Literally Snails

*external screaming*

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcodD3vv0me0

Dont you dare. >:U Hes toguro-esque. Sauske is a terrible character.

"No, he isn't a monster, not quite. Or at least, not as you would describe one," Tricis explained. This time, she looked at Jade. "His mind has become a complicated maze that I cannot navigate. His decisions are a puzzling mix of what he wants to do, what he believes is right, and what he believes he needs to do, and I don't think he can tell the difference anymore. I don't know what his boss Rail wants. Perhaps he's a monster, but Rokata is too complicated for that label. To tell you the truth, I don't think he wants to do the things he does." ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Tricis remembered the last thing he said to her, word's she wouldn't forget. "I will only live a life that is proven correct. If this is it, then so be it." ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ "He has done horrible things. Killed ponies he did not hate. Slaughtered whole settlements for coin he did not want. He's a teacher himself now, spreading his confused ideology to warriors he believes are worth living. That is probably where he got his team. He's caused so much pain, but he's hurting no one more than himself." She looked up at the horizon, the sun was beginning to set. "This is the great tragedy of what he is. The good in him is still there, it's part of what has created what he is now. But he's no longer driven by what he wants to do. Perhaps he's trying to prove himself right. Perhaps he's trying to find someone to prove him wrong."

"No," Tricis corrected. "Before that. I told you that there was something you didn't know. Something that would make you respect me less. Here it is." Tricis never made eye contact with Jade, looking off at the windy glave as a cool breeze swept by, disturbing the grass. "I suspect you wouldn't be here if it wasn't for me. Perhaps none of these events would have transpired." "I told you Rokata isn't his name, correct? He gave that name to himself, but I once knew him as someone else. It doesn't matter what that name was. He isn't that same stallion any more. You did not know him as he was, so that name would be meaningless to you. This all happened so long ago your mother was still in grade school. Rokata's father was a great warrior, but beyond that he was a teacher who taught his students that honor and the preservation of life were to be held above all things. Rokata was a young stallion back then, but he was quickly becoming as strong as his father. His mother nurtured him while his father taught him all he knew. I was one of his instructors as well. His father and I founded a dojo together. We trained dozens of students at a time, many of them going on to greatness, but none of them coming close to Rokata in either might nor moral aptitude. He was a brilliant boy with a strong sense of right and wrong, though perhaps too simplistic. The ponies, we trained to become hunters of monsters and demons, royal guards, heroes. Soon our fame stretched beyond Equestria, and those who sought to harm the innocent feared us. One day Rokata and I left the dojo on a mission. That day was when his world was destroyed. A band of monstrous creatures commanded by a powerful griffon named Thuum attacked the dojo when we were away. They knew we weren't there. They were trying to send a message. His father tried to stop them but was overwhelmed. They slew him and proceeded to massacre the other students who couldn't defend themselves. Many of them were younger than you. Some of them far younger. The message was received clearly when we arrived. Something broke in Rokata's mind. He flew into a rage, tried to kill Thuum as he left the scene, but he was easily beaten down, broken. I tried to rebuild, to continue his father's legacy, but he kept telling me that there was no point. He even told me what happened was right!" ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ The memory was still clear in Tricis's mind, Rokata's younger self standing in front of a memorial she made. His expression was sullen, contemplative. "If we were meant to save them, we would have been stronger. Their existence was a cruel joke. Even father who devoted his life to pursuing strength didn't have what it took to defend his own life." Rokata knelt down at Tricis' hooves and started to cry, "Everything he taught me was proven wrong that day. We can't be heroes. Just strong enough to think we can make a difference before it's all taken away! There's no point in that life!" ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ "He grew more distant for months, withdrawn. One day he vanished suddenly. His mother was worried to death of losing the last thing she had left. All my attempts to find him were futile, until one day he returned with the severed head of Thuum. He was even more different than before, more like the stallion you know him to be today. He was also lost, sad, suffering. It didn't show on his face but I could feel it in his soul." ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Rokata stood across from Tricis, dropping the head on the ground. "I've learned what you never had the will to teach." Tricis sensed a powerful darkness in his soul. Something else was inside of Rokata, something that he let in. "You idiot! What have you done to yourself!?" Tricis demanded, tears flowing from her eyes. "Come with me, let me show you how to save yourself from pain," Rokata offered a hoof to Tricis. "You will never be helpless again." ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Tricis felt another breeze roll by as she took a deep breath. "That was when he needed me the most. He was so lost, and in my heart I knew it. I told him to go to Hell and never come back."

oopsie. Tell that to dwhite so he can change his post.

You guys who are familiar with YYH are gonna notice that Rokata's backstory is very very similar to younger but I've changed a few things around. Basically, I couldn't resist basing him on the character since he's such a good villain.

Tricis half smiled while looking at the silent grove. "One more question then before I tell you what I know about him. Do you remember what I said in that conversation? Something I told you I'd explain later." @dragon4111 The clerk gave him a copy of the room key. First room on the left immediately after taking the stairs to the second floor. Drago was likely in the room as well since the meeting with Shining Armor was long since over.

The minotaur stood back upright. There were a few blotches of blood on his knuckles as he unfurled his fist. Then he looked at copper one last time, and without a word he turned around and walked back to the hotel. "That's not what you said," Tricis corrected. "You said nothing was worse than doing nothing. You said if you were strong enough to do the right thing, you would get stronger. Jade Lotus, in that moment you sounded exactly like Rokata."

Onyx would not honor Copper's request. Striking with every ounce of his strength was an honor he was saving for someone else. But Copper didnt need to know that. Onyx widened his stance with his left hand open and outstretched and his right hand held close to his body in a fist. The Minotaur snorted again as a red and green aura swirled around him, creating faint lines that followed the contours of his muscles. Onyx stepped forward with his right leg while striking forth with his right fist in a powerful strike that cracked like thunder through the air.

You were sort of closeish

The Minotaur let go of Coppers' hoof and looked at his palm. There was no mark in the center of his hand. He seemed disappointed behind his stoic expression. Now would have been a poinient time for the minotaur to speak and explain himself, but he only snorted. However it seemed that Copper's training theory was false.

Onyx caught Coppers punch in his palm. His fingers closed around the hoof as he felt the full force of the punch ringjng through his arm. His hand shook at first from the force of stopping the punch, but soon it became still. Onyx looked down at Copper and waited for his next move.

The Minotaur stomped a glowing red hoof on the ground in front of Copper, causing the earth to rumble under Coppers hooves and put him off balance. Again Onyx swung at him, this time striking at his back while he was less able to dodge.

We're trying to not use any moves or techniques taken from other sources. Even YYH moves I would ask you to rename at the very least. So probably not.

Onyx held his ground while Copper burst out. Any fighter could create a lightshow, but Onyx sensed less power than Copper was letting on. The bull went back into a charge, sending up chunks of earth with each bounding step he took, and swung at Copper with his hand clenched in a fist this time.

nopenopenopenope. Yusuke was way too strong at the end of the series. Go back two or three seasons and make him that strong.

Then cry for help. That clip you linked makes it look like you want to be godlike. Your character should be about as strong as one of the YYH protagonists before the end of the dark tournament. No stronger than that.

yeah, keep in mind that you definitely can't make him that powerful. This is supposed to be early season YYH levels of power. Not supermassive power that just makes the whole thing boring.

Onyx struck Copper in the chest with an open palm. The force of the strike vibrated through his body and it was clear that if Onyx had struck Copper with his fist curled, he could have punched through the ponies ribs. Instead he struck with his palm, making the strike land with a larger surface area in a way that wouldn't be fatal. Copper was forced out of Onyx's grip from the force of the attack, landing in the grass several yards away. The minotaur didn't wait for Copper to recover. He charged at Copper with his horns forward. Tricis stopped in the open grove, so far away from the others that the two of them couldn't hear any commotion. "I'll start by telling you what I know about him." She said. "Do you still remember what I asked you on the second day of the tournament? When I asked you about a warrior's duty to acquire strength. Do you remember your answer?"

The Minotaur lept at Copper with blazing speed, taking advantage of the off-balance state Copper was in after he dodged. The minotaur reached out with a muscular hand and grabbed Copper's front left leg. He lifted Copper in the air, but Copper's electrical aura started surging through Onyx. Visible sparks covered his body as the minotaur was electrocuted. He wasn't immune to the electricity, The pain just didn't affect him. His grip tightened on Copper's leg as he looked into his eyes. This was completely unexplained. Onyx had no reason to attack him. Onyx readied his left hand into a fist, poised to strike and glowing with a red aura.

Onyx wasn't one for talking. He stood silently across from Copper. Studying him. Then he lifted one of his massive legs and slammed his cloven hoof onto the earth, creating an enormous fissure in the ground that opened up at his hoof. The crack in the earth traveled at a blistering speed toward Copper, sending up chunks of stone.

Something approached the meditating pony from behind. Heavy, cloven hooves stomped against the ground, making loose pieces of dirt rise and fall with each step. The minotaur, Onyx, stood behind Copper with his arms crossed, peering down at him.

Tricis heard those words again. Hey coach? Was there nothing that boy could figure out for himself? At least he valued her advice. "Then keep casting it. Your command of time is greatly underdeveloped. It needs to be exercised." @reader8363 @dragon4111 @DwhitetheGamer Shining Armor nodded back. "There aren't too many hours left in the day, but all of you should use what time is left wisely. In the meantime, I will be seeing what I can dig up on Team Rokata from the Canterlot archives." He opened the door. Tricis looked at Jade and stepped out of the room. The silent gesture was enough to know that she should follow. She lead Jade outside of the Arena. Snow Frostflame was also outside, but not where Jade and Tricis went, standing on a rock with his blade drawn, trying to conjure up an ice spell. Mandatory meeting? Like I don't have more important ways to spend my time!

@reader8363 @dragon4111 @DwhitetheGamer "I haven't worked with any of you as much as Jade. You'll have to exercise your skills on your own. Find a way to push yourself. Remember you can only improve by pushing yourself to the brink." Tricis explained. "That's all I can offer." "I cant show you much more than you've already seen. There was their first fight against Team Cleave. I can send you the tape." Shining Armor said, standing up from his chair. He looked at everyone else. "Aside from that, I think we've discussed everything we needed to."