The day had finally arrived for training.
"Now that you've built up your body, we are moving on to your spirit. Before I begin teaching you martial arts, I need to ask a question first.
What are your goals? The short-term and the long-term?"
Princess thought about her short-term goals. She wanted to beat the Powerpuff Girls, to finally defeat them and prove that she was worthy of being a Powerpuff Girl herself.
As for the long-term goals...
"Well...I'd like to settle the score with Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup, but...idk about long-term goals. I was planning to inherit my father's business and take over for him after he...retired".
Princess winced in pain. It was very difficult to bring up her father without thinking about the unthinkable...
"I believe that you can be anything that you want to be, Princess. Why do you think I asked about long-term goals? How do you think it relates to your spirit?"
Princess remained silent for the longest time she'd ever committed to in her entire life. She was tapping her fingers together, trying to think about it.
"Well I guess if I didn't have the girls to fight, I wouldn't have a reason to do anything."
"Precisely. A short-term goal does not have to be connected to the larger context of someone's life. In order to stay motivated in life, we need something to aim for. Now that isn't to say that short-term goals don't have meaning-on the contrary, they are very much meaningful. However, we need to connect our short-term goals to some grander purpose in life. Some people go on to be teachers, others businesspeople, or writers. Whatever it is that you're doing now, it should connect to something else in the long-term."
"But how do I connect beating them with a long-term thing? I don't really know what I want to do now..."
That really was the truth of the matter. I've never really thought too far into the future. I'm a girl who lives in the moment, who thrives there and no where else. I guess it's better late than never to consider what I want to do for the rest of my days.
"Well...here's what I believe. Constant self-improvement is something that connects the girls and anything else you want to do with your life. You are getting stronger Princess. It is difficult to tell whether or not we're getting anywhere when we don't have a means to tell where we're at. Find out what it is you want to spend your life improving on. Maybe it's to study an academic subject or perhaps you may become a chef or possibly an instructor someday. We all need something to keep us going, something to fuel our fire. Having a purpose boosts the spirit".
Something to keep us going...What keeps Maia going. Should I ask? Princess thought she knew what the answer might be, but why do I want to be sure? A part of her wanted to know. Another part of her didn't know why she wanted to know.
She opened her mouth to speak, then forced it to close. Why did she do that? What is going on with me! I'm Princess...why do I...she trembled a little at the mere formation of the question rising to the top of her mind.
"When your training is concluded, I'd like to enroll you in Townsville's martial arts Competition. There's no point in teaching you anything if there aren't any results."
That question is lingering...why am I so...scared? Why do I keep fighting it? Am I afraid of what will happen if I let those words escape my lips?
The little girl seemed visibly distracted.
"Are you ready to begin training today?"
Morbucks didn't immediately reply. Then...after a time, she nodded her head slowly.
Mai moved so quickly, that Princess barely had any time to react before she invaded her personal space and laid a palm on her forehead.
Princess flinched in surprise and couldn't believe how fast this woman was. Before she'd even raised her arms to block, she had already entered striking range.
Princess mouth gaped open, and then dropped down on the ground.
"How...how...how...did you do that?!"
"Very good...you began raising your arms in defense right when I moved".
"...How is that a good thing?!" This was really...really...AGGRAVATING!
"In the same way that Rome wasn't made in a day, you can't expect to hone your instincts in a moment".
Morbuck's rage was building at how helpless she was... How is she so fast? Am I really this slow? What was all that fighting with the girls even good for? Why didn't any of it translate to now?
" It takes time to become accustomed to things. We do not learn simply by trying...we must do so by doing. In a serious fight, your opponent may not give you time to think or formulate a strategy. If so...what do you fall back on?"
Maia backed up a bit this time. "You don't know when or how you're opponent will attack you. Given that's the case, what do you think you need to do to prepare for that?"
Maia moved, but this time a bit slower to allow the little girl to move her hand to defend her guard.
Princess wasn't able to block it, but she did manage to touch the hand as it once again made its way to her forehead.
Without the suit...It burns me up inside...tears at every fiber of my being...but she was right about me. It hurt enough to make Princess tear up a little.
Maia dried the tear with her index finger, which felt strange to Princess. "You have to train to handle a higher level of speed and intensity, until your body is used to it. Human beings in their day-to-day activities aren't used to mortal combat. Often times, in an altercation, they flinch, freeze, or run away because they don't know how to react to it. It's an alien feeling, an uncertainty that strikes terror into the human heart. Before you master anything else, you must become accustomed to reacting first."
Maia rose back up and took a few steps back. "I will slow down to half my normal speed. I want you to focus on blocking my strikes for the time being."
Princess prepared herself. Even at half-speed, she was quick. Princess blocked 2 out of 6 strikes on her first attempt.
"Very good, Princess. We will do this for an hour. Try to block as many as you can."
Princess wasn't sure whether or not she was learning, but she did keep blocking 2 out of 6 strikes for 50 minutes. Then...she blocked a third one.
"Good...we'll take a break to rest and then resume training."
Morbucks, drenched in sweat, laid down on the grass. That was so intense. I got a third one...Princess smiled, proud of herself.
Although, I don't remember trying to get it. The lady's movements were completely unpredictable. Maia had come at her from every conceivable angle possible, incorporating punches, kicks, open palm strikes, karate chops, elbows, kneeing, etc. She always stopped short of landing a hit on her, which was a testament to her self-control and level of ability.
"Alright Princess...it's time for a change of pace. We'll take a 15 minute break. Then, we'll work on dodging."
Morbucks breathed in and relaxed her body, feeling more drained that she thought she should have.
"You're doing very well, Princess. We'll work on blocking and dodging until you adjust to my movements."
And just like that, weeks had passed. After 1 month, Morbucks finally managed to block Mai's sixth punch at half her speed and evaded most of her attacks.
Princess was jumping up and down, genuinely happy and celebrating for the first time in what seemed like forever.
"I did it! I DID IT! I DID IT!"
"Yes...you did. Maia beamed and nodded approvingly. Now, you're ready for the next phase of training to begin. You will begin sparring with me. Before you do, we need to have a discussion about...pain."
"...pain?"
"When you faced the girls, how much of it did you feel after you left the suit? Were there days when it seemed like you needed to lay down in bed or recuperate?"
"Come to think of it...No I didn't feel like doing any of that".
"It's as I thought...that suit was suppressing your ability to feel serious pain".
"...Is that a bad thing?" Morbucks asked.
Why would it be? Isn't that the point of the armor? Using it so you're immune to pain?
"While it's important to defend ourselves from physical attacks, we must also have the strength to endure them. You can't ensure that your opponent will never break your guard or hit you before you have time to move out of the way. Part of self-defense is learning how to handle pain, so that we do not react in a way that will give your opponent an advantage. There are different reactions to physical pain and these can determine how a fight will unfold.
Princess...can you think of any reactions that might be problematic?"
Princess thought for a while, then shrugged. "I'm drawing a blank".
"Let's suppose you've never taken a punch before a day in your life. One reaction might be that you're so focused on the pain, that you stop paying attention to the person who did it to you. What do you think would happen then?"
"...The person would keep wailing on me" Morbucks said slowly.
"Precisely!" Maia ruffled her hair and Princess batted it away with a smirk.
"We have to condition our bodies to handle physical pain, so that it doesn't feel shocking or disrupt our concentration. What other kind of reaction might pain produce?"
"...I'm not sure" Princess did try to think about it for a bit, but this was all so new to her.
"Anger, Princess. When someone gets angry, they leave openings for others to exploit. We have a fight-or-flight response and sometimes we throw a punch in a rage. This is reckless and could result in your energies being used against you. Princess, for just one moment, I want you to meditate and think of a moment that made you angry. When you are ready, direct that anger at me. It will be easier to explain this way."
Princess meditated on the moment and found it. It was the day that the girls and her got into a fight. When she opened her eyes, she came at Maia in a rage and threw a haymaker. Maia grabbed her right arm and threw her forward, causing her to crash into the ground face first.
"Owwww" Princess rubbed her head. Maia knelt down in front of Princess and made eye contact.
"Do you understand? When we aren't calm, we have a habit of directing our energies in a reckless fashion. What I did was take your forward momentum and use it against you."
Maia helped Princess onto her feet. Princess was settling down, but still visibly upset. The movement reminded her of the time when Blossom tripped her in that first fight. Oh...It all clicked in that instant.
"Anger is a natural reaction that we have Princess. We aren't robots and we have emotions. These can control how we direct our energies. Thus, we need to know when to control them and when to let loose. If I had been an assailant with a knife, you would have been seriously injured or worse. Now Princess, I am not saying that you need to be completely calm when you fight. However, you need to learn to let out your anger in a more controlled fashion."
Princess drank in every single word Maia said, savoring every moment. A long time ago, she had told herself that she would never pay any mind to the lectures of others...that they didn't mean anything. People calling her a brat, or complaining about her temper tantrums or criticizing her ambitions. She thought everyone was like that...wanting her to conform to a set standard of behavior, a way of being. Yet...despite her reputation in Townsville, despite her past, and her goals, this woman not only saved my life...she doesn't condemn me...or treat me like how everyone else does. To them, I'm just a villain...an irredeemable scumbag who'd be better off dead. How can she overlook all of that so easily? It's at once liberating and yet...I feel so...uncomfortable. To finally have found someone who is so kind and accepting...No..
Princess fought it back. Kindness? Acceptance? I may not have uncovered it yet, but everyone has a motive...everyone is driven by selfish desires that supersede the concerns of others. Love...belonging...trust...these were things that all had a price tag. They didn't come without some kind of monetary cost. Everything that has any value in this world is rooted purely in something material. They cannot be intangible She'd told herself. Why am I telling this to myself? No...I know why.
A year had passed in serious training. Maia had taught Princess several techniques, for the ground and otherwise. During a day of training, Maia said the magic words "The time has come, Princess".
Princess looked up in surprise. "I'm...ready?"
Maia nodded.
"I'm ready...yes I am ready."
"It's time we enroll you in a martial arts competition in Townsville. You will be facing several different kids your age. This will be a test of everything you've ever learned and you'll experience real combat for the first time out of your suit. As you know full well from past experience, real fighting is not like sparring. These kids will be coming at you with everything they've got."
Princess looked forward to the competition for a while now, but didn't want to ask. She was worried that if she showed any anxiousness, any anticipation, that Maia would push the date back further. Now...the time has come to see if she has changed.
"When you're ready, we'll teleport to Townsville and enroll you in the competition."
"Are you ready...?"
Her hands were shaking...with excitement.
Morbucks wanted to just skip the enrollment process and step right into the ring.
"WARP!"