Controlling the beast [training]

It had gotten out of hand, between the last run in with the magic council and the retraining of his instincts he had lost control of the primal rage taught by both the wolves he had spend part of his adolescence with, and Rhidran who had raised him. It was not helping him survive here, it was making him a liability and he cared about his guild mates and friends that he had made up until this point to not do something about it. That was why he had set up this private meeting with the Fairy Tail guild master Ranor Taiga.

It had taken weeks of Tatsuma's failed attempts at trying to create some sort of equilibrium for himself before now, where he decided that magic may actually provide the leverage that he needed to actually solve the problem. He needed a way to make the rage a physical or at least magical apparition or at least a separate part of himself that he could use rather than a dog off of its leash that put its owners at risk. He had heard that the old man knew methods of controlling his own rage, and methods of tapping into some sort of unknown power that might help Tatsu keep himself out of trouble. In the interim, he was going to have to fess up to what he had done over the last few months and was going to have to accept any punishment for that.

"This is probably going to get violent." He thought to himself, pacing wildly as he waited for Ranor in the conference room. Come to think of it, he didn't really even know where the old man would come. All he had done was leave a letter after all. He had been too concerned about the fact that he hadn't been with the guild for all that long and that it might keep him from getting the audience that he wanted thus he hadn't really spoken to anyone about getting a meeting.

Thoughts of black and red consumed him at this point. Behind his seemingly innocent exterior there was a monster that gnawed and fought against the bars he had placed it in. It wanted to free itself, enact violence, kill, hunt... howl. It was only going to be a matter of time before he got himself into some sort of trouble that he wasn't going to be able to get out of, that was if he hadn't done it already. All he could do was stew as he waited for the old man to show up.

Vanix threw open the door to the Guild Master's office, a large gust of wind followed the swinging door throwing the papers stacked on Taiga's desk all over the room (Most of them reimbursement forms from the Magic Council), Ranor looked extremely unphased by the event. "Did you even see the letter in you box?" Ranor stared down Vanix from behind his large mahogany desk, glancing around at the papers chaotically blown about his office "Obviously not. You mind Tracy?" Vanix grinned and snapped one of his blades down in it's hilt. The strewn papers flurried about and floated their ways back into a neatly stacked piles "But seriously, did you see?" Vanix inquired. Ranor held his large callused hand out "Let's see it." The wind rider gave the letter over to Fairy Tail's guild master. Ranor flipped the envelope over to see the seal broken, he sighed and without lifting his gaze "Apparently you did" Vanix chuckled a little an shrugged "Who else is going to make sure that none of these have curses? Remember the last time I didn't check, you ended up dealing with a room full of undead chickens!" Ranor smirked and waved him off as he started to read the letter.

Taiga stepped his way out into the large field that the Fairy Tail Guild had dubbed "The Training Grounds". There was the young member of Fairy Tail he grinned softly and then kept his face stern, though there was always a strange warmth about Taiga. He stepped up behind the Lightning Dragon Slayer, careful as to not alert him, then placed his large hand on his shoulder "Take a breath Tatsuma, you look tense" he said resting his opposite hand on his cane. Ranor already saw the battle of fury raging on like a hurricane in the young boys energy. His sharp yellow and white aura colliding with a red and black miasma. He stood tall above the boy, standing strong with years of battle sculpting his stance. "So what do you want?" trying to keep a stern face, before lightening up and smirking softly "I'm glad you wanted to see me son."

Tatsu jumped... or he would have jumped if that was still his natural reaction to being surprised. Instead of jumping, he slide his right foot forward so that he would have more room and more momentum to pull whoever it was, and jerked as hard as he could as he turned meaning to toss the person with all his might as hard as he could against the floor... Unfortunately, and despite all of his efforts, the person he was trying to toss didn't move or budge an inch. There was a little give from the torso like the guy behind him had leaned forward a bit, but given the rest Tatsu assessed that he had probably done that to keep Tatsu from hurting himself. Giving up on that attempt, he turned around and to look at the person he had just tried to flip, expecting him to throw a punch or something, but when no attacks were forth coming, and words were spoken, he realized who it was he had just tried to floor check.

Immediately all the color flushed from his face, but still he kept his wits about him and answered the questions he had just been asked from the very person he had asked to come there.
" I... uh... well I kind of lost control and severely injured three magic council paladins, have been going from guild to guild and taking guild missions, and may or may not have just generally pissed people off... oh and on the magic council thing... I kind of tried to kill them. If there hadn't been a guildless mage there that snapped me back to my senses I would have killed them. I asked you here because I need to learn to control it and to do that I need help." He said in one long, almost breathless sentence. It was a lot to admit to, but he wasn't entirely sure how the old man was going to react.

Explaining it also brought him back to that moment. He was reliving it all over again as the words left his mouth. He couldn't afford to keep that up and his mind wouldn't be able to handle the stress of holding himself together if he didn't get some sort of magical vantage. He felt he should have said something about that, so he took the time to speak up about it before it was too late.
"I was hoping you could help me figure out a way to use magic to control myself... or at least control when I have outbursts of murderous intent. I don't think I can control my rage on my own anymore." He added, his gaze dropping to the ground.

word count: 887/2000

The War God of Fairy Tail just listened to the rambunctious Dragon Slayer. He was clearly bottling this up for quite a while. Ranor had heard of Tatu's throw down with Hannah and the scuffle with Kotone. Word doesn't sit so long around the Guild House. He just listened not changing expression as Tatsuma spilled his problems all over the floor. Ranor chuckled a little at the beating up Paladins bit, Ranor loved to harass the Paladins when he was a kid. Anger, Angst, Rage, Feral intentions, he was going to be a powerful mage one day. Finally perched a smile "You want to find a magical advantage to your rage?" He smirked "There is no such thing."

He looked Tatsu in the eye and then turned around and waved a hand to follow. As they walked towards the center of the field "What are you so afraid of Tatsuma? Losing control and killing an innocent soul? Destroying the life of someone close to you? Being confined?" Ranor stopped in the center of the field and turned towards Tatsuma the air itself felt tense. "You are living in a contradiction Tatsuma. You cannot fear letting go, the rage you feel is the side of you that will slowly eat at the side of you that wants to protect people. Magic is a living being. If you cannot learn the personality of your own partner, your magic, then you live in the void. The Void is a powerful place, it deals in Chaos and hatred. The realm of Magic that my children will dwell in, is the realm of True Magic. A place where you do not use your magic as a tool, but you listen and grow with the partner that has chosen you." He got stern and looked the young dragon slayer deep in the eyes. "Tatsuma, I want you to let go of every piece of Rage, every thought of hatred, every blindingly red intention you've ever kept held inside. I want you to kill me."

Tatsuma looked at the old man quizzically. Seriously? Kill him? There had to be some sort of catch or something to what he was saying. Try to kill him? No he was confident in his abilities as an assassin. Still that only left the matter at hand... how in the hell was he supposed to just let go and try to kill the leader of his own guild? Still he had to try, maybe if he just attacked to the best of his abilities he would be able to pull off a convincing enough effect.
"You want me to kill you? Like try to kill you? Old man... have you gone crazy? It's just...I'll... get right to that... somehow" He said, thinking the last part instead of saying it. He began to question Taiga, but he decided against that course mid conversation. He decided to just try to go all out and see where his temper took him, after all, if he had control of it h wouldn't need to be coming to ask for help. Still it was disappointing that there wasn't some way he could use magic to keep it in check.

Tatsu prepared his methods of attack. He had learned some new things after he had fought with Kotone and he opted to use them now. He could think of no one better to use them against anyway. To start with he activated his lightning flash taking off in a burst of speed as he zipped forward, slicing upward with a vicious kick, aiming to use his dragon fang. The ideal result would have paralyzed him, blinded him, and dropped his agility for as long as he wanted. Never mind the shocking aspect, the attack itself didn't do much physical damage, but it put the enemy in a world of hurt... As long as it hit.  Still the old man couldn't be that fast right?

word count: 1108/1500 Primal Mode(primal fury)

Ranor didn't respond, he let thought fester inside Tatsuma's mind and it worked. Tatsuma finally started to let go and made his move. The kid was quick, he made his dash forward, his foot lit up in a wild lightning. His leg came with a sharp crack through the air. Taiga didn't even flinch. Tatsuma's foot landed squarely on Ranor's chin. A bright flash as it connected, Ranor's head was whipped backwards, though his body didn't move. A moment later as the electricity simmered through the air, the Fairy Tail Guild Master lowered his head with a smirk on his face "Nice kick kid. A little slow, I would've expected you to pack more of a punch. It feels like I just got back from the dentist, you know a little soft tingle in my teeth." He simply just stood solid hands on his cane.

His eyes flashed crimson "For someone who claims to know what the terror of their own rage eating at their soul" a crimson and white aura started to radiate from the area around him, wind whipping through the grass, and the light of the day dimming "You strike with confusion and uncertainty." Ranor just peered into Tatsu's eyes "You are the only person who generates your rage, no one else has control over YOUR emotions. They are your greatest tools Tatsuma! NOW USE THEM!" Taiga yelled at the young Dragon Slayer, hoping to help him understand that he is the only one who can utilize his own anger. "NOW UTILIZE YOUR GIFT AND ATTACK!"

His kick, his band new attack that he had been working on so hard was suddenly failed for no discernible reason. For whatever reason, that single, seemingly insignificant event sparked some of the rage that he had been holding in and he let it burn like thermite. If the old man wanted to die Tatsu was going to oblige. He activated another new spell, holding it together as he launched forward again, unleashing a flurry of punches and kicks, doing the best he could to unleash every bit of his rage. As he did he noticed his attacks started to get faster he let himself fall into rythm with that rage and on his final kick, the number for which he had lost count, he jumped back, unleashing another paralyzing attack. His aftershock was lined up and a glowing violet glyph appeared on Taiga's chest.

Once his feet touched ground and he leveled out, he set his stance again something became clear to him. Movements that he, himself had trouble following before became much more clear and his mind was empty of distractions. He was actually just enjoying the fight even though the old man hadn't been doing much there. Darkness wasn't there, but neither was light. He just wanted to take his target down and all of his instincts were happily geared for that exact purpose. Still there was something else different about his state of mind.

The strength of his opponent was becoming more clear to him. He had shrugged off one of his best attacks and that in and of itself should have told him. Still he didn't feel the need to rush forward again and simply wanted to see how the old man reacted, but even without that reaction he was starting to see that the rage didn't control him. It wasn't necessarily the dog he had been thinking of it as when he leashed it back down to his side on occasions where there was no call for that. It was a clear, pure, primal aspect of himself attached to the very animal instincts he had been honing since he was a child. Rhidran, the wolves, they were all able to control it, and it was in the very instant of the realization that he was making that he also realized how foolish he had been.
"Alright old man I think I'm starting to see. If you're this much more powerful than me, that's good, I have something to strive for. I realize what you're saying now about the rage and using it instead of it using me, but it shouldn't be this simple, but surely there's something else you're trying to teach." He said, leveling his eyes emotionalessly, analytically, and expectantly. He was learning to read his opponents as they stood they did this and that too was valuable growth.


word count: 1500/1500 Primal Mode(primal fury)
385/1500 Dragon's might

Lightning Storm:

Lightning Flash (sustain):

aftershock:

MP: 122/200
HP: 250/250

The old man instead of standing his ground this time, decided to dance with the kid. Tatsuma's wild stance and presence meant he telegraphed every swing. A quick hitch in his shoulder sold him out for every punch. Most of the time his speed would compensate in a square fight, but this is anything, but a square fight. Taiga's aura still radiating, adding pressure to the incoming punches, slowing them slightly. The old man dodged and parried each incoming blow, sweeping his arm or sliding off a blow, trying to test Tatsuma's footing. Taiga moved with the grace of a warrior who has been bathing his feet in battle for eons. As Taiga spun off one of Tastu's kicks, he countered and Taiga didn't expect it... It connected. The Guild Master felt the presence of Tatsuma's magic in himself. Taiga his eyes still irradiating his crimson aura, smirked.

There it was. The look in his eye, the tension gone from his spine. The kid was getting it. His sense of self was beginning to separate from his primal nature. It's a beautiful weapon, that only someone who was immersed in the presence of beasts could achieve. The boys primal pride is stopping him from detaching it completely, he would throw himself at death if it were his enemy, despite the odds. His determination is clouded by his pride, now to separate the two, they need to stand beside each other, not hinder each other.

The kid caught on, now that we had quelled his rage, we will address his pride. The ground started quake slightly, Taiga's hair went pure white, as crimson stripes lacing his body. He threw his cane into the ground and stood tall "So Tatsuma, what do you propose to do against an enemy you cannot defeat."

Tatsuma looked at the old man somewhat hesitantly. It was bad enough when he wasn't actively using magic, now that he was using whatever he had just activated, he had no idea what was coming because he had no common notion of the type of magic Taiga used. However, he did have a question to answer, and he found himself speaking his answer without having to think much about it.
"If I had to fight an enemy I couldn't defeat I would still face them just for the chance I might still overcome. After all, everyone has an off day." He said with a smirk as he lowered his stance, preparing himself to do just as he had just spoken. Whatever the old man was getting ready to use he wanted to be as prepared for it as he could be.
"Even if I lost, it just means there's proof I can get stronger." He added as his body surged with electricity, starting at his feet and arcing to the tip of the strands of his hair, slowly at first, but faster and faster before suddenly stopping in a short electrical burst. There still remained things to be done and he had come to learn, this time though, he wanted to wait to see if the old man would attack first.

Taiga's aura thickened even the sky seemed to tint crimson, his eyes blazed with power, and his guild mark began to glow with almost spark like jolts jumping from it. "You think that you losing proves and off day? You believe that "you" will get stronger?" Ranor took a step forward a crater cracked as his foot landed. "You do not run with a pack of wild dogs anymore Tatsuma!" each step seemed to intensify as he closed the gap between the two. "You are a Fairy Tail wizard. Which means we are your family and every time your lightning strikes, we are the thunderous cry that carries through the clouds. Every victory you achieve we raise our glasses and cheer. When you come to Fairy Tail you are not joining a guild, you are becoming family. That's why you are still here isn't it Tatsuma?!!" Ranor was now mere feet from the dragon slayer. "And when you find that foe you cannot defeat, you will not fall. You will never fade into the wild shadows, we YOUR FAMILY will be there to hold you up, and keep you swinging. WE will be your power behind every punch, kick, and strike. For failure is a simple word. Black and white. To your family, you will never fail us." Ranor cocked back his fist, crimson and white rays enveloping it "TATSUMA MY BOY! WELCOME TO FAIRY TAIL!!! RISE AND BE A SOARING DRAGON AMONG THE FAIRIES!!!" A loud crack as he arm blurred with raging power!!! His fingernail flicked against Tatsuma's head, just like that the skies had returned to normal and Ranor was back to his normal every day state. His eyes were staring deep into Tatsuma's, with a strong confident grin. "Now boy. It's time for a drink! Come on, your milk, or whatever you kids drink these days, is on me." He turned his shoulder and headed back for the guild house, waiving his hand in motion to follow. Yeah, this kid is going to be great one day.