Embracing the Darkness (Open but limited)

((OOC: This is basically a training post for Katashi. Someone is welcome to come and help with his training, but I'd rather not have him fight in this post.))

Katashi huddled in a deep dark corner of the cave he had found upon returning to Hueco Mundo. He was injured from his fight with the strange human and he needed to heal before he ventured back out into the real world. He was caught unprepared for the fight. The human's strange weapon and the skill with which he could use it. It made no sense. He knew he was fast. He was faster then many others. Even that strong shinigami he'd fought. He had been too fast for him and killed him easily enough in spite of his obviously higher power.

Something about that human was different... It made him realize that he was still weak. Weak! He cursed and began to pace about the cave, his wounds forgotten in the rage that was taking over his mind. How could he let himself be beaten by a human!? Human!? They were food! They weren't supposed to be able to stand a chance in a fight! He felt the shadow begin to secrete from his claws. He looked down. It appeared as if a thin dark mist was cloaking his claws and he sighed. Something told him that it shouldn't be so weak. Something told him that his potential was much greater! He needed to train this power and master it. He needed to be able to truly do damage with it.

At this thought, he looked around. Darkness was something one had to expect in Hueco Mundo. Darkness was his ally and his friend. He must embrace it and make it's power his own. He looked down and began to build the feelings of hatred, rage, pain, sadness, and even fear into the mist. He focused his darkest thoughts into power for the shadow energy that coated his claws.

At first, nothing happened, but he continued to focus. Something had to give. THERE! It was slight at first, but as he focused and watched, the mist surrounding his hands turned into something akin to an oily smoke surrounding the claws. He couldn't even see their shape through it! He felt elation as he focused harder, allowing the power to continue being fed. He walked outside, looking for a target.

About twenty feet from the exit, a large boulder sat in the sand. With a cry of rage, Katashi leaped forward and slashed at it with both claws, watching as the deep black shadow energy seemed to splash against the bolder in and around the claw marks. Soon, what were shallow scratches against the stone showed themselves to be deep grooves in the stone and the shadow was still working!

He knew that he couldn't stop there though. He needed to embrace the shadow and call it out until it became second nature. He knew that he was wounded, but it didn't matter. His wounds would heal as he trained. He concentrated, summoning up the image of what he had called up before. It took almost a full minute, but finally he once again attained the dark shadow energy around his claws. Once again, he leaped forward, slashing at the boulder, and all new grooves began to form. The shadow energy from the other slashes pulsed deep inside the grooves. He could see it was fading, but it was fading much more slowly then normal.

He concentrated again. His mind focused on nothing but the power of this slash and soon his claws once again held the oily black energy. Again and again he called the energy forth and continued to slash at the boulder. After about 20 minutes of practice, the boulder was corroded down to sand. He turned to another boulder and started again.

After the second boulder was reduced he was finally satisfied. It still took an effort to call up the type of potency he was working towards, but he could do it at will. He'd get better with time. Now it was time to mix his ability with speed. He focused and targeted a boulder about a hundred yards off. He ran forward with all speed at the stone, focusing on calling out the dark power of the shadow claw!

With a cry of rage, he raked the boulder along one side, speeding by at top speed. Less then a second later, he was launching himself the other way and slashing the boulder on the other side! He ran with every ounce of speed he had and focused on keeping the dark energy on his claws. In less then 2 minutes, the boulder was dust and he was on to another. One after another he attacked until exhaustion began to over ride his almost boundless energy. He had been working for hours with wounds and it was finally getting to him.

With a sigh of contented satisfaction that he could now call upon the full potential of his power, he headed back to the cave to rest. He would need to eat soon and he'd need his rest in case he ran into another enemy.