Lotus Pond Dojo
(What makes a dojo? Most would say that a true "dojo" comes from the lands of the Orient, a place where, nestled between the stands of bamboo and fields of rice, students of this region sought in days of old to undertake an inward journey, a quest to find their potential through the martial arts.
In the days of old, the dojo was a place of strength, a community of fighters all learning every day, from the youngest white belt to the masters who taught them.
(But as the world grew older, the race of men grew more intelligent, building upon the teachings of their past and with the materials of their lands. Crude rafts made of sticks became barnacle-crusted vessels of wood and pitch and sail, and then powerful slicing ships of metal and smoke. The concept of a man taking to the air began as a dreamer's whimsy, became sketches of propellers and wings under the hands of a wise inventor, then turned into a rickety craft powered by the love of two brothers, finally taking flight as a biplane, and then huge commercial aircraft. With bits of plastic and wires, men became able to use the air to keep in contact with each other, and with their tools finally connected all the world together, for better or worse.
(In this age, nothing has to be stationary, or confined to one country. Connected, mankind can enjoy each others' culture, no matter where they may live. People are coming and going as regularly as the coming and going of the seasons... and, it turns out, some take their buildings with them.)
Colorado, the present, somewhere high in the Rocky Mountains. The Lotus Pond Dojo, a building the size of a Super Wal Mart. An equally large basement extends below, although no one has ever catalogued all the hidden passages...
(Tobuo Kakoemetsu is regarded by his students as the greatest teacher of ninjitsu to ever have lived, even though they usually can't name any others who hold that title.
Decades ago this old, humble master decided to leave his homelands and bring his gift to America... the gift of teaching ninjitsu. His reasons are yet unclear, although it's clear he loves to teach. His teaching manages to be both gentle yet unyielding, demanding utter obedience yet letting the spirit flourish. He is a master of his craft, and in training the most lethal assassins he instills in them the desire to preserve and protect life unless all else fails. A tall, old man, lithe and frail-looking, his eyes appear forever closed with age, but they crinkle kindly, and his gnarled hands never fail to offer whatever is needed, be it a spanking or a warm cup of saki.
(This man is your teacher. For reasons you've kept secret in your heart, you've sought his training when you were just a very young adult. For many years you have studied the arts of ninjitsu, and you don't regret a single day spent doing so.
Your belt has changed color many times, and we join you now a few days before you'll take your test to achieve the second highest rank at the dojo: the Red Belt, the Fledgling Ninja. In addition to your formal test, you must perform an act of ninjitsu.
Usually, students will go to the modern cities at the base of the mountains and perform acts of silent espionage, or a token theft from a heavily guarded safehouse (the goods are, of course, returned after you've shown them to Sensei Tobuo). You, however, have chosen a different tactic: you will sneak into the
Sensei's own storage room, nestled here within the school. Rumors among the students say your master keeps wondrous things in there: unbreakable swords that bond themselves to their masters, herbs that somehow allow a person to breathe underwater, and even nameless tools that true ninja masters used in the old days to perform nigh undetectable spy work. They say the things in there could let a man scale walls like a squirrel, slip through cracks like a snake, or even fly through castle windows. Even more the students don't know about could lie there as well. Your mission is to steal one of these tools and display it to your master the next morning.
You're not worried about his reaction; if you fail, he'll praise your initiative. If you succeed... well, you value your master's pride in you more than anything, and the vision of his proud smile fills you with hope. So, stretch your muscles and prepare, Orange Belt, and let us join you in your chambers as you prepare, on the night of your raid...)
Lotus Pond Dojo
Written by Mr.Peaches and the community of catprog.tfcentral.com
You finish tightening your black clothes down, making sure there's nothing that could get caught on anything. You're in your quarters--a small room lined with Japanese style. Your tatami mat is rolled up in the corner.
The light of a stand of candles you made yourself gives everything a warm yellow glow. Your heart is pounding; this is bold, what you're doing--very bold. Even though you tell yourself you won't get in real trouble if you're (probably) caught, you're anxious. I mean... this stuff is *bold.*
You shake your head and clear your mind of your fear, only to have the candle light catch your gaze. You're reminded of your recent dreams, off the subject of your raid but still important to you nonetheless. You were performing amazing ninjitsu feats in those dreams, but your body was... different, a little different every time you dreamt. The dreams always ended with a jet of fire streaming out of darkness and consuming you. As the dream repeated night after night, the fire went from feeling agonizing, then painful, then uncomfortable, then pleasant, then invigorating. A few of your closest friends have reported similar experiences. What does it mean? Does it mean anything? You've been meaning to discuss them with Sensei Tobuo, but you've been so focused on your studies that by the time you remember you wanted to talk with him, it's very late in the evening and he's retired to his chamber for sleep, although you half-suspect that he doesn't even need to sleep anymore. What a mysterious dream, though...
From the candlelight your eyes are drawn out the window to a tiny, tiny speck of brilliance on a hill far down the mountainside, on a totally different ridge. For days now, you and your fellow students have been secretly spying on a group of college-age people snowboarding in the mountains--six males and three females. You've gathered that one of them won some great sponsorship for something, and now they could afford to take their friends on the boarding trip of their lives. So that's what they were doing, and growing closer to the dojo by the day. Although you know they don't know it's there, vigilance is needed. The school is cunningly hidden against the boarders, although at the end of the day, people coming across the dojo aren't much of a big deal. If someone actually finds Lotus Pond,Tobuo usually treats the guest like a king and tries to recruit them to the school. More than one of your fellow students came that way.
But these players, the dream and the boarders, are distractions from your task at hand. Maybe Fate will bring them into your circle, and maybe not. You clear your mind and put out the candles. Standing in the cool night air just on the other side of your room's sliding paper door, you visualize your dojo. Both the upper and lower levels are the size of a Super Wal-Mart, filled with tight, twisting paths and rooms of all kinds.
The rooms are roughly arranged in a sort of bull's eye pattern: student rooms line the outside, a hallway runs between, another layer of rooms comes next, another hallway lies beyond those, etc. The stairs to the lower level lie in the center of the upper floor. You must make it to those stairs, down to the basement, and then search around for the room you've never seen.
Patrolling every hallway is one of your fellow students, training their senses to detect an intruder's approach. If you are seen, alarms will be raised and your task will fail. You can't, of course, use lethal force.
Most students will be trying to conceal themselves, as well. Every one that sees you will tell Tobuo that they did when you present the artifact from the Master's Room, lowering your "grade" and honor.
Thinking over the massive obstacles between you and your goal, you can't help feeling overwhelmed. But, on you will go.
[Now,] you think to yourself, [how to start...]
Written by Mr.Peaches on 18 July 2006
You Start With A Plan
This is a test; and perhaps the most important one of your life. It would be remiss of you not to study, wouldn't it?
You close your eyes and sigh, focusing on the task at hand. Thoughts of the shame of failure and the praise of success slowly fade away into nothing but memories as you construct the Lotus Pond Dojo in your mind.
There are two score students total; though some are currently away, and some are asleep. Right now, there should be five students in the main hall, three more towards the West, two in the garden...
You tally the plans in your mind, tracing out a path that will keep you clear of as many eyes as possible. Finally, you have it: a route that keeps you free of almost all of your fellow students.
By darting from your quarters to the east hallways; then taking to the rafters you should be able to avoid the worst of this. There should only be a total of three obstacles: Chadworth Demming, Kim Soon-Pak, and Thomas Soong.
You can distract Chadworth with a simple transformation, but the next two might require a little more... Skill. The only way to get past Kim is to go over her; and Thomas is renowned for this prowess.
Unfortunately, there's no other way around him. Either your path intersects with his, or you need to risk being seen by five other students. And, formidable an obstacle as Thomas is, one person is easier to predict than five.
It's a solid plan, Kokoemestu-sama would be proud. Now all that you have to do is put it into action.
You steal out from your room quickly, silently padding your way towards Chadworth. He's the easiest part of this little trial, a simple transformation should pull the wool over his eyes entirely. The only question is, who or what should you become?
Written by SketchySeraph on 04 March 2016
His Dream Girl
Chadworth Demming is many things, chief among them a loudmouth. He's frequently discussed his ideal girlfriend, and so you have the perfect shape in mind.
She's an Egyptian girl, with Asiatic eyes and sleek black hair that comes just down to her shoulders. Her skin is a rich shade between chocolate and mahogany, and her face has the gentle slopes of a hill's crest.
Of course she has makeup on; and a dress 'befitting an ancient queen'. It's all a little silly, but that makes it a little easier for you to picture.
And by picturing her, you can become her.
The ninja art is a simple one, and you let your form flow like water. Your features melt into the gorgeous ones of an Egyptian, and you can feel yourself gaining new feminine proportions. It takes you a few seconds to get used to having heavy breasts, and your backside is a little heavier than you're used to.
But other than that, it honestly doesn't feel much different from your usual body. A little more slender; but you've gotten used to worse before.
A quick transformation over your clothes makes them a little more befitting of your new body, and you slip out into the moonlight, a grin on your face. "Why, hello there." You call out in a low and sultry tone, watching as Chadworth actually jumps in surprise.
It's a small wonder that he was able to find this dojo, but his physical capabilities are nothing to scoff at. And that's without mentioning that damnable perception of his; a seeming sixth sense that left you unable to sneak around him.
"Um." He finally managed to call back, gulping with nervousness. A dumb smile spread across his face, and he anxiously fidgeted in place. "W-who are you again?"
"Just guess." You call to him with a beckoning smile, disguising your intent with ease.
"Luka?" He guesses, completely missing the mark but suiting your purposes just fine. Luka was a skier that happened to wander onto these grounds. Coincidentally, she also happens to be almost as good at shapeshifting as you are.
"You know it." You smile, winking. "I'm finally back from my last mission, meaning that I think it's time the two of us finally... You know, resolve some things."
"Like the unaddressed romantic tension that dwells just beneath our passionately beating hearts?" He blurts.
You flinch, momentarily caught off-guard. Then you smile and nod, taking his hand in yours.
"Sure, let's go with that. But... I will need us to take this somewhere a little more private."
"Like your room?"
You pause at that, frowning slightly. If memory serves, the real Luka is resting in hers; meaning that if you send him off; your whole cover will be blown. "No... In yours." You reply, rapidly forming an idea. "I think I'd much prefer being wrapped in the soft embrace of your scent."
The words sound sickly sweet coming out of your mouth, but they seem to get the point across just fine. Chadworth blushes madly and turns back to his room, starting to head there at a very brisk pace. Then he pauses and turns, looking at you like a lost puppy.
"Aren't you coming?" He calls out, anxiously whimpering.
You smile and shake your head slightly. "No; not yet. First I have to freshen up; get ready for..." You trail off intentionally, knowing that the unsaid words will be far more effective than speaking them aloud.
Sure enough, the young man scampers off, leaving you free to move on to the next part of your plan. You smile and head on, forgetting to change your form back to normal as you move towards...
Written by SketchySeraph on 05 March 2016
The Rafters
You quickly check to ensure that there's nobody else around; then you leap up to the high roof of the dojo. You land silently, just as you've been trained to. A smile spreads across your face as you nod; silently sweeping the tiled surface for Kim Soon-Pak.
Your eyes alight on her a few minutes later; and you quickly race over your plan again. You need to get higher than her somehow; which means that you'll need to jump like you've never jumped before in your life.
You close your eyes and take a deep breath, stilling your mind as you look to your destination: a little past the roof and well out of Kim's sight. You channel as much of your energy as you can into your legs. Then, in a single; mighty bound, you take flight.
Your body rises by at least a dozen feet, and the roof seems to grow small below you. The shadow of Kim's darkly-clad body becomes the size of an ant, and you marvel at your strength. You meant for it to be a jump, and yet it's so; so much more than that!
Little do you realize that your legs weren't alone in this endeavor. When you concentrated on this mighty leap, your ki flowed a little too freely. Your shoulderblades lengthened from your body and grew a thick coat of downy feathers, giving you a pair of almost angelic wings.
Unbeknownst to you, these wings have spread themselves wide, letting you swoop past the unsuspecting ninja with ease. They instinctively pull back towards your body as you drop to the ground, though you land on all fours with a surprisingly light thump.
That's a good thing too, since Thomas is just a few meters ahead of you, eyeing the moon longingly.
You know the plan, but faced with him here, it's almost tempting to try and fight...
Written by SketchySeraph on 06 March 2016
Stick to the Plan and Sneak
Then again, the whole objective of this little trial is to avoid detection. Master Kokoemetsu would probably frown upon getting so far only to succumb to a youthful delight in conflict; so you instead decide to crawl on the lower path beside him, trying to be as stealthy as possible.
This turns out to be exactly what your ki has been waiting for, and as you slink along on hands and knees, your body changes more and more.
Your arms and legs swell, and your clothing simply fades from your form as you grow a thick coat of golden fur to cover yourself. Your shoulders and hips quietly pop too, a sound that comes in time with the shifting of your lower body.
You naturally begin to walk on your hands and feet-though they're beginning to look more like paws with every passing second. Your fingers and toes swell along with your palms and soles; and thick leathery pads cover your new palms to make your movement even stealthier.
You were stealthy before, but now your body barely makes so much as a sound as you creep closer and closer towards your goal: the artifact room. All the while your body continues to swell and bulge, human bone and muscle replaced with something almost leonine.
And yet your face and wings remain mostly unchanged; though the latter do slide a little down your back. Luckily for you, they remain folded tightly to your body for stealth's sake, even when you sprout the sleek and swishing tail of a lioness.
In the few moments it takes to steal across the grounds, your body has settled into a new form, one with a lioness's frame, an eagle's wings, and a beautiful human face. And yet you still know nothing of this, too focused at the task at hand.
You slip past Thomas's hallway with ease, a bare corridor now all that stands between you and your next level of mastery.
This is it; this is what you've been waiting for. Some niggling doubt in your mind tries to warn you of something; but you quell these thoughts, too preoccupied by the chance to truly be something more.
You've waited long enough; now it's time to...
Written by SketchySeraph on 07 March 2016
Go Inside the Room
You creep into the room easily, eyes scanning the ninja artifacts that line its walls. Of all of them, a sapphire headdress catches your eye the most; something that looks more suited for Egyptian culture than this dojo's Japanese heritage.
Then again, it is thanks to an Egyptian body that you were able to make it this far; so perhaps this is more than a coincidence. Perhaps it is fate. A smile crosses your feminine face, and you pad towards it with delight; only to freeze at the sound of a man clearing his throat.
You wince and turn slowly, your tail instinctively falling between your legs as you see none other than the master of the Lotus Pond Dojo himself, Tobuo Kokoemetsu.
"Um... Hello." You begin, only to blink at the sound of that delightfully female voice passing your lips.
He smiles at that, his creased face lighting up with a glint of pearl-white teeth. "Congratulations. You've passed."
His words send a spike of delight through you and you grin with delight.
Then a purr escapes your throat.
Your hand flies to your face to cover your mouth with embarrassment, only it's not exactly a hand anymore. You yelp in shock at the sight of a lion's paw attached to your golden-furred arm, and your wings beat in surprise; alerting you to their presence.
"Calm yourself!"
Your master's voice cracks through the air, and you snap to attention as though you've been struck by a whip. Though you think your new body is an impossibility, your master seems to hardly care. The thought is a reassuring one, and you wait for him to provide you with an explanation.
The pause stretches on for almost a full minute as he glares at you, making sure that you've still your inner emotions. Though you're nowhere close to attaining true inner peace; at least you're not hyperventilating-though it feels exceptionally odd to be standing on all fours like this.
You shift anxiously, and he breaks back into that proud smile he sported just a few moments ago. "As I was saying... You have passed the trials, and in doing so; you have discovered your spirit form."
"Spirit form?" You ask, a little incredulous. You hadn't heard anything about this from anyone at the dojo; and you thought you knew all of its secrets!
Master Kokoemetsu chuckles and nods. "All forms on this planet are closely linked to another; though few can truly claim the other as their own. The true purpose of this trial is not to simply retrieve an artifact; but to attune yourself with your real body; that which lets you rise to your greatest heights... In your case, literally."
You watch in shock as he laughs at the joke; then purse your lips and raise a paw. "Um... So you're saying that my spirit body is some sort of... Sphinx?"
He nods as his chuckles dim, returning to his steady, low breaths. "I am indeed. In truth, I suspected your wisdom would lend itself to a raven; or perhaps an owl. But I suppose your physical prowess had to play into this somehow; no?"
You nod a little dubiously, another question spilling from your lips with ease. "Okay, so what now? Am I going to be stuck like this forever?"
The wizened man chuckles to you and shakes his head. "In time, you will be able to shift between your two forms as easily as you can open and close your eyes."
"In time?" You ask, a little incredulous.
Your master laughs again. "Yes, in time. I'm afraid that while your time as an apprentice has ended; your time as an adept has only begun."
"An adept? What kind of riddle is that?" You ask, unable to restrain your curiosity.
"The kind a sphinx should find out for herself." Master Kokoemetsu smiles as he speaks.
"Now, unless there are any questions..."
"The artifact." The words pop from your lips before you can restrain them, and you hurriedly nod towards the headdress. "I think it called to me..."
"I rather think so too." Your master looks at it curiously, then looks back to you. "Though I don't think it will allow you to wear it... At least, not until the day that you can place it on your head yourself."
You open you mouth to ask him what he means by that; then you remember that your hands have become large and cumbersome paws.
The wizened man smiles as he sees you've run your inquisitive mind out. He speaks once more, softly addressing you. "I am afraid that your change of status necessitates a change of housing, as well."
You nod. You've noticed that while the black belts of this school frequently roam all the halls; the red belts are never seen, only spoken of. You always thought it curious, but now you have your answer. "Lead the way." You say, adding a quick "Sir" to that for good measure.
He only laughs and turns, slipping quietly from the room.
Written by SketchySeraph on 08 March 2016
The end (for now)