Chapter 2: Martial Arts

'Wait, so why did you wait so long before activating, or giving me my memories?' Alphonse asked Prism.

{Answer: In order to activate your memories you required a near-death experience, as for me I awoke with your memories, though as you can tell I was not present in your past life.} Prism responded with less information than Alphonse had hoped for.

'Okay, just wake me up in the morning, around an hour after sunrise.' Alphonse commanded Prism.

{Setting alarm... Alarm set for 7:28 A.M.} Prism stated as Alphonse started drifting back to sleep.

...

{Beep, beep, beep.} The alarm sounded, waking up Alphonse.

"Didi! Xing lai!" Alphonse heard a little girl's voice sound as he opened his eyes. Alphonse didn't properly understand until he looked up and the words registered in his mind. 'Little brother! Wake up!' The words translated inside Alphonse's mind. When Alphonse looked up he saw a small girl, no older than nine and a half, or in this time period 10 lunar years, the girl had long Amethyst purple hair that is braided, her eyes crystalline and royal purple. "Papa wants to see you." The girl said.

'Even after a full year, I still don't know the name of my sisters or brothers.' Alphonse thought to himself as Prism agreed in silence. The girl waved her hand, motioning towards Alphonse, telling him to follow, he did. Alphonse noticed that most of the pain from yesterday was gone, his wounds were about half-healed. The two walked down the stairs to the first floor, the two of them continued to a room with three chairs near a fireplace.

"Linrit, leave, I will talk to the boy myself." Alphonse's father said. Linrit left, leaving only Alphonse and Raeloph. Raeloph is sitting in the middlemost chair, he is fairly tall, standing at 5'11", his hair is a dull purple, his iris looks shattered, as if the crystalline structure within it broke apart and now shards are flowing throughout his sclera, each fragment is a royal purple, reflecting light just as a crystal would. "Alphonse." Raeloph said coldly. "Today you will start [training in the martial] ways, you will not [complain], you will do as I say, when I say, and you will not [stop until] I say we [stop]." Raeloph said sternly. (Brackets mean that the MC can't understand those words)

Alphonse just nodded. despite not understanding what Raeloph was saying, fearing what may occur due to the genetic feat that Raeloph has unlocked. {It would appear you will be trained in martial arts by Raeloph.} Prism translated only the first part.

'I see, well I hope that my teacher is good.' Alphonse responded.

Raeloph motion for Alphonse to follow and he did so. They walked over to a sliding door, which lead to the dojo inside the house. The dojo was very eastern according to Alphonse's memories, it seemed very Japanese, though the maps that he's seen indicate he is in China, even the language and writing he has seen seems Chinese. 'Intriguing.' Alphonse thought to himself. (Forgot to mention, an apostrophe before and after someone says something means they are speaking inside their thoughts whereas quotation marks mean they are talking aloud.)

{Your teacher will be your father, it appears he will be quite strict as well.} Prism said, causing a sensation of dread to fall upon Alphonse.

'And why didn't you tell me sooner you useless system?' Alphonse asked, in an almost infuriated tone.

{Reminder: System is currently operating at minimal capacity.} prism responded in the same robotic tone as always as Alphonse grumbled to himself. Alphonse looked around some more while his father grabbed some items. The dojo has various training weapons, swords, hammers, spears, staffs, and other weapons.

There is five sections to the dojo, the entrance, which is where the training weapons are displayed, the martial sections, which had various diagrams of different kicks, punches, headlocks and pressure point attacks, the third section is the weapon training section, with various diagrams showing how to use different weapons and several styles of weapon use, the fourth section seemed to some sort of relaxation zone, it has various pillows on the ground, each indented in the middle meant for someone to sit in, it also has diagrams of types of meditation, the final section is a sparring area, it has several outlined spots where people can spar eachother, training their moves with others.

"Keep following." Raeloph said to Alphonse who looked like he was studying the room. "Stand here and take [stance]." Raeloph told Alphonse. Alphonse responded with a head tilt and a confused expression. Raeloph gave an angry sigh. "Do what I do, now!" Raeloph yelled at Alphonse and Alphonse quickly did so, taking up the same fighting stance as his father.

The stance itself wasn't anything special, it was just a simple one after all, he is facing forward with his body facing to the side, knees bent in the same direction as the body, his left hand is in front of him in a fist and his right arm up with his hand facing the same direction as his head. Raeloph began demonstrating different kicks and punches and Alphonse tried to mimic them, but his body isn't strong or flexible.

"Alphonse, I told you to copy what I do!" Raeloph said with anger burning in his fractured eyes as he grabbed Alphonse's arms and moving his legs, putting him back in his original stance.

"I... I am trying..." Alphonse responded weakly.

"Trying is not enough!" Raeloph yelled as. "If you are not going to learn like this, then I'll have you spar me." Raeloph said as he dragged Alphonse to the fifth section. Raeloph went to the closest outlined area to him. "Take [stance]" Raeloph stated as he went into stance. Alphonse didn't have time to even think before Raeloph came at him. Alphonse didn't even have enough time to get into stance before losing his balance to his fathers first blow.

"Get up, do it again." Raeloph said angrily as Alphonse got up and went into stance, his ribs aching. As alphonse had readied, Raeloph started his attack again, Alphonse had once again hit the floor.