-ˋˏ [𝘽𝙚𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙙] ˎˊ ~ 𝙇𝙈𝙆 𝙭 𝙈𝙖𝙡𝙚 𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧

⋆.ೃ࿔ 𝐒ᥣ𝖾𝖾ρ 𝐁υ𝗀┊ 001

"Wider." Qiang Shen's voice echoed. You slid your feet further apart while your hands were faced in front of you. "Wider."

"You aren't even looking–"

"Wider." He insisted. You groaned and spread your feet further, "Better. Now, bend your knees more." You obeyed his command. "Relax your body. You're too tense."

"Why should that matter? I don't think it'll matter if I'm tense or not in battle" You grumbled.

"Wrong!" He whacked you in the head with his cane, causing you to let out a yelp in pain. "When you're in battle, you want to move like water. Fighting is like dancing, you must follow the flow of the wind and air. Being tense causes rigid and predictable motion."

You relax your body, and the tension in your body slowly dissolves from you. You inhaled slowly, letting the fresh air fill your lungs, and exhaled the old oxygen. "Is this better?" You asked temperately.

"Yes, much better. Finally, think about what you're fighting about, why your fighting, and most importantly... what you're fighting for." He instructed, "What are you fighting for?"

"Isn't there a million answers to that question?" You groaned.

"Answer the question, M/n." Qiang Shen demanded.

"Family? Friends? Freedom?" You guessed, "You know, the 3 big F's."

"What else?"

"What do you mean 'What else"?" You hissed.

"What else? What else are you fighting for?"

"I don't know!"

"For yourself! You are fighting for yourself and for everyone else." He tapped his cane to your chest. "You're fighting for yourself."

🪼⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

Unlike the normally bustling streets of Megapolis, the streets were empty with the occasional person sleeping on the sidewalk. The city was oddly quiet, too quiet. You wandered down the empty streets until you spotted a family's bright red bandana.

You quickly ran towards MK and just as you were about to greet him, you heard him talk to...himself? "Chin up kid. You'll always have your Pigsy and I'm not going anywhere, son." he mocked Pigsy's voice, "Thanks dad-sy." He cracked and he began to start violently sobbing.

"Uhm, Mortal?" You called out to him. MK whipped his head around to reveal the dark bags that hung from his eyes, his hair was a disheveled, tangled, mess. He wore a long, worn-out, bathrobe and tan bear slippers.