Ki Guardian Chapter 3 (Patreon)

Black Clover parody: Tier 1/Bad Day Fic

Chapter 2 

Chapter 3 Clouds Fall and Rise

Cloud was doing some calm kata, when he suddenly collapsed. “Ugh!” His left leg was shaking. ‘Showing more and more of my age. It won’t be long...but I must hang on...as long as I can…’

His final student was coming along well. His ki sensing ability was coming along well, he could also mask his ki. Asta was able to vanish into nature so to speak, birds and animals could gather around him and not notice him at all. Ninja would be proud, in combat this could prove useful. He wasn’t invisible per say, so he had to be careful how he used it.

Sunny could use this ability to become truly invisible, only Asta could still sense him since he was made from his ki. This gave an illusion of the guardian appearing and disappearing.

The second year he began work in ki enhancement, temporarily increasing one’s offense, defense, and speed. The first two were the easiest, boosting speed required a lot of ki and control. It was something he could look forward to when he got older.

His third year was spent learning how to detect lies with ki, it was a more advanced technique, but Cloud felt Asta needed to learn it. The boy was far too dense and trusting.

As the years were passing Cloud was getting weaker and weaker, his hair showing more signs of white. He was able to keep it from Asta but he was running out of time. He had to stop doing kata and settle for meditation.

-x-

While he was meditating one day, he was visited by Yuno of all people. “Who’s there?” Cloud opened his eyes. “Oh...it’s you Yuno. I’m surprised to see you. Asta is training with Sunny.”

“I know, I came to see you.”

“Oh?” That was surprising, even when Yuno came to collect Asta from training he kept his distance. He rarely spoke to Cloud directly.

“I’m guessing I have you to thank for Asta’s behavior lately?” Cloud chuckled.

“Asta is Asta, I just gave him information. What he chooses to do with that information is completely up to him. I take it you two have gotten closer?” Yuno blushed. Asta had been more honest and more touchy-feely with him. He liked it very much so. “Hahaha, that’s good, very good!”

A proper education could do wonders for people.

“I’m sorry!” Yuno said and bowed.

“Surprise after surprise, you are an odd one.”

“You deserve an apology, I’ve mistrusted you, and you’ve been nothing but kind to Asta. I was wrong!” He apologized again.

“You care about Asta a lot. Don’t lose that.” He smirked. “You may want to tone down on the jealousy though.” Yuno blushed again.

“I wasn’t...I...how did you…?” He stuttered.

“It wasn’t hard to figure out. I’m good at reading one’s ki, reading emotions is a neat trick.”

“Hm…” He looked away.

“Your apology is accepted.” Cloud said, and he could see a weight lifted off the boy’s spirit.

“Anyway, I wanted to invite you to dinner.”

“Oh yes, Asta has invited me before, I simply did not want to intrude!” He nodded.

“If it was because of my rudeness, please…” Yuno clearly wanted to make amends.

“No, I…” He tried to stand, only to collapse.

“Mister!” Yuno rushed over and froze in shock. In the fall his legs became exposed, they were shriveled and drained.

“I’m afraid travel for this one is limited. Choices are important in life, I made the right choice staying here and passing on some teachings to a student.”

“Are you…” He couldn’t say it. “We have a healer, Sister Lily could…”

Cloud stopped him. “No healer can fix this, time comes for us all eventually.”

“Does...does Asta know?”

“He knows enough, my time is running out.” He needed to give his final lesson. “Could you go and get him?”

“Yes!” He conjures some wind and flies off.

Yuno finds Asta and Sunny. “Asta come quick, it’s Cloud!” They rush back and Cloud is lying down.

“Master!” He runs over and sees the state of his legs. His hair has gone almost completely white. “Is there anything I can do?” Cloud shakes his head slowly.

“No, nothing, I’ve lived a long life...longer than most get...I’m running low on my ki and time is catching up with me.” Asta began to cry. He held his teacher’s hand and he could feel the man’s ki was leaking out and away.

“I’ll give you some of my ki!” Cloud chuckled. Sunny came over to try and keep Cloud warm.

“I’ve lived long enough, my time has been coming.” He smiled. “I can part some final words for you and give you your final lesson.” He gestured Yuno over. “Look after each other, support each other in good times and bad. Don’t let the small things ruin what you have built.” Asta nodded, shedding manly tears.

Cloud had met people, both capable and willing to let a moment destroy years of something, be it friendship or something more. The world could be cruel, sometimes a mistake, an accident, or one bad day is what brings that bridge down. People think once a bridge is burned that’s all there is, never knowing or considering that with work a new bridge could be built.

“We will!” Yuno said.

“Please Master, there’s so much more I need to know. I don’t want you to go.”

“You remember what I told you?” Asta nodded. If he came across that lost warrior he had a message to give him. “You have trained your body for three years, you have taken to the lessons well and have built up quite a lot of ki. You can make a new guardian.”

“Really?” Asta gasped.

“Alright, I’m gonna get a little brother!” Sunny cheered.

Cloud chuckled before coughing. “Warriors passed their prime have the ritual of passing on their knowledge with their ki.” First he gave knowledge to Sunny, within him he passed on the knowledge of the ki training lessons Asta did not know. If Asta created more guardians that knowledge could be shared.

Yuno saw Cloud wither a bit. Then he gave Asta wisdom, basic ki training and uses to the stuff he knew. He passed on some glimpses of things from his past, Asta would view these in his dreams and could learn from them. He also shared an image of the one he was looking for. “Master!” Asta cried.

He gave Yuno a lesson next. Cloud could tell that the boy had questions and wanted advice from him. He wanted to grow like Asta had. So he gave him general wisdom, if he chose to follow it would be key. He also gave him some interesting ideas in his wind magic. “Thank you...”

Cloud began to wither. “We...We’ll give you a proper burial.” Yuno shed tears.

“Heh, that won’t be necessary...my body shall return to the land, my remaining ki shall give...back…” His body began to glow, lights lifting off of him and into the air.

Clouds began to gather. “You know what to do...Asta...be strong...Yuno...be brave...both of you...be...loved…” His face withered, his hair turning pure white. He began to fade away.

Asta could feel the ki rippling through the land. It spread out all through the Clover Kingdom.

-x-

Yami felt the pulse of ki. ‘Old man Cloud?’ He began to cry.

-x-

His clothes turned into a small patch of grass and flowers. Asta crumbled to the ground, sniffling and crying. “Asta…” Yuno hugged him from behind. He turned around and hugged him tightly. Yuno didn’t know this man deep enough to cry as hard as Asta, but he regretted not knowing him. His stubbornness cost him a connection, it was an eye opening experience.

Cloud was gone, leaving behind lessons, wisdom, knowledge, and memories. It began to rain and Sunny had to take cover, dimming from sadness.

After crying Asta knew what he had to do. He performed the guardian ritual once more. Yuno watched in awe as a new guardian was created. A living cloud was born from Asta’s ki. “I give you the name Cloudy!”

“Thank you master!” Cloudy bowed. Sunny shared knowledge with him. “Hey brother!”

“An excellent name.” Yuno hugged him again.

“Thanks Yuno!” The two stay together before heading back. A service was held for Cloud. Yuno stayed by Asta’s side through all of this. Asta was strong, but that didn’t mean he didn’t need the support. He stayed by his side, holding him close. “I’m glad you apologized, I wish you got to meet him!”

“Me too!” The two were inseparable.

After some grieving Asta bounced back. He knew Cloud lived a good life, he would honor the man by getting even stronger, taking his lessons to heart. “Yuno...I want to have a great life and build a family with you!”

Yuno blushed. “I’d like that, I want that!” The two shared their first kiss, a first step in what was to come. It’d be two more years before they got their grimoires. They decided they could be rivals and a couple.

Cloudy was a welcome addition to Asta’s team, he could create rain from moisture in the air, make use of the wind, and in certain situations he could unleash lightning. Because he was made of Asta’s ki, the boy could ride on him, though he was the only one.

To be continued...The Third Guardian and Grimoires

Asta and Yuno continue training and getting stronger. Their relationship grows and thanks to Yuno it only takes 2 years to charge up enough ki to make another guardian. They get their grimoires...well Yuno does and he gets attacked!