Additional Note: Learning [ST2] & [ST3] Commune with Nature!
~~~> My Techniques! <~~~

TWC: 10,0014
Solo Thread Cap: 10,000words!

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Sinking deeper and deeper in calm embrace; time passed as a gentle breeze on the horizon. From night to day, from autumn to winter; no matter what might come to pass for a singular individual, the passage of time remained constant. This was true for those of the city, going about their daily lives in both peace and dread; be it an eventful declaration from an unbelievable force, or a boring day with naught but the sound of wind chimes to fill the air, time went on. For those not of the city, the same remained true, but to an extent that one could take greater note of.

Bereft of the technological wonders that those of the city found themselves enamored with, the girl of the forest was made well aware of the passage of time with every new dawn. From the yellowing and eventual fall of the leaves, to the changing of the very lay of the land as winters snows blanketed the realm in white.

Rhapsody Shade was her name, a winged woman from a far off mountain village. A girl with hair that shone with the allure of the sun, and eyes deep and blue as the vast, expansive oceans. This cat like girl had taken little heed of the warnings given to her by those that frequented the city; with her village protected by the magic of its Elders, the changing of the seasons meant little to her. As ill prepared as she was, winter’s grasp took its hold much like a reaper’s scythe to the unfortunate; for Rhapsody however, a token of luck would grace her travels.

The whispers of the trees told of the coming chill, and the preparation of the local fauna clued the woman in as to its severity. She’d never experienced winter before, but had read of it plenty in the illustrative books the shopkeep of the city kept. Still, as the temperatures lowered over time, despite her growing knowledge, she would still find herself in quite the desperate situation.

“Hm… none here either?” She would remark as she combed through what few bushes she could find that still flourished with leaves and life. A cold chill would rush through the woods, echoing through the trees before finally brushing against her exposed back, “Brrrrrrr, that’s too much!” She’d exclaim with a violent shiver as the chill rushed down her spine and out her tail.

Her reserves of food had reached their limits, and the winter season was only growing colder; though she was an expert forager, such a climate was beyond her skill. The magic her Elders employed had blanketed the lands where she once lived in an unalterable cloud of mana. While things were still born, and grew anew, the overall atmosphere of her village and the surrounding woods made it seem as though all of time had stopped. While this wasn’t truly the case, it still had an undeniable effect on the habits one might learn as a survivalist.

“It seems I’m well at my limit-” She would sigh, falling away from the bush and into the snow to rest, “-hmmm, I’m getting so hungry though… maybe I should have stayed with Zerori after all?” She’d muse as her wings would spread out wide, pushing aside large swaths of powdery snow, “But I have no idea how long these, “seasons” as she called them, last… no!” She’d say firmly, sitting back up with a determined expression, “I’ll not keep my father waiting simply due to some cold! I’ve gotten a clue to go on to find the Guardian, the big tower!”

Her travels away from her village had been for the sake of her father; bed ridden and comatose from the attack of the Spirit Bear he’d endured, only the healing magics of the Guardian would see him restored to health, or so said the village Elder. During her travels, she’d found information on the Guardian to be sparse; though unconventional, it was through myth and children's tales that she’d learned more. Even in fictional stories were slivers of truth, and it was when she’d happened upon a particular story that mentioned an impossible tower that reached the heavens that she’d finally found the truth she’d sought.

“I was foolish to leave my village with such haste…” She’d mumble as she looked down upon the snow at her feet, “It was there… I saw it every day I soared into the sky, that incredible, white tower.”

Rhapsody would close her eyes and take a moment to remember it, the tower in the distance and its mysterious allure. She’d even seen it the day of the Spirit Bears attack, but felt regret grasping tightly at her heart from not realizing the truth sooner.

“The Grand Elder had always said that the Guardian protected us, if only I’d listened properly, then…” She would cut herself off, taking a deep but quick breath before shaking her head, “No, it’s not so simple.” She’d assure herself as he took to standing back up, “Despite what Grand Elder said, he’d never specifically said that the Guardian resided in that far off tower. Still…”

It was difficult to shake off the feeling of failure that had been troubling her since the day she’d learned the truth. While she’d finally gained a clue as to the whereabouts of the Guardian, she had no idea as to where her village was. Unbeknownst to her, the shrouded path the Grand Elder had sent her through and magically sent her to the far side of the continent; with her village not even located on any map, she had no way of knowing where it was she needed to go.

Her travels had led her along a great ocean, across a treacherous desert, and to several incredible cities that lit the night sky like magic. It was in one such city, East City, that she’d met with the woman Zerori. The biting winter breeze made Rhapsody long for the comfy, warm room that Zerori had allowed her to stay in; worrying for her fathers well being however, Rhapsody’s stay would not be long. While Zerori had warned her of the coming winter, and implored her to stay until at least the spring, Rhapsody simply could shake the desire she held to restore her father to health.

“She gave me so much food too… if I went back now, it’d be disgraceful!” She’d exclaim, her ears twitching as if she could hear the response of another, “Exactly! I have to be able to do at LEAST this much!” She’d respond excitedly with a nod, before suddenly deflating in enthusiasm, “But…” She’d continue, her ears drooping to the side as another worry overtook her, “Sometimes… I just feel so weak. I don’t understand it, I feel like the amount I can carry has lessened, and I even feel fatigued after long stretches of flight. I don’t understand it, I simply know I’ve felt this way since my encounter with the Spirit Bear…” She’d say somberly, giving an elongated sigh as she then gazed down at the palms of her hands, thinking intently on the matter.

She was still well unaware of the magic she was capable of wielding; while her training with the warrior Nasu had given her the ability to summon her weapon at will, she’d still found her strength lacking. She found it difficult to reach the same level of strength as she’d displayed in her battle against the Spirit Bear, and while she didn’t know it, the cause was the magical garb she found herself in. It was a self regenerating, magical cloth that granted her incredible protections; in exchange however, was a constant drain of mana, the very force that Rhapsody herself was unknowingly composed of.

“If I could just-” She would begin, before another sudden gust of chilly wind interrupted her, “BrrRrrrRrrrrrrrRrr!!! W-w-what am I to do about this c-cold!?” She’d question, clutching her arms around her chest and pulling in her wings as she attempted to warm herself up, “Bah! My worries can come later! For now, I must find proper safety from the elements!” She’d exclaim, with her ears twitching once more as she heard an echo from the woods around her.

Rhapsody would pause for a moment, her body adjusting to the mysterious cacophony of sounds that swept through the woods. It was an unexplainable ability she’d had since birth, but since leaving her village, she’d found its power growing. Perhaps it was due to her lack of clairvoyance in the many unfamiliar lands she’d found herself in, or it might have been due to the constant seclusion she’d been forced to endure while traveling. Whatever the case might have been, it had become clear to her as she traveled as to what her ability was.

From the chirping of the birds, to the silent chittering of the smaller fauna like squirrels and bunnies; while the coherency of the animals wasn’t on par with that of a humanoid, it was well enough to understand intent. She could speak with them, she could understand them, and she could get her intentions across to them; her power was less like communication, and more like an attunement. She could hear the whispers of their souls, and could share the whispers within her own; she didn’t know why she held such an ability, and she made no efforts to find out. What she did know however, was that the facets of this ability extended beyond merely fauna; it was one that could be shared with flora as well, it was not an ability to commune with animals, but rather, was one to commune with nature itself, and it was growing.

“What’s that?” She’d mumble as she listened to the urging trees, “A cave? Wha-?? Disconnected from nature and overtaken by the children??” She’d question with a clearly confused expression upon her face. While she couldn’t quite understand exactly what the trees meant, she could at least understand their intent, “Very well, please, lead me there.” She’d request, splaying out her wings as she took to the skies and followed the directions of the trees.

Through the skies, all she could see was the ever expansive forest of trees; there wasn’t a single mountainous spread or protrusion of rocky crags to be seen. With the forest no longer maintaining its lush, green lay of leaves as it once had, this was ever more apparent. While it was easy to get lost in the eternal sight of wintry, white snow, it was still clear as day that there wasn’t any such outcrop of earth that would give way to a cave, and yet the trees wouldn’t lie.

Rhapsody soared delicately against the fierce winds as they attempted to ground her; while the winds above the canopy raged violently, they would prove no match for Rhapsody’s strength and finesse within the air. Though, while her body was quite strong against the wind, the same could not be said for the cold; largely exposed as she was, her garb did little in the way of keeping her warm. A light magic touch to the garbs did actually grant her minor comfort, though the biting cold couple with sharp winds were more than enough to overpower the enchantment. Luckily for Rhapsody, it wouldn’t take long for the tree to guide her to her destination.

“F-f-f-f-finally!” She’d exclaim as she dropped from the sky above and into the thick snow of a rather open clearing, “I’ve ab-b-bout frozen my t-t-tail off!” She continued, once more clutching her arms tightly to her chest as her hands rubbed her upper arms for warmth, “N-now then, this c-cave?”

An immediate glance over the area revealed nothing but an empty clearing and mounds of snow. The trees of the area were rather thin as well, much too young for being so deep within the thicket. Closer examination of the area began to paint the picture to aid in Rhapsody’s understanding; while she may have been deep within the forest, something had happened here to remove the trees that once called the area home.

Moving towards the forest’s edge, Rhapsody would find the remains of long since fallen trees; upon her steps through the snow back towards the clearing center, further would reveal itself in uprooted stumps and a deep divot of land. The trees would speak up once more, directing Rhapsody towards the far side of the clearing, towards a rather large mound of snow. While there were no landmasses that would give any sort of tell to the existence of a cave, the mound of snow before her was far too suspicious and large to be a mere accumulation.

“Hmm, I see, then it’s a cave that leads underground perhaps?” Rhapsody would muse as she spread her wings out wide behind her, “Well then, first, I’m to deal with this snow!” She’d exclaim, before giving an incredibly powerful beat of her wings.

While the snow would clearly be disturbed, one gust of wind was unfortunately not enough. Widening her stand, and digging her feet in deep, Rhapsody would continue with the powerful beating of her wings, doing well not to allow herself to be pulled off the ground with her attempt. More and more the snow mound would be disturbed, falling to pieces to reveal what hid beneath; though what Rhapsody would find was far from what she had expected.

“This… these are, vines?” Rhapsody would question as she brought her actions to a stop upon the last bit of snow giving way. What lay beneath, forming the mound itself, had been a large arrangement of vines, still filled with life despite the freezing cold, “Ah, I see, so these are the children you meant.” She’d say with a light laugh as she looked over the vines that clung tightly to something underneath, “Quick to death, but even quicker to life, compared to a tree, you’d most certainly be children. Now then, you couldn’t possibly be so sturdy against this cold, what is it you cling to?” Rhapsody would question, before suddenly finding her senses berated by an assortment of cries and pleas.

The vines would cry out much like the children that they were considered, refusing to give way to Rhapsody’s request. Despite the myriad of voices, Rhapsody could hear their intent clearly; what they clung to was life itself for them, and to be removed meant death. Their voices were fearful and timid, yet could spike with aggression and resentment in an instant; they were merely children after all, and as such, were no different than a human child throwing a fit over what it failed to understand.

“Hmm, hmm” Rhapsody hummed curiously as she placed her hand upon the arrangement of vines, “Hush now, shhhhh- you’re okay.” She’d say softly with a kindred smile, “What you cling to must be quite warm, but I’m sure you know it isn’t what sustains you.” She’d say softly as she looked over towards the nearest trees in the distance, large and sturdy as it stretched into the sky, as if a guardian of its own over the forest clearing, “Your roots stretch deep, and the trees nurture you. It was the trees that guided me here, would you besmirch their good intentions for the sake of selfish desires?” She would ask, causing the vines to react with a minor rustle, “See now? I knew you understood-” She’d continue, patting the vines lightly, “Please, return the favor to the trees that sustain you. While it may not be as warm, I promise that should you wrap around the trees themselves you’ll remain safe, alive and well!” She’d finish with an upbeat smile before backing away from the assortment of vines.

Hearing and accepting her request, the vines would steadily unwrap themselves from what they clung to and behind pulling back to reveal the mysterious mound. While the vines would pull themselves deep within the ground and return to the edge of the forest, what Rhapsody had initially presumed to be a cave would finally be revealed. To Rhapsody’s further surprise however, this cave was like no other she’d ever seen; though the exterior was worn and faded, it was in no manner made of stone or rock of any sort.

There was a sheen to the mysterious construct that somehow broke through the dust and dirt that clung to it, and the entrance seemed to extend to a fresh, somewhat clean interior. It was less of a cave, and more like a small home; a stairway led to the interior, with each step echoing slightly beneath the armored boots she wore. As the cold of the climate worsened however, Rhapsody knew she had no time to investigate further; time was no longer on her side, and she required shelter, and with that in mind she would waste little time in rushing within the construct.

Her abilities on this journey had led her to a fortuitous reprieve; once inside the construct, the very atmosphere seemed to change. The vines had occupied the space before her arrival, and so the musky scent of foliage loomed, but the darkened space was still much warmer than it was outside. Though with the entrance exposed and the vines dispersed, the warm atmosphere most likely wasn’t long to last.

“Hm, before it gets too cold, I should make a fire. It’s a strange cave, but it’ll do at least until the snowstorm passes.” She’d remark as she tried to get her bearings within the darkened space; her eyes would narrow as they adjusted to the dark, taking in what little light existed to amplify her vision, “No sticks, or leaves… its all, metal? What kind of cave is this??” She’d question, narrowing her eyes as she moved towards on of the walls, “I can just barely make it out, I-”

Placing her hand against the wall to use as a guide while she explored, she would suddenly brush against a panel upon said wall. In an instant, a low hum would sound through the entirety of the construct, and the once darkened cave interior would alight with the purest of white lights.

“GYAAAH!!” Rhapsody would exclaim, falling to the floor and covering her face in an instant, “MY EYES, WHY!?!?!?” She’d question, rolling upon the floor in a wreath of pain before suddenly shooting back up to her feet, summoning her keyblade and taking a defensive stance, “Who’s there!? Show yourself this instant!” She’d yell, but to no reply; though the low humming did away with the eerie silence, the interior was just as empty as it’d been when she arrived.

Rhapsody would maintain her defensive position while her eyes readjusted to the light; once she could properly make out her surroundings, the girl would find herself awestruck. What she found herself within was no cave at all, but the interior of a building of sorts; she’d seen some such buildings back in East City with similar layouts, but the layout of the interior around her now was somehow… greater.

She could explain nothing of what she saw; coming from a village completely void of technology, she found it impossible to make sense of her surroundings. During her travels, she’d learned of things like lights, and automatic doors; but the panels, appliances, and several other machinations in the room were a complete mystery to her.

She’d dispel her keyblade, lowering her guard as she tried to take it all in; flinching as the entryway she’d used suddenly closed up. “A-automata doors??” She’d remark, remembering the sliding doors of the convenience store back in East City, “Is this… a shop maybe?” She’d question, before suddenly feeling a pleasantly warm atmosphere come over the area.

She found herself at a loss of words over so much happening at once; from the closing of the entrance to the activation of the heater, this building was like no other. As curious as the cat that she was however, she held no hesitation in exploring the confines she now found herself in. Quickly she’d find the interior to be much larger than she realized; segmented into rooms, she would stumble upon two separate bedrooms, one that held a single bed, and another that held three. It was perhaps rooms for a parent and their children, but she had no way of knowing the truth.

Another room was filled to capacity with crates made of an unknown material, likely a simple storage room by the looks of it. The next two rooms were simple, a bathroom near to the bedrooms, and a kitchen down a narrow corridor; the final room however was what Rhapsody found the most curious, as it was a room that seemed to take up nearly half of the building’s interior.

The door to this final room was reinforced, opening in such a manner as if to firmly seal the room off from the rest of the interior. Rhapsody would waste no time in entering, her curiosity at its peak from all the wonders and amenities she’d stumbled across. This room however sparked a different curiosity from her, it was unusually open, and seemed built far sturdier than the other rooms she’d come across. From the floor to the walls, it was clear this room was built to take a beating, but the question remained, why? As Rhapsody walked the length of the room and took in her surroundings, the answer would steadily become clear.

“Is this… a dojo maybe?” She would muse, comparing the room to the training dojo back in her village, “There seems to be some training equipment, though I’ve not seen any quite like this. Still, it's easy to make out-” She’d assess as she attempted to lift a small dumbbell off the floor, only to find its weight being far beyond expectation, “W-what!?” She’d question with a surprised expression, “I… I’m not so weak as to be unable to lift a simple weight of such a small size!” She’d proclaim, trying her best to lift the seemingly small weight, but only barely getting the dumbbell an inch off the floor before dropping it.

Unbeknownst to her, this weight was of no ordinary Earthling design; and neither was the building she found herself in. In truth, the entirety of the building was of alien make, Saiyan make to be more precise, and its instruments designed for Saiyan use. While the dumbbells may have shared a similar design to any found on Earth, they were of an ultra dense metal not found on the shining blue sphere.

Rhapsody would quickly remove herself from the presence of the weight, with an expression of both defeat and confusion. The room she found herself in was growing all the more interesting, and the rather large device in the back of the room drew her attention next, that is, until the familiar container directly beside it caught her eye.

“Ah! That’s-!” She’d exclaim excitedly as she rushed towards the container, throwing it open to reveal the treats within, “A refrigerator!!” She’d yell excitedly, find the stock within to be well stocked with cans of a mysterious beverage, “It’s just like the one at Zerori’s home! Hm, are these soda cans?” She’d question as she removed one of the drinks from within and shut the door.

“This whole place…” She began to muse while she partook of the newly acquired beverage, “It’s so strangely designed, and nothing like Zerori’s home. More importantly, why is it here, in the middle of the woods?” She’d question as she downed the beverage and took to leaning her rear against the large center device she’d previously approached to relax, “If this is a house, it’s certainly not of a typical human design. But I’ve little else to go on, and despite the invasion of the vines, all seems to be in good condition.” She’d sigh, “I wonder how long it’s been here?”

It was difficult not being able to piece together the puzzle before her, but there was nothing more she could learn with her limited insight. She was unfamiliar with the many panels and devices within the building, and had no way of learning how it all worked. What few pieces of information she COULD come across seemed to be written in a language other than the common she knew, which only served to make the questions grow further. Finishing off her beverage, she decided to wash her hands of the thoughts; considering her journey, she’d done well to maintain her energy, but now that she’d had a few moments of respite, fatigue was finally catching up to her.

“Well then, if no one else is using it, I do so believe I’ll help myself to the room with the singular bed!” She’d say cheerily as she leaned back against the large device behind her, her rear unknowingly pressing against buttons on a console.

As she stretched, Rhapsody would look around for a trash bin to dispose of her beverage, quickly spotting one on the far side of the room back by the entryway. Strangely, in spite of her fatigue, she started to feel a tingle within the pit of her stomach, as if a heat was building. Paying no mind to it however, she would lean forward to make her way out of the room; as her rear left the console however, in an instant, Rhapsody would suddenly find herself upon the floor.

“W-what!?”

Even the act of speaking became a difficult endeavor; every facet of her body suddenly felt like a weight had fallen upon her. No, it was a bit different than that, but she found the thoughts difficult to piece together due to the situation she found herself in. The can she’d held had been thrown from her hand and crushed violently against the floor, as if compressing under its own weight. Rhapsody would attempt to rise, but stuck between a rock and hard place, she’d find the endeavor nearly impossible. Her breasts felt as though they weighed an unnaturally vast amount, and attempted to pull her back to the floor; meanwhile, her wings were like massive weights that threatened to crush her under their weight.

“W… what… is… is…”

Her breathing became labored as she struggled to adjust to the environment; was it a defense mechanism? Had the owner returned to this building and mistaken her for an intruder, and now sought to get rid of her? What form of magic could possibly be employed to make one feel as though they were now as heavy as a boulder, or ever heavier!?

“G… up…” Rhapsody would mutter, forcing a deep breath as she pulled her arms from her sides to beneath her chest, “Ge… get… up!” She’d exclaim through gritted teeth, bringing her all to bear as she attempted to resist the heavy atmosphere.

If she failed to rise now, there was no telling what would happen to her; she felt as though her bones were on the verge of cracking, and her natural strength was all that allowed her to even stay conscious. Should she pass out now, she’d have certainly perished, her every instinct told her so; her journey would come to an end, and with it, so too would her fathers life.

“NO!”

The thought of her father losing his life due to her failings would push Rhapsody further; her resolve unwavering, and determination endless. She couldn’t falter now, she wouldn’t! Her strength was at its limits, but she knew there was more, there had to be; for the sake of her own survival, for the sake of her fathers, she would find that strength.

“GET UP!!” She’d yell at herself, pushing off the floor with all her might, feeling as though her wings would snap off at any moment.

Her determination bore an aura around her form, much like the one she’d seen around the Saiyan, Vocalo back when he battled against the slave traders. As distracted as she was with her own survival however, Rhapsody had no time to pay heed to the growing aura that enveloped her. First as a wisp of transparent white, then akin to an encompassing fire, the aura would grow and grow as Rhapsody slowly lifted herself up to her feet, resisting the strain of the heavy atmosphere.


“I… refuse to… let it… end here! I refuse!!!” She’d declare through gritted teeth as she then took to standing fully, drawing forth every last vestige of energy she held within her, “Grand Elder… Father… I. Won’t. Let. You. DOWN!!!”

Just as it seemed her body would hit its limit, a change like no other would occur within her. With one final push, Rhapsody would stand tall with her chest out and head held high. The aura around her would burst, before suddenly changing its composition around her, becoming sharper and a fierce red. The entire color and design of her dress would change; while the baby blue transitioned to red, unknown symbols would take the place of the sakura blossoms that designed the garb. Her eyes would take on just as notable of a change, as the black of her pupils vanished, and the blue eyes she once had suddenly transitioned into a bright, strong red.

Yet, while the physical changes were striking, nothing was as incredible as the change of strength she’d felt surging within her.

“Haa.. Haaa…. I… I did-?” She’d begin, taking deep breaths as she tried her best not to lose touch of this mysterious new strength she held, “I’m… standing, but I still feel it.” She would glance down to the crushed can that lay upon the floor, before looking back towards the device she’d leaned against previously, “Forty?” She’d question, taking note of the now activated device and the screen which read “40g” in a bright green, “Forty what? N-no matter, I can’t stay here… whatever this is, I can feel it fading.”

The energy that flared around Rhapsody’s form flickered, but having been trained by the Grand Elder of her village personally in the forms of combat and mana manipulation, Rhapsody was quickly grasping the concept behind the new power she held. In her fatigued state, and the heavy atmosphere of the room she was in however, maintaining the power was taking everything she had.

While she still had the strength to do so, she would rush towards the exit, only to end up slamming into the door as she did so. “What!? Automata door?” She’d question, placing her hand upon the door as she peered out the small window the door had, “Open please! This is no time to play around!”

Despite her requests, the door showed no sign of budging; neither pushing nor attempting to pull at what little grip she could find seemed capable of opening the confines she now found herself trapped in. Her concentration on her new form was beginning to wane, and the only clue she had now to go on was that of the mysterious device that had activated at the end of the room. With little recourse presented to her, she would rush to the device, examining it as best as her less than knowledgeable self could.

She’d gone from one danger to another with little reprieve, and it didn’t seem like things were destined to get better anytime soon. More than ever now she wished that Zerori was around to help her out; Vocalo or even Kira would have been of great assistance now. Technology of the outside world was far beyond her capabilities, but trapped and alone as she was, it seemed she had no other choice but to adapt and surpass those limitations.

A quick examination of the device showed nothing of explicit note; there was a word which marked the device in bold, but it was of an unfamiliar language, much as everything else in the ship had been. Besides the screen which displayed a mysterious number, the only thing else that presented itself as capable of being manipulated was the panel that she’d previously leaned against.

There were incredibly few buttons, as well as a dial of some kind; her initial thoughts were to hit the buttons, if they were anything like Zerori’s moving picture box, then perhaps the device could be turned off. While she couldn’t be sure that it was even the device that was causing this shift in atmosphere, it was still the only clue she had. The sudden weight upon her happened immediately after she’d leaned against the device, and the device now had a number upon its screen; that was more than enough evidence to assume the device was part of the problem in some manner.

Unfortunately, pressing the buttons on the panel proved fruitless at first. The lights would turn off, then on again, they would change color, becoming first red, then blue, yellow, until finally returning to white. The temperature of the room would begin to adjust, dropping to what felt like freezing before suddenly rising to sweltering degrees. In the midst of her button pressing, her right hand would find itself upon the rather large dial; unwittingly, she’d turn said dial to the right, causing the number upon the screen to change to fifty from forty.

“Gek!” She could feel the weight upon her increase further, but her new form would just barely keep her standing, “This!” She’d exclaim, focusing her attention on the dial; having turned it one direction, she found the weight upon her great, which meant turning it the opposite direction…!

Suddenly, peace… with a swift flick of her wrist, she’d turned the dial to the left and continued to do so until the dial finally failed to adjust. The number upon the device now read “0g” and Rhapsody could feel her body become unnaturally weightless. The crisis, at least for the moment, had passed; the form Rhapsody had tried so hard to maintain would fade, and she would once more return to her original state.

She would take a deep breath as her body began to float listlessly through the air; so relaxed as she was now after the ordeal, she could feel no other desire but to sleep. She hardly even had a choice in the matter, as it became a struggle to keep her eyes open while she drifted aimlessly through the air. All would become dark, and tranquil as the exhaustion she felt over took her senses and she gave way to the sweet embrace of sleep.

It was impossible to say how long she would remain unconscious for, but with a sudden “thunk” of her head against the ceiling, she would spring away. “Ow-! Ju- wha-??” She’d question as she tried to make sense of her surroundings, “Where…? Ah! The strange house!” She’d exclaim as the memories of the events prior began to return to her. She would try to get her bearings, and yet she found her every moment to be hampered. Unlike the massive weight that she’d felt upon her before, however, now the lack of weight was what seemingly gave her trouble, “It’s always something…” She’d say with a sigh, “Well, at least this isn’t so dangerous. Uhh, I think, hehe!”

In truth, she found the weightlessness she experienced to be quite fun, but while she was more than happy to enjoy it, she also wanted to appropriately assess her situation. Moving around nearly felt like attempting to move through deep water, something she wasn’t all too fond of. Her wings always became so difficult to move as her feathers became heavily drenched; to be fair however, it was difficult to submerge so deep in the first place thanks to her wings. Even should she not use her wings as an excuse however, there was also the problem of her fur becoming matted after being soaked, which was an equally annoying experience. Luckily for her however, while the sensation of moving felt the same, there wasn’t a drop of water to annoy her within this room!

“Okay, maybe if I just-” She’d begin, pulling her wings in close to her and balling up so as to properly adjust her center of gravity. She’d find immediate results as her body began to lightly flip through the air, “Yes! Now kick!”

With a properly timed thrust of her leg, she’d kick off from the ceiling she found herself beside and rush down diagonally towards the floor, “Hehehe, this is pretty fun!” There were no protrusions for which she could grasp and properly get her bearings, which meant repeating her actions of pushing off surfaces was her only means of movement.

It wouldn’t take her too long to make her way back towards the panel that started all of this, but now she was back to square one when it came to actually shutting off the device. Her experimenting had proven that the device was what caused the changes around her, and now she was finally beginning to understand what was taking place; gravity, it was a magic that the Grand Elder had shown her once when she was young, but not one she’d ever had the chance to learn further of. Should her training have continued, she would now have been within the years in which he would have used this magic to train her, but her journey impeded that; yet before her was a device that was seemingly equipped with that magic somehow.

“Okay, let’s see here.” Rhapsody would begin as she overlooked the panel; clinging tightly to the machine so as to not once again float away, “This one turned off the lights, this one made them weird colors… this one and that one made things hotter and colder.” She’d say, recalling her fumbling from before her nap as she scanned the panel, “Just two more; hmm, if this spinny thing makes it heavier in her, then one of these buttons will certainly return things to normal.”

Only two buttons remained, both of which were starkly different from the other buttons upon the panel. Not only were the two buttons larger than the rest, but one was red while the other was blue. It seemed simple, almost as though it was designed with a simple person's way of thinking in mind; unfortunately, that meant that Rhapsody’s own way of thinking might have been even simpler than that, but it was something she’d choose to dismiss immediately as she focused on her task.

“If Zerori’s picture box uses a red button for the small square she gave me to turn it on and off, then this must-” She’d assess as she took to pressing the large red button, “Woo!” She’d drop from the air immediately, thankfully however it wouldn’t be nearly as violent as it had been before. The device before her would deactivate, and the screen would go black; at the same time, the door on the opposite end of the room would unlatch, and a release of compressed air would be heard rushing through the walls.

Her harrowing experience would come to an end for the moment, and Rhapsody would waste no time in taking her freedom; doubling back only to grab the crushed can she had earlier so as to properly dispose of it.

“Finally!” She’d exclaim, stretching as she exited the room and walked down the narrow hall, “That was certainly… an experience.” She’d say with a laugh as she returned to the first room of the entire building, “I guess this would be the living area then? Like the one in Zerori’s home?” She questioned as she explored the room, ensuring she took extra caution in not pressing any buttons of any kind.

There only seemed to be a single chair within the room, and it was impossible to move. Similar panels to the one in the room with the gravity adjusting device were along the walls of the room, but these had even more buttons than before. As curious as she was, considering how dangerous things had been before, she decided it best to not go around pressing every button she could find. The singular chair also seemed to have a small assortment of buttons attached to the arm rest, which was beginning to make things confusing.

As she looked around, she could also see several screens along the walls, with a rather large one off against the far wall from the chair. “Are these all picture boxes?” She’d question curiously, crossing her arms as she tried to make sense of it all, “Well, something I can worry about later.” She’d say as she flew up to the large, domed window above to take in the climate outside.

The howling of wind echoed against the glass; though the domed window was clearly sturdier than your average pane of glass, even it rumbled from the beating of the snowstorm outside. Rhapsody felt well rested, which implied at least a fairly decent amount of time had passed; yet the outside still seemed incredibly dark, and the storm worse than ever. It seemed it wasn’t yet safe to continue on her journey, but at least she had an appropriate dwelling for which to take shelter for the time.

“Well, if I’ll be here awhile, I’ll at least make myself comfortable with my surroundings.” She’d say enthusiastically as she left the room and took first to the bathroom; after all she’d experienced, a proper bath was well deserved and desired!

So it was, for the coming days of winter, Rhapsody would find herself within the confines of the strange building they trees had led her to. Through these days, she would take to educating herself, expanding her knowledge, albeit at a rather slow pace. Over time she began to grow accustomed to the many words she read upon papers, panels, and devices within the construct. She’d always enjoyed reading, and had a small knack for puzzles involving deciphering symbols. Her biggest discovery was the realization that what she was within was no house or building at all, but in fact, a ship! Rather than a ship that took to the water however, this was one that took to the sky and stars above. Lacking any such experience at moving a ship however, Rhapsody made sure to properly educate herself on the controls so as to NOT accidentally begin moving it.

She’d come to learn that this was a Saiyan ship, it had a name, but it was far too long for Rhapsody to ever bother remembering. The room with the gravity device seemed to be known as a Gravity Chamber, and the device within it a Gravitron. She would continue to educate herself, eventually learning how to activate the devices within the ship and connect to something called the Intergalactic Web. Why someone would abandon such a useful ship, she had no idea, but she thanked whomever the previous owner was for their sacrifice and took to enjoying the amenities.

The ship was surprisingly well stocked on provisions, but none of which were all that tasty; while the storm raged however, it was enough to get her by. Several moments would come in which the storm would subside, and Rhapsody would take to exiting the ship with the intent of continuing her journey. At the behest of the trees however, she would remain; she’d failed to heed Zerori’s initial warning, which was what led her to the situation she found herself in now, and she wasn’t about to make the same mistake twice.

When the situation allowed, she would gather food and other resources with the help of nature before returning to the ship. While the provisions within were sure to last a great deal of time, it was always better to be safe than sorry; in truth, she simply wanted something better to eat as well.

The Gravity Chamber as well would see a great deal of use from her; it made for a good substitute in place of the Grand Elders gravity magic, and merely the act of trying to move within the room acted as training. The initial gravity seemed to be equivalent to Earths; her training began with adjusting to the changes of gravity until she could perform basic movements just as easily as she could at normal gravity.

First doubling, then tripling; eventually, moving to the point that she would endure ten times that of normal gravity. She found a roadblock at twenty times that of Earth's gravity, and would begin her training in earnest at this point. First mastering basic movements, before taking to strengthening her wings for better flight under the uncomfortable conditions. The priority of her training beyond movement shifted to cardio; if she couldn’t build the stamina necessary to endure such gravity for extended periods, then she’d never make any true progress.

While her training continued, an unseen shift in her abilities began to take place. Unbeknownst to her, the mana that composed her form would grow and compress, becoming denser and sharper with each day of her training. In place of obvious physical growth, it was Rhapsody’s own mana that strengthened, and thus altered her body in such a manner as to endure the harsh environment. In essence, it wasn’t much different than any other martial artist training their body and ki energy, but with her own lack of experience when it came to things like ki, she had no way of knowing the truth.

Knowing or not however wasn’t an issue, she would train regardless, eventually becoming accustomed to twenty times Earths gravity before moving onto greater amounts. Her training would show a noticeable increase as she learned about the self repairing training bots the ship had been equipped with; with a simple press of the blue button, a training bot would be released from the ceiling. While it wouldn’t take the place of a spar with another, it was better than nothing.

The bots were small, perfectly spherical devices capable of no more than flying about and attempting to ram into their target. In large quantities, they were great exercise for training one's finesse and practicing dodging; though how they could resist the powerful gravity was a mystery. When used to practice combat strikes with her keyblade, they made equally great opponents. Their small size made it difficult to keep track of them, and their swift movements made them even more difficult to hit; when a successful blow was landed, even should the bot have suffered damage, there was a convenient container to return the bot to that would collect it so as to automatically repair it, or else scrap it for parts for a new training bot.

Rhapsody had come across a guide for designating specific features to the training bots as well should she have desired, but unfortunately she still found her knowledge lacking when it came to such things.

The days would continue as such, with Rhapsody training every now and then to improve her abilities. Slowly, she started to feel her original strength returning to her, and yet she still felt as though she was missing something important. She didn’t yet feel as though she could match the Spirit Bears strength as she’d once done in the past, but she could at least tell that she was improving.

In between training, she would take long moments of rest; the perfect days were when the storm would subside for multiple hours. While the urge to return to her journey was strong, she would relent to the warnings of nature; instead, such opportunities were when she would take to attuning herself to the world around her. Rarely would she ever stop for long moments at a time to listen to the sounds of nature around her; though the world seemed dead, blanketed in snow as it was, it seemed this was far from the truth. Rhapsody would sit, meditate, and listen to the world around her; from the whispers of the trees, to the mumbles and groans of what grass still lived beneath the snow, readying to awaken. Occasionally, she would even find herself listening to the voices of curious birds and smaller woodland creatures that came out from their dens to forcage during the calm, before they would quickly return to safety to weather the storm.

She could feel her ability to commune with nature grow alongside her budding power; what had once been a mere cacophony of sounds and voices had now changed into a properly coherent intent. She’d already spent nearly three months within the forest, which certainly wasn’t ideal, but nature spoke of an end to the season that was soon to come.

There would be a final storm, one of much more ferocity than those that had previously come and gone, which meant Rhapsody would find herself cooped up within the ship for a few more days. The trees assured her however, that this would be the end of winter, and that life would be born anew after this final storm. It wasn’t as though she had much choice in the matter, and so Rhapsody would simply take the words of nature to heart and return to her seclusion onboard the ship.

By this point, she’d already made several adjustments to the ship. Was this considered stealing? She had failed to find any information that would have given an obvious clue as to the ship's owner, and in spite of the time she’d been here, none had come to reclaim the vessel. If it was considered theft, then she would apologize when the time came; for now however, she sought to make this vessel her home, and by extension, had long since begun referring to it as “her” ship. It might have seemed inconsiderate at first glance, but she had every intention of returning it to it’s proper owner should they have desired it; for now, it remained her home and means of survival.

During the off days that the storm had subsided, Rhapsody had taken to cleaning the exterior of the ship as best as she could. With the domed window now free of dust and dirt, it was nice to be able to peer out and witness the storm properly; in fact, it was rather enjoyable to do so from any of the windowed rooms. Doing some from the comfort of her bed as she drifted to sleep had to be the most relaxing, and since learning the controls, she’d discovered the feature to heat the exterior of the ship so as to prevent the accumulation of snow. Steadily, her home was becoming more and more her own, and with access to the Intergalactic Web, her knowledge on how the ship and rest of the universe worked was steadily growing.

There was so much out beyond Earth that she never could have imagined, with species that were far beyond what she knew. Saiyans, Changlings, Namekians, and more; she even learned of an animal like species that were much more similar in appearance to herself than any Anthro she’d ever met; she hoped to meet such a race one day, but for now her efforts were focused in growing her strength and rescuing her father.

Time would pass, and the final storm would finally be upon her; from what the trees had told her, this would be the worst of it and would last for an unknown amount of days. All she could do now was train; she took to the gravity chamber, seeking to retake the challenge that had presented itself when she first came onboard this ship. She’d adapted to thirty times Earths gravity quite well, and had taken small increments to adjust to points higher, but for the past few days had failed to make any progress beyond thirty-four times gravity. A final push was needed, for if this became the limit of her strength, then she would have surely failed to protect anyone.

“Forty.” She’d say plainly as she took hold of the dial, “I’m doing it, I’m taking forty, and I’m winning!” She’d declare, pumping herself up as she slowly adjusted the dial.

From ten to fifteen, twenty to twenty-five; she could feel the weight attempting to act upon her. With her trained mana, she would resist the effects of the building gravity, treating it as though it was no different than normal. Hitting thirty however, the weight began to tug at her; with a deep breath, Rhapsody would prepare herself for what was to come. Her muscles would tense, and her mana would begin to focus and accumulate, enveloping her body like an invisible, protective shell.

“FORTY!” She’d exclaim, as she swiftly turned the dial like ripping a band-aid off.

Rather than continue at the slow pace she’d previously adjusted herself to, she would take on what she could endure with unwavering resolve. The dial would turn, adjusting the gravity in the room to forty times that of Earths gravity, and Rhapsody would feel the effects in an instant. Her ears would splay flat against her head, and her wings would begin to lower as if being pulled to the ground. The familiar effects caused her heart to skip a beat for just a moment as she remembered her first experience, but things were different now.

“I… can take this! Forty times gravity? No problem!” She’d cheer through gritted teeth as she began to walk through the room, attempting to get adjusted to her basic movements.

It was strange how sluggish she felt, the limits of her strength certainly shouldn’t have been reached yet. When she blocked the strike from the Spirit Bear in the past, it felt like the weight of his paw far exceeded what she was experiencing now, so why was she so weighed down? She shook her head of the thoughts, what had passed, would remain in the past; her focus was the future. Healing her father, becoming strong enough to protect those that needed protection; her village, her friends, this planet she loved so much!

Each step would be a testament to her resolve, she had no intention of faltering now, nor in the future. Whatever trial would come to pass, she would meet it head on; now in forty times gravity, Rhapsody continued to move, and with her movements her mana would grow and strengthen. What initially felt like an eternity was merely minutes as she took to adapting to this new weight upon her; basic movements would become as casual as they’d always been, and her efforts would switch then to flight and combat.

The coming days would see her continuing to use her gravity chamber at such a level with seemingly no stop. With every step she became faster, and more agile; with every swing of her keyblade, her dexterity and strength would grow. While taking on the training drones had proven a difficult task at first, she’d quickly find herself adjusting to the gravity and making movements as effortlessly as she would have under normal circumstances. The fruits of her training were plenty, but what was most noticeable of all was the power she’d learned to tap into during the entirety of her ordeals.

A form or transformation of sorts, one she took great pride in having; while she had no idea as to where the power stemmed from, she knew what it would be used for. The protection of others! She’d once told Nasu that she abhorred violence, and by all accounts, that remained true. Her travels however had taught her that fighting would sometimes be a necessity however; it was true when she did battle with the Spirit Bear, it was true when she fought against the slave traders, and it would remain true against any future threat that refused to relent to words.

“Nasu.” Rhapsody would whisper as she stood within the gravity chamber with her keyblade drawn and held before her, “Thank you for teaching me the way of the sword.” She’d say as she used her tail to press the blue button on the panel behind her, releasing a flood of training drones from the ceiling, “I know not where you’ve gone, but I’ll carry on your teachings with pride.” She’d finish, then using her tail to adjust the dial for the gravity setting, pushing its limits from forty to fifty.

In an instant, Rhapsody felt a pressure that threatened to crush her beneath her own weight. She wasn’t yet ready to endure such a level of gravity in her normal state, but this final training while the storm outside raged was meant for something more.

It was to access a form of power, of strength, of righteousness, of Valor!

The drones would spiral around the room, readying to charge at Rhapsody with full force; all at once, they would be upon her, just as they would make contact however, a force would push them aside in an instant and scatter them across the room.

“The final results from all this training.”

A deep, calm breath; the sound of her heartbeat ringing in her ears. The mana within her would burst and explode, overtaking her form in a wash of flaring energy. From a transparent white, to a fiery red; the familiar transition of her clothes would return, while the features of her eyes shifted once more. Her power would amplify, and the effects of the fifty times gravity would be no more; while it certainly wasn’t suitable for training her strength, it was the result of the training that came prior.

“Valor Form.” She’d say calmly with a final breath, before her eyes would suddenly shoot open, “Here I come!” She’d exclaim, rushing forward to begin taking on the training drones in earnest.

The end of her training was in mastering the access of this new transformation of her; knowing that it’s power would be invaluable in the future. She’d hoped that if Nasu saw her that he would praise her for her efforts, but something told her that the chances of meeting him again were slim. Regardless, she would focus on her training until she found the strength to call upon her mysterious power at will. With the dawn of a new day to come, the storm outside would finally come to an end, and Rhapsody would bring her training to an end.

With a click, the bay door of her ship would open, extending a stairway down towards the grass beneath. As Rhapsody stepped out of the ship, the shining sun would be there to greet her, something she’d not seen in such majesty since before the winter season. While the atmosphere was still incredibly cold, the melting of the snow made it clear that the season was giving way to the beginning of spring.

“Mmmn, this sunlight makes me just wanna go back to sleep!” She’d exclaim with a stretch as she looked over her surroundings, “But I won’t, I’ve got an important task ahead of me.” She’d declare as she looked over the satchel upon her hip to check over her supplies, “Well then, is it finally okay?” She’d ask, looking over towards the trees as she did so. A calm breeze would blow through the area, and the intent of the trees would be made clear; it was safe. “Hehe, wonderful!” She’d cheer, immediately taking off from the ground and soaring high into the air to properly spread her wings.

The feeling and freedom was like no other, and the bright blue sky upon the horizon had been more inviting than it had ever been in her life. “Oh!” She’d remark, giving pause to the beginning of her trip as she instead rushed back down to the ship below, “Please, take care of the ship while I’m away!” She’d exclaim, calling out to the vines which would immediately return to retaking their place upon the ship, “Hehe, thankies!” She’d say cheerily before finally taking off into the sky and fading out of sight in the horizon.