High Altitude Training (Open)

[Carlos]

Laying in my bed with my eyes wide open, I look around the strange new room in my new apartment. I didn't really seem very different to my old room back in Varron but their were minor differences. I had moved a few items like my dresser and computer for more room, though my bed and my desk stayed in the same place. I took a moment to look out the window and take in the nice day, though it was a bit chilly, I let out a sigh and throw the covers off, sitting up on the side of my bed just as quick I looked out my door and saw my hallway which lead to my living room. I got up from my bed and looked over to the clock on my night stand, it was 10:38 A.M.

"Well in this spirit of getting up so early, I might as well go train."

I walked out of my room and down the hall into my living room, I yawned as I walked in and grabbed the remote. Turning the T.V. on, the news came on talking about some random event that happened last night, I just turned it off and sighed. Walking into my bathroom I shook my head and yawned again, reaching down to a small cup holding tooth brush, I grabbed the tooth brush and then reached over to the the tooth paste. Brushing my teeth quickly, I spit out the foam that formed and washed my mouth and tooth brush. Kneeling down to the underside of my sink I opened the small doors and grabbed the Listerine, I took the cap, poured the mouthwash into it and then poured into my mouth sloshing it around cleaning whatever i missed, spiting it out I caped the bottle and went to back to my room.

I took off my pajama pants and walked over to my closet, I took a pair of black baggy jeans and a white beater, I threw them on my bed and I grabbed another pair of pants and a white under tee, I threw those on my bed too and walked over to my dresser, I pull out the drawer and took a pair of boxers and a pair of socks, putting them on I threw on the pants and the white beater, I walked back to my closet and grabbed a pair of black air force ones.

Grabbing my house keys, car keys and my I-Pod video, I left my apartment, locking the door behind me I ran down the stairs and out of my building. Diactivatiing the alarm in my car I got inside and connected my I-Pod, as soon as I turned on my car the sounds of Hip-Hop is dead resonated from the speakers and I was off.

----20 Minutes Later----

Arriving at the base of the mountains I turned off my car and grabbed my I-Pod, for some reason the day wasn't cold, so I just walked out with my white beater on. I looked up at the towering monoliths on nature and I began walk up a small beaten path that was about 5 meters away from my car. Walking up along the path I saw a few families, some couples and a few groups of hikers. With my usual grim expression I walked quietly up the path, veering off it I walked into a heavily wooded area with tall weeds and a few scattered small trees.

Walking higher and higher I noticed the trees cover the sky more and more, even though it was about one o'clock in the afternoon it seemed later because of the tree tops span over the visible light. I kept walking with my music blasting in my earphones, everything natural was blocked out and I simply stayed in my zone while walking up and up.

After about half an hour of walking I found a clearing in the plants and I walked through, finding a small area about 15 meters around of flat rocks which overlooked the water. I sighed and grinned a bit, I walked to the center and began to stretch. After ten minutes of stretching I began to my Kata training.

[katsu]

I had been on the mountain for about three days, training my body into submission to develop a better sense of myself. I had begun to come down and get some rest when I saw someone that I knew from the long past of Yukimura Sanada, the old me. I saw him come up and then he started to stretch. He did this efficiently as he always did and then started some training of himself. I smiled at this and then started my way down again and didn’t walk past him. I stopped at the flat that he was on and then tapped slightly, him not hearing but feeling the tap. I then waited for him to turn around and then bowed. This was to show him that I wished to train with him, even though I was in pretty bad shape. This would also help me in my discipline of myself. To dig deep into ones self would reflect true strength and power. This strength and power, I wanted to use in defending everyone that I met and knew. Everyone that I didn’t know I would protect also with my life if needed. Once this thought left me, I came into the small circle and then started to sit down upon the ground.

"I see that you train Kata. I do not know that kind of training, but if you are so kind, I would like to learn. I am sorry for being rude by asking you’re training and not telling my name. If you wish for me to leave you alone, I will do so without a grudge in mind and none in body. If you do not, then I am grateful to you. Now to the point, my name is Zaraki Kenpachi. I am neither from Varron nor Hircine so I have no grudge between either of those students."

I stopped myself there, as not to talk him to death and also that would disturb his training. I would not want the flow of his training to be subdued because of my rudeness. When I stopped talking, I went into complete silence and then started to meditate. I then started to slow my breathing and then it sounded like it had stopped. In fact, it did stop. I was holding my breath and trying to control the rate at which my heart beats. This would in turn enable me to sustain mind and body for more than 5 minutes without straining my body. I knew that this person would have known this, but I wanted to test him just to make sure. If he did know this technique, then he wouldn’t so much as move a muscle to me in help and would sit and continue his training. This, in my mind, was also a bit rude, but I wanted to make sure that he was still competent as when I last saw him. He wouldn’t know me because of my name and looks, but he would know me soon at heart.

[Carlos]

Shooting two lightning quick straights with each arm, my focus was taken away from continuing my training and diverted to a young man who was behind me. He had tapped my shoulder and as I turned around he bowed to me, I did the same which meant I accepted his offer to train with me. I didn't recognize the young man at all in any way, shape or form. But I felt like I knew him regardless, something about him seemed very familiar to me, and that suspision was satisfied when I heard him speak. At the same time though, I could have been mistaken because in this huge world people do have similar voices, plus the tone of the young man was slightly different to the person I thought he was, but nevertheless he seemed so familiar.

I listened intently as he spoke and introduced himself, and as he asked me to help him train and teach him somethings, I grinned as he spoke and I nodded as to acknowledge to him that I understood his position within the school conflict. Then when he stopped and became as slient as the day itself, I watched him begin to meditate, so not wanting to bother him I sat down facing him and I did the same. Closing my eyes, I began to breath in and out slowly, relaxing my body and slowing my heart rate, my mind seemed to stop my breathing as well and my mind went blank. Beginning my meditation I felt renewed in my mental and physical strenght, I felt my energy flowing like river all around me, it had been a while since I had meditated for any reason, so it felt good to do it again. After about twenty minutes, I opened my eyes and looked over to Zaraki and grinning I stood up.

I stretched quickly and resumed my training, but also keeping in mind the presense of my visitor, I still waited for him to awaken so we could begin our session. I still was trying to remember who I thought this young man was, but I couldn't place my finger on it. After a few minutes of distracted training, I went for a somersault kick and it clicked in my head and I spoke out loud saying...

"Yukimura."

As I spoke his "old name" it seemed, I lost my blanace in the air and I fell on my stomach as I came down from the almost completed kick, I stopped myself and sat back down looking at him directly in his eyes waiting for him to wake up, so I could greet him properly.

[katsu]

I sat up from my little bit of training and then heard my name being called by him. It shocked me to the core. How could someone know my name, but wait. I gave him too many clue as to who I was so it wouldnt have been a surprise that he figured it was me. I watched him fall to the ground with a thump and I got up in turn. I walke dover to him and held out my hand with a large smile on and then opened my mouth.

"Well its been a while hasnt it Carlos. The change in face and body was something to keep Raphael away rform me for a while. For him to think I was dead would have been a good idea, but that didnt go so well. He almost went insane ebcause he thought it was his fault. He is now fine and dandy, but Im still not sure how he will react when he finds that I am in fact alive. How have you been these past couple months?"

I helped him up and looked him in the eyes, my one good eye flowing from side to side waiting for an answer.

[Carlos]

As I grabbed his hand and stood up, I grinned at him and patted him on the back kind of hard, I brushed myself off and sat down on a rock at the side of the flat area where I was training. Hearing him speak I looked at him again and listened to what he had to say, it seemed to me that he had to undergo a complete identity change. I shurgged when he told me and nodding I stood up and walked over to the edge of the flat area and looked down upon the water, standing still for about half a minute I turned my head to Zaraki, whom I knew as Yukimura and I responded to him...

"...It has been a while Yuki. Well old friend, it's not my place to ask what your motive was to go to such drastic measures to make someone think your dead, so I won't ask. Can't exactly see why he would go crazy...But hey man, shit happens, as long as he's good now then he'll be fine when he sees that your alive...Time holds something different for us all so we gotta wait and see what is in store for us."

I walked back over to him and grinned again, I got into my new stance with my right arm at my chin about one and a half inches away from it and my left arm at chest level, bouncing on the balls of my feet, I kept my mobility up and with my arm in their new position I had a little bit more guard...

"So Old Friend. How about it?"