Holding the blade in my hand, I take a deep breath. Getting up, I take another look at the blade only to hear someone. "Hey! This area is off! Get out before we make you!"
Turning around, we see six thugs yelling at us. While they might not look like much, I recognize them, they're the same people that attack our dojo.
"Go to hell! This is my Dojo! If you want me to leave, then you have to make me!"
Walking into the courtyard, I raise the sword above my head. Spitting on the ground, they start to circle me. Two go for Raven, so I try to turn around to look at him.
*Cink* Barely stopping one of the pipes, I see another one run at me with a knife.
Stepping to the side, I push the thug into the knife. Stabbing his friend in the back, and kicking them to the ground, I stab through them until I feel my sword dig into the ground. Pierced like a kebab, I use the sword-like handle and spin in the air. Kicking both of the remains guys in the face. I line them up so I pull the sword out and with a single stab, both of them fall to the ground.
"Not bad." Seeing Raven sit on some of the rubble, I see him holding a gun with smoke coming out. Even though I hear no shots fired.
"Where are the two?" Smiling, he tells me that they passed on. Still his smile it-
"Anyways, do you know where you put the shovel? I'd like to be done with this before breakfast." Stretching his back, I hear a loud resounding pop. Looking away, I grab the shovel.
Digging for a while by myself, I soon hear Raven dig next to me. Using a shovel which he made out of ice he looks at me. "Don't say a word, I just want it to be done quicker not like I've felt pathetic seeing you work by yourself."
Chuchleing a bit, I get a bunch of dirt thrown in my face. "I told you, not a word!" Starting to laugh crazy at the sheer craziness of the situation I get a worried look from Raven.
Dropping the shovel, I hold my head as my laugh turns to a cry, Feeling Raven put his cold hand on my shoulder, I hear him say. "Sorry, I shouldn't have thrown that dirt on you."
Telling him it's not that, I ask. "Do you not think it's absurd?! My friends, people I've known for half of my life. Dead! Yet I'm Hear having fun throwing dirt at a stranger, I have barely known for 2 hours!"
Closing his eyes, he just rubs my back. "Life's weird, but to be honest. I'm kinda jealous of your ability to move on. Look at me, a person I've known for 7 months leaves me, and I can't do anything for a month."
Chuckling a bit, he sits down outside the grave. "Tell me, what was your dojo about?"
Leaning on the dirt in the grave, I sigh. "It was a great place, everyone there was an orphan. Our master took us in and took care of us as his own. Every day he would preach to us about the rights and wrongs of the world, in the evening he asked us what we would do to change the world."
Thinking about it, I instead ask Raven a question. "What do you want in live?"
Raising his eyebrow, he seemed to think before saying. "I want to be happy, When I die, let it be alone or with a family. I want to be able to smile and tell the world that I lived my life to the fullest. You?"
Throwing a root out of the grave, I reply. "My master-"
"I wasn't asking about what your master has taught you, I want to know what the real you wants to do." Confused at his question, Raven sighs.
"Your master clearly taught you the way of letting go and accepting things, so I want to know if you agree with that."
Rubbing the behind of my ear, I reply only to be cut off again. "I was taught-"
"Not what you were taught, every mind is different. And everyone wants something, so the inner peace is different for everyone. So let me ask you again."
[Are you able to live knowing your master's killer got away with it?]
"I...." Not knowing what to say, I look into the dirt ashamed. I always followed my master's beliefs and went to him for guidance. But now..... I can't do that...
I try to think what my master would do, but my mind's blank. Like a new sheet of paper.
Feeling Raven's hand on my shoulder, I hear. "Come out of the grave, it's clear you have no idea how to think for yourself." Pulling me out, I see him pull one of the large stone tiles out of the ground.
"What are you doing?" Telling me to watch, he starts to pull at the tiel like it's made out of clay. shaping it into a large bowl, I quickly realize what he's changing it into.
"Urn..." Nodding his head, he asks me if I want to have them always with me. "That's possible?" Smiling, the two large piles of corpses catch on fire. burning with such intensity, that I can't even look at them.
Minutes pass and the sun slowly starts to rise, shining brightly the stairs disappear. And the two piles are nothing more than ash. Tapping his hands together, the ash is blown with a soft breeze into the urn.
Sweating like crazy, I run to Raven. "Are you okay?!" Water pours out of his body like he's a god damnd fountain. Raising his thumb, he laughs "Never better, why do you ask?"
Shaking my head, I tell him that he's crazy. "No need, I know that ever since I kept a stranger frozen in ice for a week inside my house." Laughing together, he hands me the urn.
"It's the least I could do."
Putting it inside the grave, we throw the dirt back in. Placing another large stone tile on top, Raven pulls out a knife. "Here, you should do it." Taking the knife, I scratch into the tile.
[The Faint-Hearted Dojo]
[Here lie the beloved students and their master]
Turning to Raven, I can see the desire on his face to ask if that's it, but he keeps it in. Knowing this is a special moment.
"That's it?" Or so I thought.
"I mean, sorry? I didn't have anything prepared." Patting me on the back, he takes his knife and proceeds to walk out through the main gate.
Now alone, I smile. Knowing fully, that I will never come back. "Brothers, this is my final goodbye." Ripping some dandelion out of the ground, I place it on the stone.
"Are you coming or what?!" Hearing Raven yell from the street, I laugh.
"Yes, Yes. I'm on my way."