Snippet #8879

Hoshika finished eating and stayed where she was. The air was cool, wafting over her with its gentle hand and making her feel truly magical. She slipped out the window, using both hands to swing herself around and onto the roof. Silently, like a cat, she scrambled up the roof to the point. In a move she had perfected over the years she swung the point of the roof down by the hidden hinges, forming a flat ledge. She had installed it soon after she had arrived here, by need of a suitable place to meditate and study. She loved practicing the one square foot arts, moving through her katas on a one foot square of ground. Shd stood on the platform, closing her eyes and breathing deeply. Then without warning she launched herself into the final seven techniques of her own personalized version of the koshiki no katas. She launched herself into iwa-nami first, or wave on the rocks. She grabbed the imaginary opponent and flung him over her back with full force, keeping her balance through the moves. She moved into sakatoshi next, practicing the moves with expert precision as the gentle air whirled around her.

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I walk through the halls, making my way to my room. I slip in and close the curtain, unwrapping my armor after taking it from the shelf. I carefully buckle the straps on the left side of my chest and back plates, then swing the two around and buckled them on the right. They were made special for me, fitting perfectly against my body. I do the same with the arm and leg guards, but dont wear my helmet today. After all, all I want to do is spar. I flip open the wooden box on the end of the shelf, pulling out over a dozen kunai and placing them in locations strategic for a fight. I let my eyes float closed, thinking deeply about where I should go to spar. Then I stand up, looking around and walking wherever my heart tells me. I pass the training grounds, pass the courtyard, pass the classrooms. I keep walking, and finally I come to the end of the hall, a flat wall where the sun shines in from where the roof is missing. I grab onto the rocks, pulling myself up onto the ledge. Its hard to explain, but I just know where to go. I have no reason to go where I am, and I dont really even know where Im going. I only know which direction to go and when I make a wrong turn. I look back over the roof, seeing the really quiet girl.. Hoshika.. vigourously go through advanced katas I dont know. Huh, I didnt know the point of the roof flipped down like that.

"Ach!" My voice gets drowned out as I rush towards the ground, having fallen off the roof. I call on the element of wind and it slows my fall, but I still slam into the ground with a resounding 'oof'. My ribs and back burn, but I still get up. I walk through the woods a short ways, and stop at a tree I know all to well. The tree of desicions. I climb the trunk, using the branches to pull myself up and the wind elements to keep me from falling again. After a good few minutes of climbing I pull myself over the edge of the platform, panting. I look up and see Master Oda looking at me.

"Good day, Master." I manage to get out through my pants.