Cherry went home for the day. Raven would have to make do with the couch and tarp to endure the cold winter night.
The next day Cherry purchased a few days worth of food that wouldn't spoil quickly and a small wood stove. She hauled them through the Thorn Wood, with no small amount of effort, to the clearing.
Cherry greeted Raven and promised to bring books and newspapers in the future, for which Raven pre-emptively thanked her.
Cherry began her morning exercises while Raven watched having nothing better to do.
After half an hour of rather intense activity and with no end in sight, Raven asked curiously "Why are you pushing yourself so hard?"
Cherry stopped doing one-armed handstand pushups and looked at Raven.
"Isn't that obvious?" Cherry stated matter of factly, tilting her head.
"No?" Raven answered.
Cherry crossed her arms and puffed out her chest. "To get stronger of course!"
""...""
Not wanting to argue, Raven rephrased "Okay, then why the rush? Is there a reason you need to get stronger so quickly?"
Cherry pondered silently. "Not really? Strength is power. Power is freedom and security. You have nothing to lose by getting stronger and everything to gain."
Raven considered the younger girls words. 'If I had thought the way she did at her age, could I have saved them? No, there isn't anything I could have done to stop THAT. But, perhaps I wouldn't have had so many close calls...'
"Would like to try it out? You won't be able to do my routine because I'm just built different, but I can show you some high efficiency exercises that are suitable for you. If you keep it up for a few years, you'll get ripped guaranteed!" Cherry offered with a thumbs up and a wink.
Raven giggled. Then she wondered how long it had been since she had laughed. "Alright then, please show me."
Cherry instructed Raven on how to do a number of exercises, which Raven soon discovered were much harder than they looked.
Meanwhile, Cherry was having the time of her life. She had never taught anyone before and found it to be very enjoyable. 'No wonder all those old monsters would take in promising talents as disciples. This is really satisfying.'
Raven's vital energy level was above average for this world, though nothing absurd like Cherry. She was also a very good student and seemed uncommonly familiar with her own body.
After about 20 minutes, Raven plopped to the ground, soaked in sweat and breathing heavily. Cherry nodded with satisfaction.
"Now I'll tell you the most important aspect of training: your mindset! The body and mind are linked in mysterious ways. As such, the results of thoughtless training will always pale in comparison to possessing a strong drive and focus, even more so when you have a clear goal in mind!" This was a half truth. Over the years of training, Cherry discovered that the unconscious improvement to the body via her vital energy was greatest when she focused all her willpower into the training.
It was with that thought that something dawned on her. Something she had overlooked.
'How am I going to study Raven's heart inscription? I need extended physical contact and she'll definitely be able to feel it. It not like those sneak peeks I did with Grandma Angela and the others at the dojo. It's far more intensive than that. This'll be tricky...'
Cherry arranged a simple, but hearty breakfast on the table which she and Raven devoured quickly.
"So, do you think you'll be able to keep it up? Or is it too much for your skinny body to handle?" Between Cherry's teasing tone and the challenging look on her face, Raven felt a certain fighting spirit rise within her. She HAD actually been thinking about giving up, but now she cast aside those thoughts and hardened her resolve to continue no matter what.
"I can handle anything you throw at me." Raven replied. Cherry could almost see flames of determination burn within her eyes.
'Wait, no, those are literal flames...'
"Hehehe, in that case I won't go easy on you and push you to the brink of hell."
Raven instantly regretted her words seeing Cherry's smile, but didn't try to back out of it. She felt that whatever hardships she faced now would make the path she walked in life easier.
...
The months passed by quickly. Spring came and the days got warmer as summer steadily encroached upon Boulder Island.
Cherry had thought of a way to subtly study Raven's heart inscription. She had simply told her that she had a post-training massage that worked wonders. It wasn't a lie, per se. It was a real massage and it really did work wonders. She just threw in some strands of vital energy to poke around as she pleased.
She could just blame the warmth in her chest on the massage. Invasion of privacy? Consider it the cost of her tutelage.
Cherry had also started teaching various martial arts that were practical in combat to Raven, which she greedily learned at a rapid pace.
Raven's looks had changed quite a bit from her originally thin and malnourished appearance.
She had gained a healthy amount of weight from the generous helpings of food Cherry always brought her. Her intense physical training had also born fruit giving her a lean, athletic musculature that was deceptively powerful. Even her blue eyes seemed to sparkle with newfound confidence.
"Look who the training addict is now, Raven. And you said that I was pushing myself when we first met..." Cherry teased.
"And who's fault is that?" Raven asked rhetorically.
Whenever she started to get comfortable with an exercise, Cherry would tweak it just enough to make it difficult again. Any time her drive wavered, Cherry would say something that pushed her buttons in such a way that drove her to train even harder than before.
She sometimes wondered if Cherry was really just an 8 year old girl. Then Cherry would pull one of her 'pranks' and destroy the idea that she could be anything but a child.
Just last week, Cherry had brought one of her grandmother's coffee cakes. Raven had grown quite fond of them since Cherry brought one on New Year's day.
After Raven had finished hers, she saw Cherry's face split in the most evil smile she'd ever laid eyes upon. She never did figure out what she did and she wasn't sure if she wanted to know.
(Cherry had made the cake herself this time and was just happy Raven enjoyed it.)
"I've got a surprise for you tomorrow." Cherry said, looking quite pleased with herself.
"Another one of your pranks, is it?" Raven replied with annoyance, but a small smile crept onto her face.
"Bah! I wouldn't tell you ahead of time about my masterful japes. You can look forward to it. See you then!" Cherry denied before prancing off into the thorn bushes.
It would be Cherry's birthday tomorrow. Normally she didn't really care about the occasion, but she thought it would be nice to 'share' it with Raven. She didn't know Raven's birthday, so they could celebrate together. She only had to be back by afternoon to celebrate with Grandma Angela.
Cherry and Raven have gotten quite close over the last several months. Though Raven hadn't revealed her real name yet, there had been a number of times Cherry could see her wallowing in indecision.
Neither of the girls knew that Raven's identity would soon be revealed and that their peaceful, happy days would come to an end.