To say he was in pain would be an understatement.
He was giving up nearly a full stone of weight to the older man, and the impact of his blows proved it. The last strike was directly to his chest, and he could feel the air leaving him as he crumpled to his knees.
"On your feet boy."
The silver-haired boy did not immediately comply.
Another blow and he was prone on the ground.
"Get up."
He grit his teeth and pushed himself up onto his hands and knees.
"Perhaps becoming a Shitennou is too frightening for you. You're right to fear. We can still send you home so that you may hide behind your mother's skirt."
It felt as though it took all his strength, but he rose to one knee.
"How precious, the child fancies himself a fighter. By all means, keep fighting boy. Perhaps I will catch a cold from all your pitiful swings."
With a roar that was half desperation and half rage, he flung himself at his opponent.
The Teacher easily caught him and twisted his arm behind his back, quickly forcing the boy to his knees again.
"Yield!"
Recognizing he was defeated, the boy slapped his free hand on the ground.
The Teacher brought him to his feet and sent him back to the line with a firm pat on the back. His new friends, three boys his age from different corners of the Earth, were there to greet him. He did not know their names. They had none. To enter into the training, boys gave up their names. They could reclaim their own names if they chose, but only if they quit. If they endured the training, they would be given new names. They quickly came back to attention as the Teacher moved to address the crowd of boys at the training ground.
"No matter how badly you perform, I will not send any of you home. That is your responsibility. That must be your choice."
A hush fell over all the boys gathered as the grizzled soldier addressed them.
"You can not defeat me. Not as you are now. Know this. I am not here to nurture you or hold your hand when you are frightened. I am here to destroy you. I will beat every last ounce of weakness and doubt out of you. And when I have done that, I will remake you into the finest warriors this planet has ever seen."
A pin drop could have been heard as the wide eyed boys were enraptured by this man.
"To be one of Prince Endymion's Shitennou is not a ceremonial title. You are not competing in some schoolyard game to wear a paper crown. You are pledging your very heart and soul to Earth herself. From the moment you take your vows, your life is forfeit, to be used by and given to the future King for Earth's sake. He will be closer to you than any family, and you will show him more love and devotion than even your own mothers showed you."
The Teacher's piercing blue eyes looked each of the boys over, as if surveying them. His face showed no expression, but each boy in the crowd felt as though they were being measured and found wanting.
"Today, you are all frightened boys. And you should be. For in the coming months, you will discover new thresholds of pain, suffering and misery. Most of you will quit, because you are not good enough. For those of you who endure, you will forget your old lives. You will die, and be reborn as warriors, leaders of men, and champions of Earth."
The Teacher surveyed his new pupils one last time.
"That is all for today. Rest while you may. Tomorrow, it becomes difficult."
"On your feet boy."
The silver-haired boy rose to his feet. His face was serene, and his posture was controlled and rigid. Nothing in his appearance or demeanor belied the fact that this was the proudest day of his life, and it took all of his considerable resolve to keep from shaking.
The Teacher eyed him careful, looking for any weakness in his resolve. Finding none, he moved on to the other three boys standing next to him. They too, showed no weakness. Satisfied, he stepped back.
"Who speaks for you?"
The silver-haired boy stepped forward, and the other three boys took up positions around him, presenting a unified front.
"Stand ready!"
As one, the boys unsheathed their swords and brought the hilts to their hearts.
"Why are you here?" the Teacher asked the silver-haired leader.
"We come to pledge our lives to the Earth."
"What will you give as proof of your loyalty?"
"We offer our souls as pledges of our enduring loyalty."
Following his lead, each of the boys took their free hands to their blades and squeezed, allowing their blood to flow onto the blade. Then, as one, they kneeled and thrust their blades into the ground. A bright light washed over the boys, and each felt a rush of power enter them. Finally, the Teacher approached them. He approached the youngest boy, a long-haired blonde. He placed his hand onto his head in a gesture of blessing.
"Rise, Zoisite."
He then moved to the next youngest boy.
"Rise, Jadeite."
The air of anticipation grew as he approached the third.
"Rise, Nephrite."
The silver-haired boy remained kneeling, knowing what was to come. He held his resolve and allowed the magnitude of the ceremony to sink in. Still, he felt unprepared when he finally felt the hand come to rest on his head. It remained for a beat longer than it had with his friends. But finally, he heard the command.
"Rise, Kunzite."
When he rose, he was no longer the silver-haired boy. He was a man; a man with a name, a man with power, and a man with a purpose.
"You four have been chosen to be Endymion's Shitennou. You should be proud. The pledges you have taken are not to be taken lightly. You are now bound to his service. Your lives are his. Indeed, your lives belong to Earth itself."
He put his hand on Kunzite's shoulder. For once, it was almost warm.
"Rest easy tonight men. Tomorrow, your training begins in earnest."
Kunzite stopped suddenly. He knew that this was the place. A fragment of the old power had led him here. It had been a thousand years, and all traces of the once great kingdom that once stood on this spot were long since erased and lost to history, but the binding power that held him to Earth told Kunzite that here he had willingly spilt his blood to swear himself to the unending service of Earth.
It was this oath that ultimately destroyed the Earth, and the Moon Kingdom, as Metallia corrupted him, and his fellow Shitennou, poisoning the very heart of Earth and requiring him to endure exile, rebirth and renewal before everything could be made right again.
And so, he returned here, because he knew this was the only place he could come to make any promises that he had any hope of keeping. If his word was to mean anything after twice betraying it, he had to know what was at stake. He had to know what the consequences were. He had to know the reason he was willing to make the pledge.
So he turned to meet a pair of bright blue eyes, and in them, he knew exactly why he had to keep his word this time. He had seen the life leave them once, and he had seen that life return to them over the past months. This was why his word had to be kept this time.
With a gentle smile, he extends his arm to bring her close. And when she is, he drops to one knee.
He makes his pledge. There are no bright lights, no blessings, and no rituals. The pledge is no less sacred.