How to Be Strong

You don't feel like going out to play today? That's not the Sylvie I know. What's wrong?

It's not fair...

All Grandpa ever does anymore is train with Aldo...

Even so, we have to stay out of their way. Training is an important job too, you know.

But I wanna train with them!

Sorry, sweetie, but that's off the table. It's just an emergency trip waiting to happen.

I could feel yer frown in my bones from over there. What's got ye feelin' down, my dear?

I want you to train me too, Grandpa!

Ahh, so that's it. But trainin' ain't the same as playin' around, ye know? Ye gotta go through tests of endurance, not to mention the trials of pain ye experience...

No pain, no gain!

Don't go copying your Grandpa now. Those words aren't for little girls to be repeating.

Grrrr...

You wanna get strong too, Sylvie?

Not just strong, as strong as Grandpa, and I wanna fight in the arena!

And ye got quite the knack fer it, haven't ye? I mean, just the other day...

Father? That was actually quite serious...

R-Right. Yes. Very serious...

Serious? What happened?

She got into a fistfight with a boy in our neighborhood. He was older and bigger than her...

A fistfight? How badly was she hurt?

Sylvie? Whose granddaughter do ye think we're talkin' about! She beat the poor boy to a pulp without so much as a scratch. She'da kept goin' too if the adults hadn't come to rescue the boy. I had a tough time apologizin' to the parents...

...And that's without training?

But that only counts as a win-by-decision... It feels pathetic... Points don't matter in real fights, only getting a KO does...

She has more ambition than I do...

Aaand that's why training is off the table. If she gets any better at it, she might really grow serious about becoming an arena fighter, and THAT would be a problem.

Ugh. I already told you, I am serious!

Training aside, I appreciate how much time you've given me recently, Theodorus, but I feel bad stealing you from your family.

I'll go through our usual training regimen on my own today! I'm sure a day of playing with Sylvie is long overdue!

Yeah, yer right about that. Thanks fer bein' so considerate, Aldo.

Whaddaya say, Sylvie? Ye ready fer a day o' play?

I'd rather train...

Father... I'm trusting you here...

Yes, yes. Don't ye worry. Come on, Sylvie. We can think about our plan fer the day while we chow down on some custard puddin'!

...Pudding, take the wheel.

There she is! Alright, let's make our way to the tavern then!

Be home in time for dinner, and make sure she still has room for it after you're done...

Yes, I know. Believe me, I've learned the girl's limit fer puddin'...

Little Grandpa!

Big Sylvie! What a surprise! What brings you here on this fine day?

Custard pudding with Big Grandpa!

What about ye, ol' man? Must be nice gettin' to stuff yer face at the tavern all day long.

Yeah, it's not so bad every once in a while. Plus, the arena's closed today, so I'm at the mercy of my whims. Care to join me?

I doubt I'd be much fun fer Sylvie on our day o' play after fallin' into a food coma... I'll have to pass this time.

Fair play. That was a test, and you passed. So, Big Sylvie, whatcha got planned for your day with Big Grandpa?

Super hard training to make me stronger!

Training?

I don't know... Maybe she's started a rivalry with Aldo or somethin', but she keeps goin' on about wantin' to train.

Surely, Filli would be against that, wouldn't she?

She's against it alright, but it ain't like I can ignore my granddaughter's wishes either. Ye got any ideas?

Ideas...for how to disobey your daughter?

No, no! Just like, ye know, some sort o' kid-friendly trainin' that'd be safe fer a girl her age Ye know more about the physical limits o' growin' bodies than me, don't ye?

I know more about everything than you, but are you sure? Isn't she doing this to spend more time with you?

Eh, I figure this is still better than her gettin' hurt tryin' to play "pretend arena fighter."

I can't argue with that. Alright, Big Sylvie. Little Grandpa will teach you some exercises to make your body feel strong!

But how? Aren't you weak?

...Compared to Big Grandpa, who isn't? I'm talking about health. Let's get your body strong enough to fight, fight germs, that is!

*sigh* She seems happy enough about the outcome, so I guess that's all that matters...

*Yawn*...

Please, for the love of pudding, don't doze off in here. It'd take half the men in town half a day to drag you home.

...Not a bad idea fer my next group training session. Don't worry, I'll get out o' yer hair.

What's goin' on? Am I tired just from a few days in a row of trainin'? Usually a night's rest is enough to get me goin' again... I guess I should head back fer a nap... Sigh...I hate gettin' old...

Hey, you're back early. I thought, hm? No Sylvie?

She's safe in the care o' Little Grandpa.

You shouldn't drop her on him out of the blue like that. I'm sure he has plans too.

The man was 'bout to binge eat the tavern into a food shortage! If anythin' we've saved him from a sad and lonely day off. But anyway, *YAWN*, I'm gonna hit the hay fer a bit. Make sure to wake me if I'm still out by dinner time.

You're that tired? That's unlike you...

Don't get to worryin' now. I just need to catch up a little, that's all.

Now...the moment you've all been waiting for... The grand finale of Fight Night's Bout of Your Dreams!!!

Wh-What the hell? How'd I get here all of a sudden?!

Tonight's main event: a dream exhibition match with special rules!

Iiin the blue corner...with a professional record of 40 wins, 7 losses, and 1 no- contest, hailing from Amatias... An old-timer who still knows how to dream! The one, the only...Theooodooorus!

Iiin the red corner...with a record of, I don't know, 600 wins? Hailing from Memhelba, and god knows where the other one's from... A pair of perennials, blooming in the wild... Give it up for...the Pear of Peril!

Check out our apparel! Get it? Ah-PERIL!

Who the hell are ye?!

Curious... The announcer introduced us but moments ago. Perhaps his memory or ears are malfunctioning?

Mayday, mayday, geezer out of the loop! This duderino has no idea who we are. I think he needs us to spell it out for him!

Indeed...I forgot that humans aged past 25 are considered "the elderly" and need help understanding trends. We shall educate him!

Part of the pair in "The Pear of Peril," I represent "peril," for my name is...

Perilya! P-E-R-I-L-Y-A.

...She didn't mean to spell it out literally! And if ye only ye represent "peril," what need is there for a pair of ye?

It's apparent you didn't prepare at all for "The Pear of Peril." I represent "pear," for my name is...

Melpearphia!

Even more confusin'! How can only one o' ye represent "pair" when it literally means "two?"

Well, this is why I actually did mean to spell it out! The "pear" in "The Pear of Peril" isn't "pair" like two things, you big silly goose! It's P-E-A-R, like the fruit!

...Ye lost me completely. What the hell is a "pear of peril?" Fruit gone bad?

Weren't you ever told that story as a child where the heroine was tricked into eating a poisonous pear?!

That was an apple.

You're an apple. Moving on! Let's have a nice clean fight. No biting, hair-pulling, or...

Hold yer horses! We're fightin'? Me against the pair o' ye?!

Welllll duhhh! We're in the arena! Were you expecting a pudding party? Although...that could be arranged...

I sense impatience from the audience. Perhaps we leave the idle pleasantries for later. Let us begin.

Would ye just wait! What are ye doin'!

You are in the wrong place at the wrong time... Have a taste of my signature move, THE PERILYA PILEDRIVER!!!

How about a flying cross chop for DESSERT!

We will make you regret not inviting us, or others like us, to share your arena stage! ...GIVE HIM THE CHAIR!

"You snooze you lose" has never found a more literal application! BACKBREAKER!

Nghh... *snore* Guh...

Is this...normal for Theodorus? It kinda looks like he's having a nightmare...

He's always been pretty active in his sleep, but to fall out of bed and still not wake up...

Is Grandpa's sleep muscle strong too?

It would take all the king's horses and all the king's men to lift him back into bed again... What should we do?

I guess the only thing we can do is wait for him to wake himself up...

*yawn* Grandpa's still sleeping...

He must've been really tuckered out. We'll just have to see him in the morning. Sweet dreams, Sylvie-bean.

Good night, Mama.

The crowd seemed rather enraptured by our match and performance tonight! "The Pear of Peril" can't be stopped!

Tales of our exploits will be passed down by the bards of future generations, in the form of slam poetry, of course.

Why ye gotta be annoyin' me in my waitin' room? Yer my opponents. Ye should both be in yer own room...

Opponents? The match is over. There are no opponents. We should be together, celebrating each other's performance!

You've got some epic muscles, Theodorus. Or should I call you...Theofdoofus!

Don't go givin' me one o' yer nonsense nicknames.

Pfft, I just added some F's, which is how I'd rate your fighting. Plus, you now represent "the" and "of" in "The Pear of Peril!"

When exactly did I agree to join yer crazy group?!

It's in the rules! The loser has to obey the orders of the winner, and youuu losttt!

Na-na-na-boo-boo, you lost to girls! If you don't like getting cool new nicknames, have you considered, I don't know...winning? Hah!

Mocking the loser, no matter how pathetic they are in this specific case, is a disgrace to pro wrestling! Heresy must be punished! I shall suplex this lesson into you!

Quick! Someone get an orthopedist!!! She doesn't have a funnyyy boneee!

How tragic it is when allies become foes. We can mourn the loss later, after I've forced you into an early retirement!

Sh-She's crazy! Why does my partner have to be the brawn and force me to be the brains?!

Ye sure yer not both fillin' the same role? Oi, Perilya, it's alright. Her little banter won't break my bones. Plus...yer comment stung me even more...

Hmph... If the victim calls off the hunt, I suppose I have no choice but to holster my fists.

Now if we're celebratin' each other, I s'pose I should say yer both stronger than I first gave ye credit fer. In my day 'n' age, we didn't have any female fighters up on the arena stage...but ye made me think that maybe we should've.

Ahem... Not fighters, "pro wrestlers."

No clue what the hell a pro wrestler is, but it's clear to see ye both trained yer tails off to be able to fight like ye did out there. Makes me wonder if my little Sylvie's dream might come true after all...

Intriguing... Is that a friend of yours who aims to be a successful pro wrestler like me?

Not a friend, a granddaughter, and her dream's to become an arena fighter...

Hmm... She wants to get stronger to fight in the arena... I understand the ambition. In fact, I might be uniquely capable of relating with her. I happen to be something of a grandchild myself...

Uh, yeah, I'd sure hope so? Everyone is. I have grandparents too...

You, WHAT?! I had no idea we had this much in common!

......

Don't ye be lookin' at me. This is yer karma fer the name ye gave me.

Thanks for reminding me, Theofdoofus, now back to your granddaughter.

(I represent an article and a preposition... This is a new low...)

If she aims to grow strong like us, she must steel both her body and resolve. It's easy to picture a goal in mind, but one cannot grow strong without enduring the physical training required.

I might know a thing or two 'bout physical trainin'. Ye seen the size of my muscles?

Like a bronze cloud. Your shoulders have shoulders.

...Is that a medical condition?

Well, anyway, I know ye two were just tryin' to lighten the mood with me.

Fer now, I s'pose my first step with Sylvie'll be startin' her off with some age 'n' size- appropriate physical trainin'.

I see no flaw in that course of action, but perhaps one step is missing... Have you asked her why exactly she wishes to grow stronger? Her reasoning might help guide you further.

Course I have. It's what I've been sayin'. She wants to get stronger to become an arena fighter...

Okay, and what about her reason for that? I'm talking about the underlying desire at the root of it all. Everyone knows that pro wrestlers are strong because their bodies have been tempered to be so... But only through painful, rigorous training might such a body be forged, and to endure it, one must also wield a steeled resolve.

This is why the reason is so important. One's reason for doing is what determines the power of their will to see it be done. If a reason at the foundation is too feeble, it cannot hold up the weight of the training, and will ultimately snap under the pressure. I'm sure you have seen your fair share of this happening in real-time...

That I have, yer right. I'll have a serious talk with Sylvie before trainin' her any further. Thank ye both.

No probloofus, Theofdoofus! You're part of "The Pear of Peril" trio now. Sylvie is basically our granddaughter by association!

I hope you both find peace and joy in the answers you find.

What...the hell?

Argh... My back...and the rest o' my body... That's the dream I get fer sleepin' on the floor... Didn't I say to wake me fer dinner?! Ah, never mind. More importantly, I need to have a proper sit-down with Sylvie once she's awake.

Grandpa! You're awake! Does sleeping on the floor make you stronger?

Oh, good mornin', Sylvie! Y'know, I really don't recommend it. What has ye up at the crack o' dawn all by yerself?

I can wake up without Mama sometimes 'cause I'm a grown-up now.

Heh, that ye are. What say ye and I go fer a walk before the others wake up?

Okay!

Are we going to see Grandma?

Yes, dearie. It's important we visit every once in a while.

Hey, Sylvie. Y'know how ye been sayin' how ye want to get stronger so that ye can become an arena fighter like Grandpa...

Why is that? Why do ye want to be an arena fighter?

Because...being strong is super cool?

...I see. I'm sorry, Sylvie, but if that's yer reason, then I really can't be trainin' ye.

B-But why...

There are very strong people out there who aren't very cool. And there are some very cool people who...maybe aren't so strong. If ye just want to become super cool, there are other paths that'll lead ye there, safer paths. But also, ye need a true reason to want to fight. Swingin' yer fists only fer yerself won't make ye strong in the way that matters.

Why'd you wanna become strong, Grandpa?

Well... When I was a young boy, I'd come to watch the arena all the time. I'd see the passion o' the fighters, the way they lived so freely, and it started me thinkin' maybe I want to be strong too.

I don't get it... Isn't that the same as me?

It is... Ye see, that reason alone wasn't able to make me strong. I was weak as could be back then, scared o' my own shadow.

It was around that time I met Tonya, yer grandma. Grandma's figure was frail, prone to illness, yet her spirit was fierce. She had no fear standin' up against the bullies in our area. She even scolded me a few times! She'd be tellin' me, "gettin' hit is no good reason to be cryin'."

Wow... Grandma sounded just like you.

Hah, ye got it the wrong way. It's I who came to sound just like her. But, y'know, of the bullies, not all of 'em took too kindly to yer grandma tellin' 'em off. One day, they realized they couldn't win with their words and decided to raise their fists against her...

NO! What happened next?!

Before I knew it, my body was already movin' on its own...

You beat them all up?

No, dearie, they beat the snot out of me... I did protect Grandma, but takin' hits fer her was all I could muster back then. And fer the first time...I didn't cry. Not even a single tear! I can't explain the courage I felt, it was a brand new feelin' fer me. I even told 'em to hit me 'til they got tired. No matter how much of a beatin' I took, nothin' coulda struck fear into my heart in that moment.

And that's when I found my reason. I wanted to become strong so that I could protect Grandma, more than just as a punchin' bag. I was only able to become strong because I was doin' it to protect my family, Grandma, yer mum, and now ye as well.

Do ye see now, Sylvie? Strength isn't about power or how good ye are at fightin'... What matters most is why yer fightin' in the first place. That is why I can't train ye; not until ye find yer answer.

I think I get it... Maybe I'm ready now?

Huh... Can ye explain why?

Well, you're already super old, Grandpa. Doesn't that mean you're gonna get weaker?

Someone's gonna have to protect Mama instead of you...and I wanna protect you too!

Gahaha! Yer gonna protect me too, are ye? Ye gotta be stronger than me to do that!

I will be, so train me lots and lots!

I can't argue with that... Y'know, yer mum is gonna yell at us both a lot... If yer prepared fer that, then I s'pose I'll think about trainin' ye.

*gulp*... That is scary, but... Pudding, take the wheel! Let's both get yelled at together!

Now that's the attitude of someone I want fightin' in my corner. I'm countin' on ye! We'll train hard and all get strong together!

YES! ...Can we get pudding first?