Last Words (Bleach)

     A man's head hung low as he was on his knees, surrounded by a council. The man had hair that jaggedly flowed down his back. The mane of hair lacked color, denoting a long history. His hands were bound behind his back, wrapped in chains.

     "You are going to die here. Surrounded by enemies and no chance of escape," a member of the council stated. "A man once feared for his savagry and raw power, now just a feeble old man..." The council member paused. "You will be executed right here and now...! Do you have any final words...?"

     With his head still hung low, the man grew a vicious smile. A smile that released a demonic cackle.

     He then yelled out a final word...

     "Bankai!"

One Vs. All Round 4

     The lone man's journey was one step closer to it's end. He had fought against a demon equivalent to an army; a bizarre bounty hunter in a scorching desert; and an assassin of darkness. All this led to him finally seeing the destination of his objective: a castle where his greatest opponent took residence. The castle itself that had seen better days: broken down, weather worn, and in need of love and care.

     However.
     Five figures in the distance stood between him and his objective. The closer they got, the more familiar they became. And the more familiar they became, the more dread and regret pooled in the lone man's being.
     "No..." he whispered under his breath. Soon they were just feet apart.
     The one on the far right was a lean, pale man with sinister eyes. Next to him was a woman of short stature with grand hair and eyes clouded with history. In the middle was a man of small stature who looked at the lone man with hurt eyes. To his right was a tall woman of porcelain skin tone, long, onyx hair, and fiery eyes. Finally, to the far left was a woman who avoided looking at him.
     "Pleasure to see you again. Lone man," the pale man sneered with a smile. The lone man glared at him before softening to look at the rest.
     "I should not be facing you..." the lone man commented softly.
     "Too bad... Cause I'm going to enjoy it," the pale man replied, still with a smile.
     "That's enough," the tall woman interjected, "We have a job to do. Let's get it done quickly." She drew her weapon: a spear with a black blade with a silver edge.
     "Just let me pass..." the lone man stated, almost pleaded. Four of them paused while the pale man sneered.
     The woman with clouded eyes hesitantly stretched her arms out to her sides, summoning stone from the ground. Three rings of rocks circled over her palms and around her body. The pale man's eyes expanded in anticipation as drew his weapon: an all black sabre with red engravings on the blade. The others followed suit. The man with hurt eyes summoned bronze knuckles and the woman who avoided looking at the lone man summoned a paint brush. They all charged forward. The lone man had his head hung low, digesting what was about to transpire.
     "So be it."
     A cyclone erupted around him, halting the group's charge. He darted at the pale man, the easiest one for him to face.
     "Oh, come to finally finish things, eh?" He swung his sword around excitedly, "Let's do it!" Once in each other's range, they immediately struck at each other, neither getting a successful attack. The pale man swiftly and erratically swung at the lone man while the lone man was in a series of parries and counters. "You could never defeat me before, what makes you think you could defeat me now?!" The lone man grit his teeth and weaved away from the pale man. "Too hot for you, pissant?!" The lone man accelerated the winds around him.
      But before he could do anything, the knuckled man appeared from behind, swinging at his head. "Don't forget me!" The lone man whipped his head and leaned away from the knuckled man, dodging his attack. When he came back up, he used his strength and momentum to push the knuckled man at the pale man. The two got knocked away and Porcelain leapt forward, taking precision stabs at the lone man.
      Hesitation crept into the lone man. Her stabs wavered in kind, her eyes going distant. He took this chance to swing her away using his wind and at the same time Sin came back with bloodlust in his eyes.
     "Don't think you're better than me!" His sword swings were vicious, targeted to kill. The lone man's eyes hardened. The two appeared even keel, blocking each other's attacks. However, the lone man grew tired of fighting him. He cocked his arm back.
     "I've already wasted too much time on you,"  the lone man bellowed. Sin tried to counter, but was too slow. The lone man swung with all his pent-up anger toward Sin, slamming his fist against Sin's solar plexus. Sin was sent flying beyond human sight, his resting place unknown. The lone man turned to the rest of the group. Knuckle charged in, swinging wildly. The lone man dodged easily, but gained a solemn mood.

     "Fight me!" Knuckle yelled. The lone man remained silent, unaware of the boulder thrown at his back. It slammed against his body, pushing him into one of Knuckle's punches. Knuckle looked surprised and mortified, but closed his eyes, grit his teeth, and swung again. This time squarely hitting across his cheek. He was sent to the ground and didn't get up. He didn't move, even though he was unharmed.

     "What are you doing?" Lone didn't respond. "Is this really all that you got...? No!" He stepped forward until he was over Lone. "Fight me for real! I know you have it in you!" Lone slowly looked at Knuckle. Knuckle roared, about to swing at him again, though when he did, Lone caught it in his fist and the air itself seemed to pause. Lone's muscles coiled, preparing for his next attack. Wind burst from him, pushing Knuckle off of him. His eyes were closed, his fists clenched. He raised his head and opened his eyes, a fire having been reignited within him. Snapping his eyes open, he darted forward and unleashed a barrage of punches on Knuckle, no longer holding back. His finishing move was a palm to Knuckle's chest, sending a shockwave through him and launching him as far as Sin.

     Porcelain wasted no time, launching toward him and gracefully swinging at him. He used her momentum against her and tossed the spear away. However, before he could land an attack on her, another boulder was thrown at him, disrupting his flow. In his dodge, Porcelain palmed his shoulder, pushing him down. She then went to retrieve her spear and more rocks were thrown at him, stopping his pursuit. He shifted his focused to Gaia. Looking at her, he froze and she paused in kind. Everything seemingly stilled. No wind, no movement, no action. He took a deep breath, before explosively rocketing forward, moving as fast as the wind. Her shock caused her to hesitate, creating an opening for him. He straight punched her gut, knocking all the wind out of her. She collapsed. He caught her mid-fall and laid her gently onto the ground. He turned to his last two challengers. Porcelain and Artist stared him down. However, none of the three really wanted this fight to continue. The breeze and their rhythmic breathing gave background noise to their pause.

     Porcelain prepared her self for this final leg of the fight. She took stance, pointing the spear at Lone. He took a deep breath. He dug his feet into the ground and raised his fists.

     Porcelain charged forward while Artist painted in the background, ink and color flying from her paintbrush. Lone dodged Porcelain's lightning stabs while backing away. Amidst the stabs, white rose vines then snaked along the ground, steadily creeping toward his feet. After a stab at his head, he grabbed the spear and spun around, yanking it from Porcelain's grasp. Completing his 180, he sheathed the spear's blade within Porcelain, causing her to let out a exhale. Without delay, he retrieved the spear, causing Porcelain to collapse.

     He then shifted his focus to the vines approaching his feet, now painted red. He slashed the vines while heading towards Artist. His steps weren't as quick dashing toward her, not fully ready to face her.

     Though he had to.

     With great focus, she unleashed painting after painting. Floating eyes that blocked his path at every turn. Midnight walls that suddenly erupted. As much as this slowed him down, he continued making progress.

     Once closer to her, time slowed for the lone man. Memories flooding his mind; past, undying feelings adding to the mix. Though he knew he had to continue. Forward movement stopped for no one.

     He mustered all the will within him, summoning it into his fist and with a lightning crack, punched her across her jaw. This quickly ended this fight. He caught her body before it hit the ground. A torrent of emotions tore through him as he knelt with her body in his arms. Though instead of fighting, as he had much practice in, he let these feelings flow. Most of which flowed from his eyes.

     After his emotions settled, he gave a proper burial to each of his opponents. After this ordeal, his will had been reinforced. Once a tornado, now lightning. He marched forward prepared for what's ahead.

The Status of Now

     We are experiencing a shift. A shift of energies, of perceptions, and of ideologies. Like with earthquakes, the build up for this shift has been building for a long time. And I believe we still have more to come before the final, potentially explosive, shift.

     This shift is also one of old to new. An old way of thinking, an old way of doing things to a new way of thinking, a new way of doing things. Those who are comfortable or benefit from the old are resisting and trying their darnedest to fight this shift.

     Though change is inevitable.

     This shift, this change for the better will happen, IS happening. All we must do is continue pressing forward into our bold and bright future.

Rise

     I laid on the ground, beaten down by the two beings that loomed over me. One had the mass of tectonic plates, pushing down on me, keeping me from rising. The other constantly spoke, driving disparaging words into my psyche.
     "You think you can make a difference? Get real."
     "It doesn't matter anyway. Nothing changes, nothing gets better."
     "You can't do that. Who do you think you are?"

     Day in, day out, these two beings went against me, trying their best to keep me where I am.

     Though.

     After years of battling them, I finally realized the truth. It's so simple yet difficult to fully understand.

     I control my reality.
     No matter the challenges, no matter the hardship, I choose how my story unfurls.

     I rose despite the disparaging voice. I rose despite the weight on me. I rose beyond the limitations.
     I forever rise higher and higher, no limitations on my growth.
     No limitation on myself.

    

One Vs. All Round 3

     The lone man dragged his feet in the sand of the frigid, desert night. The cold stabbed needles at his skin while his fatigue weighed him down. He continued onward, determined to reach his goal. Though eventually his stubbornness was worn down by nature's assault on him. He laid on the sand and shifted incessantly, searching for comfort. He finally stilled, sleep washing over him steadily.
     However, he heard a shift in the sands that snatched his attention. He didn't move, as to not let whoever or whatever know he knew of their existence. His senses focused, searching for anymore hint of disturbance. When nothing stirred, he stilled once more, sleep sweeping over him. Another shift, shaking him from sleep. He coiled his muscles, ready for another fight, another challenge. When another shift occurred, he leapt from the sand, throwing sand in the shift's direction.
     However, the sand only hit air, falling with the rest of its company. The lone man's eyes shifted all along the desert plain, searching for anything.
     Suddenly, a slash was drawn on his back, and when he backhanded, he hit nothing. He growled in frustration. Wind kicked up as he angrily scanned his surroundings.
     "You are nothing but a weak child." He whipped his head around, not finding the source of the voice. "Throwing tantrums at anyone who dares go against you." The lone man roared at the voice, backhanding at anything he could hit, kicking up winds further. "See what I mean?" He could hear the twisted smile in the voice and his anger grew. He breathed deeply, trying to calm his flames within.
     "Your weakness disgusts all who are around you..." The voice took a dramatic pause. "Why else would you be alone?" The voice seemed to whisper the last sentence in the lone man's ear, stabbing in his psyche and spreading through his nervous system. The lone man twitched and his breathing became shaky.
     Numerous cuts were drawn on the lone man's body, though he didn't seem to notice. They continued mercilessly, carving up the lone man. Eventually, he stopped twitching and the wind seemed to still as well. After another moment of cuts, the lone man snapped his hand outward, wrapped around something. A struggled breath could be heard as he brought his hand close in front of himself. His eyes pierced the air, so intense it threatened to turn the sand to glass.
     The entity revealed itself: taking the form of an assassin. The lone man released his hold on it, but continued to stare it down. It stared back at him. Silence took residence between the two. Eventually the being bowed its head and vanished.
     The lone man nodded before he laid in the sand, shifting for the most comfort. Once positioned right and still, he drifted to restful sleep.

One Vs. All: Round 2

     The lone man continued his journey without hesitation, crossing an arid desert where only heat and sand resided. In the distance, he spotted an eccentric character, coming from the opposite way. The character wore a large hat that cast a shadow over his shoulders. As the distance between them closed, more could be seen of this bizarre character. His hat was a Stockman hat with an oversized brim and a large feather tucked in it. He also wore a tan shawl that hid any more discerning features. When the two crossed paths, mere inches past each other, time stood still.
     "Huh... Thought you'd be taller..."
     Time continued and the bizarre man pulled a pistol from his side and aimed it at the lone man's head in an instant. Though, as he pulled the trigger, the lone man dodged by tilting his head. In response, he backhanded the air as he spun around, creating a gigantic gust of wind, mimicking a sandstorm that went on for several seconds. Once the wind and sand settled, the bizarre man was several yards away having a coughing fit, his hat missing.
     "Ugh... Damn, that's one way to introduce yourself." The lone man glared at the bizarre man, executing him with his stare. The bizarre man laughed it off. "You may not be what I expected physically, but that stare tells me all I need to know." He flung off his shawl, revealing the weapons he had beneath. A steel magnum pistol on his side matching the one in his hand and a bizarre blade on his back. At the same time, his hat floated back down, landing on his head. The lone man would have rolled his eyes, but he was annoyed by the man's earlier attempt. He crossed his arms as he stared the man down.
     "You got quite the price on yo head," he drew his second pistol, "and I've never been one to disappoint." He repeatedly fired at the lone man, while the lone man stood still. Somehow none of the bullets touched him, simply vanishing. By the end of the thunder of gunfire, an eerie stillness fell between the two. Only the wind dared to stir. The lone man uncrossed his arms, holding his fists out. When he opened them, crumpled bullets silently cascaded into the sand.
     "Good thing that was only a test..." the bizarre bounty hunter (BBH) commented while reloading. The lone man continued to glare at him. "Now the fun begins!" BBH darted forward and the two clashed, arm to arm. BBH then brought a gun between them, angling upward at the lone man, and pulled the trigger. This ammo was slightly slower than the bullets, but was far more deadly. The lone man dodged again and BBH went into a flurry of strikes and swings with gunfire interwoven. The lone man gritted his teeth as he dodged BBH's seemingly endless onslaught. He planted his feet into the sand and decided to face the ammo. A smile grew on BBH's face. He continuously fired at the lone man and the lone man observed the ammo as he dodged it. His eyes widened from a glare realizing what the ammo was: compressed water. BBH's smile grew wider.
     "Guess there's no point in holding back further," he commented gleefully. He stopped firing, spun his pistols in his hands, and holstered them. This time the lone man rolled his eyes. BBH smirked and drew the sword that was on his back. With it in plain view, you could see that it was a violet, rifle gunblade. The lone man clenched his fists.
     "Twas pleasure meeting you," BBH stared down the sight of his weapon, "and it will be a pleasure calling you in." BBH fired, the shot being much more powerful and accurate than the pistols. BBH repeatedly fired his sniper shots while the lone man dodged them, weaving closer with each shot. BBH abandoned firing at him and charged forward. He skillfully and rapidly swung at the lone man. The lone man continued to dodge his attacks. BBH grit his teeth and added waves of water to his swings. The lone man matched BBH's ability, still dodging all attacks. BBH grew frustrated and added gunfire into the mix. The lone man then swept his legs, knocking him down. From the ground, he fired consecutively at the lone man. The lone man leapt a distance away and BBH jumped up.
     The lone man's expression hardly changed the entire fight and that was one of the things that irritated BBH. "Enough, dag nabit!" BBH shouted, "I'm ending this here!" BBH then did a dance with his blade, moisture thickening in the air, becoming streams around him. "Hydro-Dance: Encore!" He swung his blade, all the streams merging to form a mighty wave. The lone man stood his ground. His eyes eased and a slight smirk crossed his face. The wave crashed upon the lone man, causing him to vanish from sight. BBH gained a huge grin on his face at the thought of his victory.
     Though, the wave then exploded into mist with the lone man completely dry.
     "How?!"
     The lone man darted toward BBH before he could react and uppercutted him. His neck snapped back as he was launched into the air. The lone man watched as his body rose and fell to the ground. On impact, the sand dulled the thud and made a simple poof. He walked over to the corpse and knelt for a moment. He then buried the body in the sand and walked away. As he walked away, BBH's hat floated onto the ground over the resting spot.

Control

Controlling a situation to control the outcome. Though all you can control is how negative the outcome will be.

Controlling a living being to make someone or something you want. Though all that controls is how violent the break free will be.

Controlling an environment to make an "ideal". Though, all you control is how stagnant the environment will be.

Controlling your self to be your best self. Though all you control is how destructive your outburst will be.

Though this is where the difference between mastery and control takes place.

Mastery is learning and understanding something to work along with it.

Control is manipulating and restraining it for your purpose.

Control in itself is an ironic concept. The more you try to control something, the more negatively it will turn out.

The only route to your best outcome,

to what you want,

to your ideal:

Is to release.

Re-lease

Exaggerated Story

     I stood on sandy shores at the precipice of thunderous waves, admiring nature's beauty. I noticed something disturbing the waves. It held my attention, placing a foothold in my mind. When I could no longer ignore its call, I trudged through the powerful waves after it. I was repeatedly pummeled by the ferocious waves, having to halt my march to withstand the assault. More than once, I lost sight of my objective. When I did reach my bounty, my first attempt to retrieve it was fruitless. I knew the bounty would require more might, and I knew just where to get some.
     Once the next wave hit, I let it wash over me and my bounty, sweeping away the sand that buried it, making it easy to pull it from its sandy sheathe. I got a clear look at my reward: a blood-crimson stone with accents of black. The colors combined with its porous texture hinted its volcanic past. It's beauty hypnotized me while its power enticed me. A smile stretched across my face, seeing my worthwhile bounty. I rejoiced as I carried it with me back to my home, adding it to my repertoire of powerful objects.

One Vs. All: Round 1

    A lone man stood tall at the bottom of a hill. His gaze capable of cutting marble and an aura to match. However, at the top of the hill stood an army 3000 strong. They gnashed and snarled as they stared down at the man with another standing tall amongst them. His eyes spoke of trauma and pain, creating something twisted that writhed within. The man with pain for eyes raised his arm, pointing at our lone man. The army commenced upon him, a wave of fangs, claws, and death. The two men stared each other down, the lone man's face twisting in disgust. The other man huffed as he walked away. 

    The lone man shifted his focus upon the army charging forth. He scoffed and crossed his arms, before slamming his foot in front of him, raising a giant slab of earth. He then kicked the slab forward, crushing a third of the mass. The others continued unflinchingly. The lone man scoffed again and waited for the wave to come. Once they made contact, the man made light work of dispatching them through kicks and knees, leaving his arms crossed the entire time. Occasionally kicking with such power, he would generate gusts that knocked away large portions of the army. After only five minutes, the entire mass of enemies was taken down. 

    The lone man huffed, the group disappointing him despite his low expectations. He started to walk off after the man with pain-filled eyes, before a sound of rolling thunder sounded behind. The man looked behind, curious. The mass of bodies dragged across the earth into one pile that rose higher and higher into the sky. The lone man arched an eyebrow at the compiling mass. The mass soon morphed together, forming one goliath being. The lone man huffed again, un-amused. Though, the goliath shrank down into an unsuspecting size. However, the aura of this creature was that of a mountain, threatening to crush the lone man. The man steeled his gaze. The creature hesitated, sensing the danger in the man.

    The creature then vanished, leaving only blurs and skid marks as a trail. However the man tracked the creature with his eyes. The creature made an attempt to take out the man's side, however he quickly dodged. The creature continued with high speed maneuvers. The man uncrossed his arms and watched the creature zoom around. The creature made another attempt, this time stabbing at the man's neck.

    However, the man caught the creature's claw in his hand before it even got close to his neck. The impact from the abrupt halt, caused a shock-wave to ring out. The creature's claws broke in the man's hand and the creature howled. With its other claw, the creature threw rapid strikes, all aimed at the his head, but the man dodged the rapid strikes. The man swept the creature's legs from beneath it and brought the same leg around, axe-kicking the creature, driving it into the ground and creating a thunderous boom. The impact of the kick created a crater and cracked the earth. The creature strained against its injury and the man let go of the creature's claw. He sighed before staring down at the creature as it struggled to move, struggled to keep fighting. He then swiftly brought his foot down on the creature's head, quickly ending its life.

    After giving the creature a burial, he climbed the hill, marching after the man with pain for eyes.

Combat Kings

    Harlan opened his eyes to see darkness. After a few blinks, he realized the ceiling was so high that it was cast in shadow. "So... You're finally awake," Hanan commented. Harlan looked at him and groaned. Hanan stood confidently, staring down at him. Harlan gritted his teeth and stood up.

    "We have to stop meeting like this," he groaned. Hanan scoffed.

    "Well then lucky for you..." Hanan stated as he got into a Muay Thai stance. He positioned his left side forward and closed his fists as he raised them to eye level. At the same time he raised his left knee, with only his toes touching the ground. "This will be the last time you see this face." Harlan laughed.

    "Yep. I'm going to make sure of it," he countered, getting into a Swarmer boxing stance. He squared his shoulders, bent his knees, and brought his fists to the sides of his head. He bobbed to and fro, ready to do an all too familiar dance.

    Neither of them made a move forward, staring into each other's eyes, seeing the determination in them. Determination that stated: This will be the last bout between them.

    Harlan took deep breaths as he closely watched Hanan. Who in turn was staring at Harlan with tiger's eyes and a cocky grin on his face. A mask that became second nature.

    On an exhale of Harlan's breath, Hanan leapt forward with his fist cocked back. Harlan remained stationary until Hanan was in range, in which he threw a mighty uppercut with his whole body behind it. Hanan narrowly avoided it and was knocked away by a gust caused by Harlan's punch. Hanan gracefully landed on his feet, only for Harlan to be mere feet away. Hanan warded Harlan off by throwing a knee, which Harlan caught. He then kicked with the same leg, squarely hitting Harlan on the chin. Harlan was knocked back and Hanan took advantage, push-kicking him further. Harlan was rocketed toward the wall behind him. Hanan bounded forward, his eyes becoming predatory. 

    Harlan surveyed Hanan and gritted his teeth. Once Hanan reached him, he defended himself from a merciless flurry of fists, elbows, knees, and kicks. Harlan observed Hanan as this went on. "What's the matter, buddy?!" Hanan venomously spit out. Harlan didn't respond. "As much as I enjoy our encounters, I will relish your ending!"

    "Happy you're letting out your true colors," Harlan simply stated. Hanan gaped at him incredulously before his expression twisted into a look of pure contempt. In this moment, Harlan countered the onslaught with a powerful straight punch, knocking air out of Hanan and pushing him away. Harlan pressed forward, sequentially delivering straight punches to Hanan's gut. Hanan let out a groan of annoyance before throwing his knee and elbow simultaneously, planning to crush Harlan's skull. Harlan weaved out of the way before coming back with a devastating right hook across Hanan's visage. Harlan then came back with a powerful left hook and continued this back and forth blitz upon Hanan, driving him into a wall. After thirty blows, Harlan relented and hopped back. Hanan's form stood slouched against the wall behind him, his head hanging. Harlan watched his opponent warily, breathing heavily, worn out from his charge.

    "Is that all you've got?"

    A chill ran down Harlan's spine and a block of ice settled in his stomach. "Really, buddy..." Hanan then raised his head revealing slit pupils. "I have to say," a twisted smile stretched across his face, "I'm disappointed." Before Harlan could act, he swiftly closed the distance and slammed his fist into Harlan's gut, knocking all the wind out of Harlan. "Doesn't feel good does it?" Harlan threw up on his arm. "Filth." He instantly grabbed Harlan's neck with his other hand and raised him into the air. Harlan struggled uselessly. "Now you can look down on me physically, as well," Hanan commented before slamming Harlan into the ground, creating a crater. "Or can you?" He drove Harlan into the ground, on the verge of snapping Harlan's neck.

    However, he quickly tossed him into the same spot in the wall he himself was backed into. "Ah, symmetry. It's a beautiful thing isn't it?" He then took his time as he stalked toward Harlan. Harlan was on the edge of consciousness, blinking and breathing weakly. When Hanan reached him, he smiled smugly. "Heaven-Sent Harlan has finally fallen." Hanan scoffed. "Now all that remains is Harlan the Hopeless." Hanan laughed at his own wordplay. He sighed and looked at Harlan, contempt and disgust painting on his face. "Goodbye... Buddy." Though, before Hanan could do anything, Harlan let out a breath and went limp. Hanan stared in confused denial. "No... No!" Holding Harlan by his collarbone, he slammed Harlan's body against the wall. "I choose your death! I chose your ending!" A moment of silence stretched between them. Each second feeling like an eternity itself, Hanan believing Harlan to be dead.

    Until Harlan suddenly grabbed Hanan's arm.

    Harlan's expression was blank. "What the hell?" Hanan tried to tear Harlan's hand away, but to no avail. Harlan's hold only became tighter, threatening to snap Hanan's forearm in two. Hanan's confusion morphed into dreadful fear. He looked closer at Harlan and saw a jaded look in Harlan's eyes. "You're not even conscious..." Suddenly, the two traded places, with Hanan against the wall and Harlan having a vice-grip on Hanan's throat. "What?" Hanan struggled to let out. Harlan then swung him around, slamming him onto the ground, creating a crater of his own. Hanan let out a groan on impact. Harlan swiftly switched holds, grabbing Hanan's leg.

    "Wha-" Harlan proceeded to swing and slam Hanan with the effort of swinging like a rag doll, before throwing him against a pillar. Hanan groaned, but got up, readying himself for Harlan's next move. Harlan was still, looking nowhere, before suddenly vanishing. Hanan panicked and darted his sight everywhere in search of Harlan. Only for Harlan to reappear right in front of him. Hanan threw a quick jab, but it went right through Harlan's after-image, disappearing once more. Before effortlessly grabbing Hanan's head  from the side and slamming it against the pillar, sending a ringing pain through Hanan's whole being. He struggled to remain standing, wobbling and swaying like a drunkard. He lashed out, throwing a useless backhand which only connected with air. He barked in frustration which only got him a destructive hook against his skull. Hanan collapsed on the floor, pain resonating throughout his body. Hanan let out a yell in pain and frustration. "Quit toying with me!" When another assault wasn't initiated, he looked at Harlan's still figure, no longer having clear vision. Harlan looked at him with a slew of emotions on his face and in his eyes.

    "Alright, then," Harlan got back into his fighting stance, "This is the end." There was a resonance of finality in Harlan's voice. A resonance so powerful it dropped a boulder into Hanan's stomach. Hanan looked down at the ground, thoughts and emotions stirring about.

    "Get up!" Harlan demanded, and without thought or contest Hanan did so. There was a moment of stillness and silence between them that felt like a vacuum.

    Explosively, Harlan launched forward, faster than the eye could see and faster than Hanan could react. Harlan landed an almighty haymaker in the center of Hanan's body. Though he wasn't finished, for he then went for a powerful left uppercut, lifting Hanan's body off the ground. Then three right uppercuts in a row, that kept him in the air before throwing an all-powerful haymaker into his gut. This punch sent Hanan flying toward a wall, not only killing him, but destroying the wall he collided with. This caused the wall to crumble on top of his body.

    Harlan stood up straight after the punch and hung his head high. He took in deep breaths of gratitude before letting a bittersweet smile stretch across face. He shambled over to the rubble and knelt down to where Hanan's body lay. "May you finally find peace... Buddy..." Harlan rose and continued into the light of day, leaving behind him in his past.

Duality

     Two entities exist eternally. One entity is quiet and still, with all knowing eyes. The other is frantic, ever-moving and loud. Both consistently speak, though saying different things. Society favors the loud, moving entity, while those who know favor the still being.
     Both vie for your attention. Both do it for your benefit, but in different ways. One does it out of a survival mentality, trying to keep your present you unchanging. While the other does it for your growth and expansion. Going down the path of unchanging, you will always be in your comfort zone, though will never experience anything outside of it: good or bad. The path of growth and expansion is an ever-running road that will curve, bend, rise, and fall. While pain is a part of that path, joy is it's equal (and maybe even greater) counterpart.
     So the decision lies within the individual. You.
     Will you go with the loud entity? Where you will be accepted by society, but as unchanging as stone?
     Or will you go with the still entity? Where the path is long and painful, but most fulfilling.
     The choice is all yours...

Waves

Attraction and strong emotions roll in, crashing on the shore of the psyche

The same feeling recedes, inviting something new
An irritation rolls in, wrath crashing on the shore
Resolution settles, foaming
And the event vanishes into the sea that is the occurances
The past rolls in, memories powering the wave
Lessons are the remaining foam, the last piece of evidence left
Coming and going
Giving and receiving
The cyclical flow of all things
Spiraling onwards and onwards
unceasing, unwavering
Ethereal

Nothing is Permanent

Sword Fight

     Two veteran swordsmen stared each other down. One of the swordsmen held a curved blade backwards, the blood colored blade glinting lethally in twilight. The other stood in a forward striking pose holding a longsword, six feet in length, in both hands. He wore minimal shining armor; covering his right shoulder, arms, midsection, and legs. C (the curved blade wielder) wore no armor, only having light, vantablack garb, as absent of light as himself. The two stared each other down for a mere moment which stretched into eternity. Both making minute, muscle-fiber adjustments based on the other.
      Explosively, the two striked, clashing steel causing sparks to fly. As the two clashed, they stared into each other's eyes. As L stared into C's eyes, he saw no light in the once familiar eyes. The cimmerian abyss that took the place of C's eyes threatened to devour L whole, making C unfurl a twisted Cheshire cat smile. C spun around, drawing a second sword. Though before C could slash L's back, L swung his sword around, blocking the slash. L pushed the blade away and swung in one movement, deterring C. L took guard, bracing for whatever C did. C then went into a flurry of swings with both swords, testing L. L however, perfectly blocked each of the rapid strikes, quickly and efficiently positioning his sword for each one. C hopped backed and prowled around L. L carefully watched C, never leaving his back open to him. He then leapt forward, swinging at C. C dodged the swings for they weren't as fast as his own. However they were as, if not more, dangerous. Being much more powerful, L changed stances and went for a stab. C parried and hopped out of the extensive range of L, circling once again. L returned to a defensive stance, awaiting C's next move.
     They were back in a staring match, for they each knew that the next strike would decide the victor. C then pounced and swung both of his swords into L's. It seemed it would be another clash, but C pivoted his backwards hold to push down L's sword. Once the sword was down, C did an upward stab with his other sword. L narrowly dodged it, tilting his head. In response, L elbowed C's face pushing him away and breaking his guard. L spun around gaining momentum before swinging down on C. Bringing down the hammer of justice with the weight far beyond his own.

Long Journey

I stood before a beautiful beach at sunset. Orange cascaded the skies and played on the sand. I then leaped into the waves, swimming along the bottom.

Deeper and deeper I went.

Eventually I swam straight out, peering at the endless blue. I looked down and noticed stairs beneath me. Guided to, I swam to the stairs and descended the steps.

Deeper and deeper I went.

Eventually the water pressure was enough to act as gravity, keeping me along the stairs.

Deeper and deeper I went.

"I'm still going down the stairs?" I noted, noticing my surroundings become darker.

Deeper and deeper I went.

"I wonder if I can speed this up?" I then decided to swim down the steps-

only for a titanic shark to dart at me teeth first. I barely held it back by its jaws. I pushed it away, hoping it would leave me be.

Though.

It only circled back to strike again. This time though, as I held it at bay, I sent a pulse of my power through it. When I guided it away once more, it did not return.

Deeper and deeper I went.

I thought of how far I had come to that point. The solitude of the vast empty space had not only become familiar, but comfortable.

Deeper and deeper I went.

I started to notice the steps become steeper, more space between each step.

Deeper and deeper I went.

Each step had become a drop off in its own right.

Deeper and deeper I went.

On the last step, all I saw was an abyss. Darkness' maw open to swallow me whole. I couldn't tell what was to come. Only uncertainty was certain.

I took the step

Deeper and deeper I went.

I dropped out of water and hit dry land. I looked ahead and saw a straight pathway, bordered by rock. I looked up and saw the water didn't go past a certain point.

I continued.

Deeper and deeper I went.

In the rocky pathway, in which my steps echoed, was an absence of light. Though my sight was unhindered having seen through the earlier portion of my journey.

Deeper and deeper I went.

I felt the hard ground beneath my bare feet, poking me mercilessly.

Deeper and deeper I went.

For a moment, I thought the cave was narrowing, closing in on me. Though I took a breath and realized that wasn't true.

Deeper and deeper I went.

I saw a light. A light that became brighter the closer I came.

Closer and closer I went.

It was blinding, yet inviting.

Closer and closer I went.

I could feel a warmth from the source guiding me to it.

Closer and closer I went.

I felt joy emanating from the light.

Closer and closer I went.

My long journey was almost at a close!

Closer and closer I went.

I became just a few steps from the light.

Closer and closer,
I had gone.