TNG: Iblis, the First Hero

Chapter 4: The Discovery

The Discovery

Cid groaned in pain as his face hit the mat for the umpteenth time.

F***! I've been doing this for three weeks and I still can't even block a punch! I can see his hands, but it's like my body won't follow in time, he said to himself as he yet again picked himself off of the ground.

"Cid, you've got to learn to see! Read and react Cid! Read and react!" King screamed.

Cid took a defensive stance.

"On your guard!" King bellowed as he launched himself at Cid.

The blur that was King's hands yet again connected with Cid's skull, knocking him down. Standing over the downed Cid, King shook his head in disappointment. "Come on, Cid! I know you can do this! You already stopped me once! Remember that day at the hospital? You stopped me. You did it without thinking! Don't think! React! Remove yourself from your conscious mind!"

Once again, Cid took his stance. He took a deep breath. Don't think Cid... Don't... think about it, he told himself.

King's face contorted into a twisted smile, and he launched himself at Cid again.

This time, his movements seemed slower. His hands were finally visible. In one swift, seamless motion, Cid raised his hands, parried King's strikes, and flipped King over his head.

King grunted in pain as his back hit the floor, followed by the rest of his body. Almost immediately, he started laughing. "Good! Gooood! That was what I was trying to get you to do! Congratulations! You just passed your first test!" he shouted excitedly.

I did it... I finally did it... How did I do that? Cid asked himself as he reflected over the most recent string of events.

King stood up and dusted himself off. "You are free to leave for today. If I'm correct, you have school in two hours."

"Yeah, I do. It is Friday, ya know," Cid said sarcastically, already halfway out the door.

Ω

He would stroll into Mr. Gordon's classroom a couple of hours later, which was essentially empty, as it usually was when he arrived nowadays. Wow... I still can't believe that I'm not the last person to class nowadays. I'm actually the first. Then again, I also find it weird that I'm actually making it to the bus nowadays, he told himself as he took his seat.

Students soon began pouring the room. It seemed that almost all the students at the school avoided him nowadays, as if he was the plague. Some of the kids who were "caring" enough managed to give him a concerned look before sitting down.

It's strange how "tragedy" can alienate eoplep, he told himself.

Eventually, after a few other students arrived, Celine and Ronnie entered the room.

Celine took her seat. Ronnie began drawing a fat, fire-breathing dragon on the board. He labeled it "Gordon".

"Hey Cid, how are you?" Celine asked.

"I'm fine, for the most part."

"Well that's good, I guess. What's your guardian like?"

"Well... Personally, I think he's crazy. But I'm getting to school on time nowadays, so it can't be that bad. I just wish that he knew how to cook more than tofu..." Cid stated with a slight chuckle.