn more about this ninjutsu stuff." Lex said

"Really? You looked confused."

"A little, but it was interesting."

Happy approached Ashelot with a smile. "Hey Sensei!"

"Hey. How was your tour?" Ashelot greeted, returning the smile.

"It was great!"

The two started to walk back to their home in the forest.

"Heard you won a tournament."

"Oh yea. Met a fox named Luna."

Happy begun telling Ashelot about his tour and the fighting he went through.

Happy was in front of the bathroom mirror. He had just finished washing himself and was wearing a white t-shirt and red pair of shorts. He was checking himself put on the mirror, looking at how he changed over the years.

Over the years he had grown taller, if he was infront of Wendy he'd be at her shoulders. His eyes changed from black dots to light brown pupils. His face looked more mature, his muzzle more defined and his whiskers longer. He still looked young just not as young.

He took off his shirt to take a look at his body. His body was more on the thin side but he was lean. His shoulders were broader and now you can see his neck. He felt down his body. His white belly had some fluff on it, his hips were a little on the wide side, thighs were fine, and he felt that his butt grew some.

He frowned as he squeezed the toned glutes. "Whyd this grow…"

*CRASH* The sound of thunder roared outside.

"Hm? Was it supposed to rain today?" Happy threw on his shirt and walked out the bathroom. He was gomma go ask Ashelot about the weather, wondering if it was gonna be a long storm tonight. He caught sight of him outside, swinging his daggers on the air. He stopped and watched him.

"Hyah!" Ashelot jumped back and spun while suspended upside down in the air. His black daggers cut the air as he spiraled. He landed on his feet and jabbed forward with one blade before swinging the other like a sharp fist at his imaginary target. He spun the blade to the other side of his hand and glided both downwards in an X.

Happy watched as his teacher practiced. It was as if he was dancing with the daggers in his hand. Happy felt an urge while watching and walked outside.

Ashelot continued to strike the air with great strength and agility. He heard the thunder from earlier but paid it no mind. He turned to strike behind him, catching a glimpse of his student. He stopped after the swing and stood up. "Happy." He said to the tom cat.

The exceeds eyes were locked onto the man's. There was no emotion on his face, but a fire in his eyes. Ashelot saw those flames and responded. A message was spoken with out words and the two took their stance. The first drop of rain hit and the first strike was dealt.

End

Next time: Past