Current Work in progress

[Sabe 2,444]

Heh, thanks Marx! I hope that we will see one of YOUR stories pop up here soon.

Yeah, I'm getting behind on writing this, though...Work is eating up more and more of my time (with winter here, I get to go push snow, as well as all the other shit-_-; ). It could be worse, though, I could have nothing done...Yes, I have more, but it isn't enough to post. Sorry!

[Sabe 2,444]

Okay, after a large amount of debate, I've come to a decision. Instead of being Chapter 5, I'll save part of what I have and use this part(because I had forgotten, actually) as the other half of Chapter 4!

They again fell asleep, having thoroughly worn themselves out, and slept to the coming of the sun. As the first of the new light hit his face, Drake couldn't remember where he was, only that he was surrounded by hay, and that he was lightly restrained by...something...around his waist. Looking around, he saw Maura, as nude as he realized he was, sleeping at his side. With a light blush, he awoke the young woman, and began to hunt for his pants.

"Why are you in a hurry, lad? Do you wish to be out of my company so quickly?"

In truth, Drake thought that was most of the reason, but he wasn't going to tell her that. "Nay, I was gone all night without telling my mother; She'll be worried thin." Maura looked satisfied with his answer, and began to look for her clothes, too. When they both had what they were looking for, they crept out of the loft, and outside. The fog was thick that morning, which would prove to be a blessing since Drake was walking with his hand about Maura's waist, and hers about Drake's. The fact that She was only in a slip, and He in his pants wouldn't help the fact along with their elders. At her porch, they kissed farewell, and Drake began his walk home, still barefoot.

Not three miles from his house, he was greeted by his dog, Roland. The beast was little more than a mutt, but he was set apart from most dogs by his eyes: they were feirce, but empty blue. Bombadier's eyes. That was the feature that had given him his name, though. Drake had gotten his hands on a copy of The Gunslinger, by a man named King. Drake loved the book, but was disheartened when he learned that no stores in his area had the next book in the series. He had found the dog three days prior, but was resigned to calling him "Boy" untill Drake got the book. What had spooked Drake's mother, though, was how quickly the dog took to the name, like it was his all along.

"Well, now, how did you find me? Is Mom looking for me?" The dog whined, and looked over his shoulder confirming Drakes question; out of the fog came his mother, pale-faced and angry. What bothered Drake the most, her anger notwithstanding, was the look about her; it was almost as if her anger was radiating off of her in waves. The fog he noticed, didn't seem to want to touch her, even though it had to.

"Drake Allen Masters! Where in the name of the Man Jesus have you been?! I was up until two this morning waiting for you to come through that door!"

Wincing as he walked towards her, Drake stopped trying to blather through; he just told her. His mother's anger grew as his story progressed, that was, until he got to the part about Joeseph not seeing them. When he finished that part, hanging his head, the blow he expected never came; instead his mother just looked at him, sighed, and said, "I think that it is time that we had a bit of a talk about our family, Danny." The fact that she used her bàirns name for him made if true that she wasn't angry with him.

"...After we had our talk, Mom took me to see a few of her relitives. They taught me about my abilities, and trained me to control them; in short, they helped me find myself. I still got my headaches as a kid, though, and that is why I was sent on the moors: the one time that I wasn't, I spent the following three days repairing the kitchen wall and ceiling."

Aramai had paid intent attention as Drake's story was played out in his head; the story filled in a large many gaps, but still left him with a few small questions.

"So...I understand what your power is, but what are your abilities? The way that you explained it, power and ability mean two different things to you. I have already gathered telekinesis, what I call The Sight, moderate telepathy, and what you referred to, vaugely, as The Burst. My questions are this: What is the Burst, and do you have any other abilities?"

Drake sat thinking for a few minutes and then asked Aramai if there was a way to the roof. "Well, there is but....it's supposed to be restricted to Public Security forces only." Drake looked at Aramai knowing full well that the man had unrestricted, limitless access to the roof. Seeing that Aramai had noticed his flat knowing gaze, he allowed himeslf to answer one of his own questions that had re-rised when he was telling of himself.

"The only reason the fog wouldn't touch her is simple; she was angry and using power she had long forgotten."

"That is what I thought too, Drake." Snapped from his thought, Drake realsized he had still been sending. He closed his mind so that his inner tyrade wouldn't seem to be directed at Aramai. Drake liked the man, and didn't want to offend him. Soon after he quit kicking himself over the fact that he was still in story mode, they arrived at the roof; which gave a beautiful veiw of downtown Tokyo. Drake took time to savor the veiw, enjoying the way the city obviously diminished into farm, and was traceable by the lights alone. Gathering himself up, Drake streached, everything from his neck down cracking; after which he gave a rather satified sigh.

He looked over at the smaller man beside him and asked, "Are you sure that you are ready for this? I'm really too tired to do it more than once." he was boosted by the smile he recieved at hs comment. "Well, then. I suppose that I should have you move back aways; I wouldn't want to hurt you inadvertently."

Aramai backed to the oposing ledge, and motioned Drake to carry on.

Starting with his arms down, and his hands facing palms out, Drake began to gather his mental energy. As he raised and crossed his arms infront of himself the energy started to become visible. Holding his arms crossed he rolled his shoulders only, he ended with his arms crossed, fists down, above his head. The energy was now a very visisble shade of blueish green, with a solid orb at the cross made by his arms. Drake opened his eyes, which had turned from their normal green, to an ominos black. "...Burst..."

After his display, Drake and Aramai went downstairs, and to the lobby. Both men bid each other a tired farewell, and Drake took a cab to his hotel, where he fell asleep to an old Jackie Chan movie on TV.

[Ladywriter 7,783]

I love the part about his dog. Like that was his name all along;)

[Sabe 2,444]

Heh...The story just needed a King-ism of some kind or another. Be happy that I didn't go with the thought of a St. Bernard named Flagg.

[Ladywriter 7,783]

Are you finding Kingisms slipping in a lot? Happens to me all the time

sometimes it's easier just to use the words ya know; I use tet all the time, fuckarow and sometimes fuckaree.

[Sabe 2,444]

I get 'em relitively often, I just try not to use them as much as they want to pop up. In the next Chapter I seem to be using Ka, and a number of Bever-isms a lot... It's funny how much better that certian King-isms fit than other things.

[Ladywriter 7,783]

ka and tet are just such easy encompassing words to use

Its so much easier to say tet instead of explaining the group

[D_Marx 604]

Wow, altogether it's hard to read when you just start. I should've joined earlier. Lots of detail. Very cool. You have definitely improved since you started. I commend you for sticking to it!

[Sabe 2,444]

Well, after some furious editing(cut most of my King references for now) I present Chapter 5!

His first task was his morning prayers, and a shower(he decided that even if others didn't think he stunk, he did). While allowing the water to come to temperature, he decided to take stock of himself. His frame was falling a bit, since he was about two weeks late getting to the gym, "Gotta see if I can find a trainer around here that speaks English..." he thought. Going further, he saw that it was time to break out the lotion; several of the scars on his body were dry enough to start cracking. "Gotta take care of that, too." All in all, he thought that he was still in pretty good shape, scars notwithstanding. "At least my hammer is still in good standing." he thought with a laugh.

After his morning ritual was taken care of, he began his walk. Taking time to greet those that would acknowledge him; most were still trying to deny their lack of existence. He talked when he had the chance, finding that most had some knowledge of Tsu and his work locally. He even got more info on how he got into his position as the Head of Law. Taking all of the info he could get(good and bad, even the trivial wasn't out of his grasp) he found his morning most informative. Looking up to see where he had ended his fact finding, he saw that he was at the gates of a Buddhist temple. Bowing and saying a small prayer, he entered the gates, to see what he could see.

For some reason, at the top of the stairs his first thought was of the Cheshire cat, "We're all a bit mad here...". He had no idea why, but thought that the fact may really mean something. Looking around, the temple seemed in order but something was still..."Wrong. Not bad, not dark...just...wrong. Wrong as a mother fucker." Drake pushed his power into as small a ball as he could, trying to dilute his presence among the essential purity of his surroundings. He took detailed stock of the area, hoping to find what caught his attention as fast as he could, but it didn't seem localized. That is what struck him so badly; in a place of priests, there was...something. Stopping the first person he could, he got the attention of who he attributed to be an acolyte; a priest in training, so to speak.

"Pardon me, but can you tell me where I would find your Headman? I find my matter more...urgent...than I would have first believed."

"I am very sorry, but he is ill right now, and isn't welcoming of visitors. I will ask if he would see you, if you would be willing to wait."

Drake said that he would wait a century if he had to.

"Damnú air! If I'm right, the old man is fine, he is just having trouble with whatever it is that I'm sensing! I hope that he is fluent in English..."

Almost an hour later the young man came back with a very old looking man at his elbow. The old man then rattled something off in Japanese, and the boy translated.

"Honorable Grandfather would like you to remove your shirt, if you would please."

Drake did as he was asked, and crouched on his knees, placing his hands upon them as was customary when dealing with such as the Headman.

Bright recognition hit the old man when he saw the tattoo's on Drake. Again he rattled something off in Japanese.

"Honorable Grandfather says that he knew you were coming, that Buddha showed you to him. He says that you can only be one man."

"I wonder, ask him why Buddha revealed one like myself to your Headman."

The boy again translated, and took what the old man said with a look of dire gravity.

"Honorable Grandfather says that he doesn’t ask why he is shown what he is; he just remembers it as it comes. He says that you are Drake Allen Masters, the man known for helping both people and spirits find peace. He asks for your help." As the young man finished, the old priest crouched in the same way as Drake still was, and took one of Drake's hands in both of his own. With a heavy accent, the old man uttered only a few words. "Please, save these grounds." After which he passed out.

The young man was trying to get the old man awake again, when Drake kindly moved him. Gathering the Headman in his arms he asked the young man where he was roomed at. Taking the lead, he motioned for Drake to follow, which he did without hesitation. He soon found himself in the heart of the Temple, surrounded by the faces of a good many men and boys, all training in different ways. The thing that caught his eye and took a firm hold was a single young man, only a few years older than his little sister, ringing a great bell every time he pushed his hands forward...without ever touching the bell. Realizing that what he saw was a man with control of his chakra in a way that Drake could only hope to achieve made him wonder if he should stay and train.

His guide came back and took Drake by the arm with a word of apology and said, "If you can do what Honorable Grandfather wants, I will personally translate for you and Shou to spend a day together talking and training. Deal?" Feeling that he had just had his own thoughts seen, Drake told him that he would do so, gladly. Shortly after, the young man stopped in front of a door, and announced that they were at their destination. Opening the door, he showed Drake a room that was bare save for a bed, personal shrine and a small writing table. After laying the Headman on the bed, Drake put his shirt back on and began to take stock of the room. Somewhere within, Drake could "hear" that there was a hidden room in the stone. The pure, untainted chakra that filled the lower reaches of the Temple made Drake feel more powerful than he ever had; taking a breath he found that the power was palpable, because it tasted like his mothers cookies. "Mental assignment. Giving physicality to a non-physical force." Knowing that he was simply giving himself a way to grip what he couldn't normally, he let the power do what it was meant to: fill him up and boost him out. Taking another deep breath, Drake knew that his aura was solidifying, simply because the sheer amount of power he was taking in with every breath was spilling free.

Pushing his mind out he found the doorway hidden behind the Headman's shrine. With a quick prayer and apology, he slid it from the wall and went through the revealed passage. The way was dark, but Drake's mind was never hindered; he used it like a radar, following the sharp curves as he found them. He could feel what lay before him, and knew that a fight was coming; instead of waiting to see his opponent as he usually did, he gathered his power and armed himself. "Steel Fists." he muttered. Instantly, his hands were drowned in both his own power, and the raw chakra that filled the area making them both a spiritual weapon and a physical one. He favored this technique for fighting, simply because he hated weapons beyond those given to him by God. As he did before every fight, he began to mutter his modified version of Roland's Gunslinger mantra from the Dark Tower series. His was widely different, but it meant the same thing.

"I don't aim by sight, I aim by feel; my eyes deceive the truth. No attack comes from a weapon, I am the only weapon; others may fail. I will never end a life, darkness is my target; a killer is the darkness I fight. I am one man, I will do what I can with what I was given. I thank you God for the abilities you gave me and their use to protect those weaker than myself, which I will do until my life is ended, Amen."

At his finish, his target called to him in a voice that he hadn't heard for many years. "Will you kill me again, Drake?"

Drake stopped dead in his tracks, his power slipping. "Maura? But, you were-"

"Buried back home? Yes, Drake I was. Do you remember why?"

"No-"

"But you do."

"No. I-"

"You do!"

"No! I- it wasn't my fault!"

"You lashed out in anger-"

"I loved you!"

"You said it was my fault!"

"It was!"

"How can I be blamed for it?"

"You could've fought!"

"Two men and a gun? Do you really think that they wouldn't have killed me had I fought?"

"You-you-"

"You killed me."

With that single phrase, Drake's slipping power surged beyond his normal range, fueled by grief, sorrow, anger and more.

"NO! I saved you from them that night! You thanked me for it! How was I to know that he would still get a shot off?!"

The demon that had stolen his lover's voice was forced into a fightable form as Drake continued to yell, forcing it by the very truth it tried to distort.

"You thanked me for saving you, and you kissed me! I was shot that night, too! The bullet that killed you nearly took my life as well! AND YOU APOLOGIZED FOR IT!"

With tears unknown coursing down his cheeks, he threw himself at the demon, crushing it again and again under the force of his Steel Fists. With every landed blow, more and more of the shaded dark that was seeping through the Temple faded. With the final blow, the Headman awoke, and the demon was banished.

"You said that it was you fault, and I took the blame from you for being late. It will always be...my fault." As his power and emotion faded, Drake slipped from consciousness.

[Ladywriter 7,783]

awsome

hammer neh? X'D

[Sabe 2,444]

I'd just watched "The Longest Yard" and it just slipped in...I thought it was kinda funny. *shrug*

[Ladywriter 7,783]

I thought so too X'D

I like hammer better then tool or unit X'D

[Sabe 2,444]

It just fits better for the male perspective because it is a bit of a self absorbed term that even the unabsorbed can use(plus I agree that most of the other euphimisms are just silly/retarded).

[Sabe 2,444]

Sorry, double here, and gonna post again right after it...but it's a longer chapter so I think you'll all forgive me!

He awoke sometime later in the Headman’s room, surrounded by a great many people. The first ones to catch his eye were, Chief Aramai, the Headman, the young translator(as Drake would forever think of him), and the one called Shou. The first to speak, however, was Shou.

"You have techniques like that, and you wish to train with me? I think that it is I who should train with you."

Drake was floored when he realized that he understood what Shou had said, then it hit him. His mind was open and he was reading the thoughts behind the words, not understanding the words themselves. With a grin he mentally replied, "But most of my techniques are for fighting; you were training your chakra itself, building its strength." Drake was delighted to see the look on Shou’s face, indicating that he had "heard" everything Drake said. Everyone looked at Drake, wondering what had Shou so confused; the former shook his head and laughed, while the latter simply shrugged. With the confusion mounting, Drake took stock of himself.

He could feel no injuries, but that didn't mean that sitting up would be entirely possible; he planned to try anyway. With a grunt and a curse, Drake managed to get into a sitting position, the angered and worried thoughts trying to talk him back down notwithstanding. Grinning he told his crowd that he would like some time to himself, to meditate and calm his heart. Without questions everyone left him in the room, and silence pervaded his mind instantly. Drake thought that the quick silence had something to do with the immense amounts of chakra in the area.

"Why? Why of all things did that damnable thing have to take her voice? Why not try to convince me that Anne was dead? Or Mother? Shit, Russ, even! Bastard!" with that curse a small bottle of incense shattered, telling Drake that he needed to get control. As the scent of myrrh began to pervade the room, Drake took the half lotus position and began to meditate.

Elsewhere, a dark figure in front of a large mirror laughed, knowing that the great Drake Masters had a weakness. A small Imp floated at his shoulder, and began to whisper to his master, who began to laugh with the twisted irony of the mad.

Sending his mind out to cool, Drake's consciousness went first to his home back in Ireland, to see how faired his family. His máthair was baking again, so Drake knew that bills and other things were on her mind again. Drake chuckled, because baking was the only form of cooking that he could never master. Sensing her mac, Drake's mother simply said, "You'll get the hang of this yet. You just need to learn to walk more softly." With a laugh, Drake "kissed" his mother and went to check on his baby sister. Now 10, she was beginning to blossom into a grand beauty. Between her eyes, and her masses of long, curly raven locks, she would be a vision. Knowing her deartháir was about she started to look for him. "No, sweetling, I'm not here physically, I'm still in Japan." he said, so she wouldn't wander the room looking for him.

"Oh, okay. Hey, Drake? Why hasn't Russ come back from the big ships?"

Cyruss had joined the Marines about a three years ago, and Anne still didn't grasp that he wouldn't be back for several months yet. As blessed as they were to have her, Drake was still saddened that she would be the one to get the odd gene from their father, slowing her mind somewhat. Most things were fine, but time, death, and money would always be beyond her.

"He still has about 8 months left to his service. He should be home in time for us to all celebrate your birthday. You'll just have to continue helping momma 'til then, okay?"

"You bet, Danny!"

Hearing his bBirns name from her always brought a smile to his face; it was her first word, since she couldn't say "Drake".

"Have you been trying to find a ghost?"

She always wanted to know what his task at hand was, since her power was nearly as great as his own.

"No, my target is a corruption. You remember what I told you on the phone before I got to Japan?"

"Yep, he was a good thing that went sour."

"That's right, and he might be under someone else’s control. I just took care of a demon that was plaguing a temple here. That is why I cam to visit."

"Oh. You had a headache." That was the only way that she could describe the confusion she could feel in his heart.

"Yeah. Sure did, but you always make it better." Drake smiled as she giggled, both knowing that she was always his best medicine.

"Gimme a smile, Anne, I've gotta go back and finish my job."

Her face lit as she smiled, her big sapphire eyes shining. "Be safe, Drake." she said as he prepared to leave.

"You to, kiddo. Grás tú."

"Grás tú!" Her reply echoed in his mind as he returned to his body.

His return was short, though, because he wanted to go say hi to Russ. Glancing at his watch, he saw that a few hours had passed, and dinner was waiting for him. "Eh, piffle to dinner. I want to know how that lunkhead is."

Sending out again, Drake traced his brother to a ship in the South Pacific. Concealing himself as best as he could, Drake began to pick on Russ. Moving items out of his reach was hard, but the training it gave was as worth it as the looks on Russ' face. Finally, after he 'misplaced' his razor for the third time, he caught on to what was happening.

"Drake, Imeacht gan teacht ort."

"Aww, what's the matter, Russ? Not in the mood for joking?"

"Actually, no. I just landed swabbie for a month and a half. And all I did was pour a bucket of clean water on a PFC that called me and Irish pig bastard. How the hell was I supposed to know that he was my CO's nephew?"

"Oh, shit, Cyruss, I'm sorry. I really didn't know."

"Get on your horse. You know I'm not mad."

Drake smiled. Back when the were both little more than kids, Drake had mis-said the phrase "Get off your high horse" and it ended up as "Get on your horse". It became a joke between them when they came older and understood the joke. It was more or less an apology phrase.

"Aye, I know you're not mad, but I still feel bad." Drake shifted his mental stance and blurted, "The kid's askin’’ about you. You not been writing again?"

Russ flinched at the accusation. But instead of replying, he simply continued shaving. Drake knew that he hadn't been.

"Come on, damn it. You and I have this same discussion every time we talk. That kid loves you to death, same as I do. Mom would prob'ly like to hear from you too, ya' know."

Russ sighed. "Yeah, aye, Drake, you're right again. Same as always. It's just...it pisses me off knowing that all out mail is screened for information leaks, and none of my conversations are private. Last time half the ship was put on full alert against me because me and Mom had been conversing in Gaelic and they thought I was talking to a spy or something. I can't wait for this to be over so I can sit behind a goddamn mule with that old blade plow and grow a year of crops myself."

Drake grinned knowing what was coming next.

"Shit, I came here to get away from all that labor, and I want to go back." He shook his head with a laugh. "Mumma was right. I ain't nothin' but a farmer, true to the core."

He and Drake shared a good laugh, which was revitalized twice when Cyruss snorted. After it all tapered off, Cyruss turned to the area Drake was at, solemn.

"I can't see ya' but I can feel ya'. You'll have to teach me to at least see your floaty-ass. I love you, ya shit, no matter how often I don't say it. Be safe, 'cause I know what you do isn't. I've seen the scars under your shirts and jeans, since you do spend your first hour awake in your boxers. When I get home, you, me, Mom and Anne are gonna go out on that boat of yours for an afternoon, and you're gonna hang about the homestead for a few months, deal?"

Drake loved the idea. "Deal."

"All right. Good. Now, before my CO or someone walks in, get goin’, you got work to do you asshole."

"Yeah, I'll see you soon, ya' jerk off."

Pulling back to his body, Drake let himself come up from his state slowly, so he didn't pass out from lack of oxygen. When he was fully up, he opened his eyes to a bright sun. Realizing that he had gone from sunset to sun up talking, he knew that if anyone were waiting for him, the would be plenty upset. With a groan, a grunt and a symphony of cracks from his long inactive joints, he went to go back to the top of the grounds and see who-or what- was about. As he was leaving the room, he saw that the dinner left the night before had been replaced with a pot of Green Tea. He stopped long enough to enjoy a cup, and then resumed his trek to the grounds of the Temple.

On his way up, he ran into Shou again. He stopped Drake, and inquired if Drake would like to join him for a training session.

"I would love to, but I should go see if anyone is waiting for me."

"Actually, no one has stopped, but there are a couple of notes for you. I really would like you to come train with me, though, if you don't mind."

Drake knew that the boy wouldn't lie to him, so he accepted his offer. When the two of them arrived at the bell, Drake asked him how he should go about things.

"Well, we all know much of your power is telekinetic, we felt that the day you stopped the demon."

"Wait. "The day"? I just did that yesterday...didn't I"

"You mean, you didn't know? You slept for two days after you passed out."

Drake wasn't sure he liked that idea, but he decided he would worry about it later. "So, I assume that I should block all of my telekinesis off, right?"

"Yes, after that, we'll go from there."

[Sabe 2,444]

Part two!

(And as long as I can give it there is rep involved for the person who can tell me where I got my bell ringing scene. )

For the next eight hours, Drake learned to control his chakra without boosting it with his telekinesis. He found out quickly, though, to do so was quite tiring. Drake forced himself to keep up with Shou, though, because he could feel a deep build in the core of his power; almost like something was emerging. Pushing harder, Drake began to notice that Shou hadn't been extending his arms to push the bell; Drake had been doing it for some time. Letting his power fall, he took a moment to sit.

"So...how long was I pushing the bell without you?"

Shou laughed, realizing that his deception had been caught. "In truth? I never touched the bell after the first ring. You did it on your own almost the whole day."

"You mean I was trying to keep up with you, and I was only besting myself?! That's unfair...and I love it. You got me training in a way that I should do more often."

"So you did discover something?"

"Not yet, but I think I might be close. I have you to thank for that."

Shou nodded and then looked thoughtfully at the bell. "I had been training for 10 years to touch the bell like you did in just a few minutes. You have a very thorough grasp of yourself, Drake. You are probably stronger than many of us here that have been doing nothing but training our whole lives."

Drake blushed and said, "That's not entirely true, Shou. I had no idea that I was using my chakra when I fought. I thought that it was pure telekinesis. And I, too have trained my whole life; you just started sooner than I did. Plus you showed me a training form that I would never have learned otherwise."

Shou began to blush, realizing that he had done more for the large man than he had thought he did. Standing he motioned for Drake to start with the bell again. "I am allowed one 30 minute break a day, which I split into two 15 minute breaks. I've given you the same. Let us recommence."

Standing, Drake began as he was instructed. Taking a deep breath, he started against the bell again. Hours passed as the two trained, ringing the bell in tandem, until Shou changed positions to stand on the opposite side of the bell. He did so without a word and began to push the be against Drake; forcing him to take shorter time between rings and pushing him harder. With a grunt of effort, Drake decided to train the boy as well. He began to push harder at every stroke, knowing that it would be a test of wills, and not just a simple training. He heard Shou laugh, and they began to "fight".

Harder and faster they began to strike, the bell's ring a constant sound. A crowd began to form watching the two as the exercise began to take a less playful turn, each striking the bell harder and faster ever time. Suddenly, they both went to strike at the same time and instead of collapsing, the bell funneled their strikes at each other. At the impact, both were knocked to opposite walls, panting. Drake felt a subtle release, and the power that had been building awoke. Shou, too, released something, but Drake couldn't identify it. Maxed out, but happy, both of them fell asleep the bell swaying between them.

The Headman had watched the whole thing, and was glad to see the results. Drake had such a potent grip on his chakra that he would have a new ability come morning; Shou too would share the technique, because of the severe training he had both given and received. "To give training is to help you mind,"reflected the Headman, "and to receive training from your student is to train your heart. You both will have an interesting morning."

Drake awoke, still beside the bell early the next morning. His hands felt odd, like they were disconnected from him. With a mental shrug, he stood up to go get something to relieve his cotton mouth. Looking over, he saw that Shou, too, was still asleep. He was in awe of the boy, softhearted as a big teddy bear, but tough as damn nails. He would like to have someone like Shou around for a lot of his tasks, but knew that the boy would live and die at the temple; probably training others like himself. He went to poke Shou, but he felt his hands come into contact with the boy well before they should have. Drake stood for a moment, placing the sensation, when he realized that he could feel his chakra flowing powerfully from his true hands, to the point where he could feel Shou.

Closing his eyes, he opened them with the intention of auric vision; to see the energy. When he did, he could plainly see to large-ish hands that were the same color as his chakra. He decided to see what was what, and gave Shou a gentle poke. He realized that he could feel pressure, but he got no actual sensation from the silk outfit Shou wore. "This could become a "handy" technique...Have to give it a name so I can form it faster. First..." He wanted to know what the strengths were of the technique, so he tried to lift Shou. The pressure indicated that Shou weighed, to him, little more than a baby chicken. He knew instantly that if he were to pour more chakra into the tech, he could lift many a heavy item. He gave Shou a gentle shake, and stood him on his feet.

"Morning, Sunshine."

"Graa...what the...I feel odd."

Drake could see massive energy pulsing around Shou, making him appear several feet taller than his 5' 2" frame. In all he seemed to be about 12 feet tall. Before Drake could say anything, Shou noticed on his own. Without a word, Shou began to concentrate, and the aura dicipated until it was back at normal ranges.

"Drake, could you see my chakra?" Drake nodded. "That must've been what I felt...I tapped into the heart of my chakra. Such power..."

Drake grinned, and said, "You're not the only one here guy."

Shou smiled, yes I felt your hands change as I fell asleep. What happened?"

Drake explained as best as he could, and even showed Shou, who gave the tech a simple, but appropriate, name. "Yes, Helping Hands would fit it well, Drake. Don't you agree?" The Irishman smiled his approval. "Good. Now then, I can hear both our stomachs. How about some breakfast?"