Loonatics: United

The Wrath of Tenebrous

Episode 136: Ablution

Ace and Kufai were in the temple's training room. "Let's just get this over with and kick my tail already." Ace said while stretching.

"We're not fighting today." Kufai was on a corner of the room, he took a long, wooden stick from the floor, as well as a small piece of trunk. "Resistance is key to become a great warrior." Kufai swung the stick a couple of times while approaching Ace. He placed the trunk right before Ace's feet. "Take off your shirt."

Ace raised an eyebrow. "Uhm, okay." He did as Kufai said, taking off his shirt and dropping it on the floor.

Kufai nodded at him. "Get on the trunk, and don't fall. Extend your arms."

"Alright." Ace got both feet on the trunk, which moved slightly as he stood on it. "That's it?"

"No." Kufai hit Ace's torso strongly with the stick, making him scream and fall to the ground.

"Ungh." Ace rubbed his side. "You could've…" He groaned. "…warned me at least." Ace got onto his feet.

"Has the enemy ever warned you before a strike, Ace?"' Kufai said with a straight tone, gesturing at the trunk. "Get back there." Ace sighed and walked towards the trunk, getting on it again.

Kufai hit him again, this time on the thigh, Ace groaned, he almost lost balance, but he managed to keep it, Kufai hit his shin afterwards, Ace let out another groan, gritting his teeth. Kufai swung the stick again and hit Ace's arm, almost making him fall, then he hit forearm with more strength.

Ace groaned, every hit made him want to quit and leave, to fall down and just give up, but he knew that a great warrior was emerging from him, he tried his best to ignore the pain that he felt each time Kufai hit him, thinking about his girlfriend, about his comrades and the millions of people he was going to save after defeating Alfons. The pain he was feeling was worth it.

Kufai hit his face, Ace almost fell, standing on one foot, but he recovered his balance shortly after, Kufai hit him again, making his nose bleed, he then swung the stick again and hit him right on the snout, making it bleed as well. Ace trembled, gasping while the drips of blood fell from his snout, looking at Kufai with a decided gaze, letting him know he wanted to continue, Kufai hit his belly with the stick several times, Ace groaned and gasped, a tear of pain escaped from his eye, he let out a vigorous scream, breathing in and out quickly. Kufai threw a final hit with the stick, hitting Ace's face again, this time making him fall, Ace fell strongly over the floor, groaning, feeling defeated. "S…" He gasped, Kufai approached him, helping him stand up. "Sorry." Ace cleaned some blood off his snout with his arm.

"Don't be." Kufai patted his back. "You did great." He nodded at him. "You're stronger than I thought."

Ace looked into his eyes with intrigue. "But I fell." He looked down. "I could've resisted more but…"

"Hey, it's a process, that's what training is for." Kufai patted his cheek amicably. "Stone by stone, Ace." He walked away from him. "Put your shirt back on."

"So…" Ace groaned, walking towards his shirt and taking it. "…we're done?" He put it on slowly, gasping by the pain.

"Absolutely not." Kufai said.

Ace raised an eyebrow. "So…what now?"

Kufai chuckled. "Nothing painful, I assure you that."

The sun had just come out, Ace and Kufai walked down a white, rocky path, the mounds were of a smooth, white rock, clean, with no moss or cracks, Ace looked at those white, natural walls with awe, feeling bliss in his heart. "Bapto" Kufai said as they entered an area with a natural pool and a waterfall falling into it, surrounded by the same white rock. The grass there was of a light green. "Place of Purification." He looked at Ace.

Ace was wondered by the beauty of the place. "Cool."

Kufai smirked while approaching him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You might not…perceive what you're about to do, but believe me, Ace. This is the foundation of all your training. Of your life."

"What?" Ace raised an eyebrow. "Taking a swim here will make me, uhm, a better man or something?"

"Not a swim, more like a…" Kufai thought for a moment then shrugged and let out a sigh. "I guess 'swim' is the appropriate word."

"Oh, I'm all in for this." Ace got closer to the pool's edge, attracted by the beauty of it's crystal clear water.

"You are?" Kufai got closer to him.

Ace placed a hand on his chest. "I…" He glared into Kufai's eyes with decision. "I want to change."

Kufai placed both hands on Ace's face. "He makes all things new, have you heard of that?"

"Yeah, I think. My mom, you know?" Ace chuckled briefly.

Kufai smirked. "Return to your roots, boy." He patted his cheeks gently. "It's time."

Ace thought for a moment, then glared into the waterfall, getting lost there, memories of defeat, anxiety, doubt, anger and fear began to appear wildly inside of his mind. He let out a gasp and almost fell down, but Kufai helped him stand on his feet. "That…wh…" Ace shook his head. He began to breathe faster. "I saw my past. I felt everything again." He grasped the cloth of the chest area of his shirt.

"Hey, you're alright, there's no danger here." Kufai patted his back. "All of that will fade away, do you believe me? Do you trust me?"

A tear traveled through the fur of his face. "I do." He said with a broken voice.

Kufai smiled at him. "Alright." He closed his eyes, getting completely silent for a long moment. He did the signal and opened his eyes. Kufai then did the same signal on Ace, touching his forehead and then his chest. Kufai nodded at him and gestured at the waterfall.

Ace nodded back and faced the waterfall again, then he took off his shirt, letting it fall on the white, rocky ground. He got both feet in the warm water of the pool, then he began to walk forward, descending at each step, getting deeper in the clear water, until stepping on the bottom, the water level was barely above his waist. Ace approached the waterfall and entered it, feeling the warm water patting his body reassuringly, cleaning his fur as he closed his eyes and looked upwards, welcoming the water falling on his face. He gasped as he felt a fire of pure bliss and vigor igniting from his heart, invading the rest of his body, his mind and his spirit. Different words and phrases of bravery, strength and faith were spoken out in his thoughts with a loud echo.

A great, soothing silence came afterwards, Ace lowered down his gaze, feeling the water caressing his head, his long ears and his shoulders, his back, his arms, all of his body was feeling good, renewed and ready for what was about to come. He opened his eyes slowly, finding a great delight by seeing the water falling around him, agitating the pool with a frolic manner. The tension, the pain, the uncertainty and the fear were gone. Ace began to feel a lump in his throat, he gasped and then started to cry, not of sadness, as a great happiness appeared in his soul, he brought his hands to his face, covering it, letting out tears and sobs of thankfulness as the falling water caressed him.

Ace stood under the waterfall for a long time; the tears faded out, he felt like a new man, healed, ready to continue living. He walked away from the falling water, then began to swim casually, surrounding the waterfall, testing the uneven depth of the pool, glaring around, admiring the beauty of the white rocky cave behind the waterfall.

Kufai was standing at the edge of the pool, smirking while seeing the smile on Ace's face.