In the mountain country of Dalaam, in the palace of Emperor Poo... In the throne room, where someone else began his journey long ago...

It is the morning after the fateful events that took place in the first part of the prologue.

"The time has come," said the old master. "You have progressed extremely well in your training. You have finished all training in a surprisingly short amount of time, faster than anyone else in the history of our country. Now, it is time for you to undergo the final training, the test to see whether or not you are worthy."
The boy, clad in a white gi like a certain other 30 years ago, stood before the master, listening to his words.
The master spoke again. "Kato, the time has come for you to attempt Mu training."
12-year-old Kato started in surprise. "But Master, the training of Mu is reserved only for royalty!" he said. "I am only a simple bodyguard-in-training. The place of nothingness is not for the likes of me."
The master nodded. "Ordinarily you would speak the truth, young Kato," he agreed. "However, these are not ordinary times. As we all know, there IS no more royalty." He looked over at the throne of Dalaam, which had been empty for the past three years. "Emperor Poo is gone. He left no one to take his place. Since the royal family is gone, we must turn to the next most worthy to attempt the training of Mu." The old master looked at Kato again. "And the next most worthy is you, Kato."
With a nod, Kato accepted this. "Then I must attempt the training," he said.
"Yes," said the old master in approval. "Go to the place of nothingness, Kato. Go there and meditate. Clear your mind from all thought, becoming as nothing like the place of Mu. Then your training will begin."
"But Master, what is the nature of Mu training?" Kato asked curiously.
The master stared at him for a moment, as if debating whether or not to tell him. "The nature of Mu training," he finally said, "is the test of pain."
Kato's eyes widened. "The test of pain?"
"The test of pain," the master repeated. "It may be physical pain, mental pain, spiritual pain, or even a combination of those three. And it will not be easy to endure the pain, Kato. You will be tempted to give in to the pain; if such a thing happens, you will fail the training. You must be strong, Kato, for you are the only one left who even has a chance to complete this training."
"Then I will complete it," Kato promised with confidence. "I will not fail you, Master."
"Should you fail," the master replied, "it is not me you will be failing as much as yourself."

Kato left the palace and started on the journey down the mountain to where he would find Mu, the place of nothingness.
Along the way, he looked around. The economic state of Dalaam had been declining for the past fifteen years, and after the disappearance of Emperor Poo three years ago, it had dropped like a stone. Houses were falling apart, there wasn't nearly enough food, and the people had little hope that their tiny country would last another five years. The current state of things greatly saddened Kato, but he didn't know what he could do about it.
As he passed them, the Dalaamese people stared at Kato in a strange mixture of fear, envy, and hope. As a bodyguard-in-training, Kato was above them even though he was not royalty. The people who lived in the palace had not begun to feel the effects of Dalaam's poverty yet, but Kato knew that that would change soon enough.
He thought about his position. Kato had been trained from birth to be a bodyguard to Emperor Poo; as such, he was a highly-skilled warrior even though he was only 12 years old. He would have made a fine bodyguard to the emperor, except that the emperor was gone.

For the most part, Emperor Poo had trained Kato himself, until he was 8 years old. Kato had liked the emperor; he was strict in his teachings, but he also had much kindness that showed through. People called him Emperor Poo the Wise, because he was a just and fair ruler.
Kato remembered what the emperor had always told him, time and time again. "You have great potential, Kato," he would say. "Someday, you will become more powerful than I am." He had been very fond of Kato, although he tried not to show it too much. He had even taught Kato the power of the Starstorm, the great power that Poo had learned in the war against the evil one.
Then, shortly after Kato had turned 8, the emperor had stopped training him. He became very distant, speaking only with the old master in short, whispered conversations. Kato had not understood what was happening.
Finally, one year later, the people of Dalaam had awakened one day to find that their emperor was gone. There was no trace of where he went; he had simply disappeared, vanished into thin air. And with him had gone all chances of continuing the royal family line.
Ever since that day, the master, the ancient old man who had trained the emperor himself, had taken it upon himself to continue Kato's training. And finally, it had come to this.

Kato was jarred from his reverie when he saw the entrance to the cave. It was cut into the mountainside, and it was bordered by an elaborately-carved purple frame. Kato frowned; this was the entrance to the Pink Cloud Cave.
Before the war against the evil one 30 years ago, the Pink Cloud had been said to bring prosperity to Dalaam. This may have had some truth to it, because before the war, the country, although simple, had been very well off. After the war, however, people had gone through the cave to find that the Pink Cloud was gone. The door at the end of the cave that had led to it now led only to open air, and a great fall and certain death for anyone who stepped out of it. The Pink Cloud was gone, and so was Dalaam's symbol of prosperity.
And strangely enough, it was after the Pink Cloud's disappearance that the first signs of Dalaam's economic decline began to show. People now blamed the absence of the Pink Cloud for the country's current state, and a few even blamed it for the emperor's disappearance.

Finally, after a long walk down the mountainside, Kato came to Mu, the place of nothingness. He effortlessly climbed the ropes that led to the top of the tiny peak, and before long he had reached it.
Kato had never been at this place before; as he had told the old master earlier, this place was reserved only for royalty. Now that he was here, the sights and sounds of the world around him seemed to fade away, and Kato understood why it was called the place of nothingness.
It is time to begin the final training, he thought. It is time to see whether or not I deserve the master's faith in me.
He sat cross-legged on the ground and began to meditate, clearing his mind, becoming as nothing...

In the formless void around him, something approached. Kato couldn't make out what it was, and he wondered if it was some kind of ghost.
Finally, it floated in the air before him. "Greetings, Kato," it said. Its voice could not be placed; it seemed to speak with many voices at once. "I am the spirit of your ancestors."
Kato had the uncomfortable feeling that the spirit was scrutinizing him. "You are very similar to the last person who came to this place," the spirit said. "Therefore, you will undergo the same as he."
It paused a moment, and then continued. "To complete your training, Kato, I am going to break your legs. You will lose the use of them."
Kato almost jumped up in surprise. How will such a thing complete my training? he thought.
The spirit hung in the void before him. "Do you accept this?" it asked.
Then Kato remembered what the old master had said about the final training. Then, this is the test of pain...
Kato looked up at the spirit. "Yes."
Abruptly his legs twisted in a manner that they were never meant to, and Kato felt pain the likes of which he had never felt before as every bone in his legs shattered. He bit down on his lip, trying hard to keep from screaming.
The spirit continued to hang there, almost mockingly. "Now, Kato, you can no longer walk. But the training is not finished yet. Next, I am going to tear out your arms. You will no longer have them. Do you accept this?"
My arms? I don't want to lose those! Kato thought, still trying to endure the pain of losing his legs. But he knew in his heart that if he refused, he would fail the training. "...Yes," he answered.
He forgot about the previous pain as his arms were suddenly torn out of their sockets and burned away in the void. This time, he did scream, unable to prevent it.
When he finally stopped, the spirit still hung over him. "Now you have lost both your arms and legs, Kato," it said. "You can do nothing but lie there, helpless to do anything. And still it is not enough. Next, I am going to take your ears, Kato. You will lose the ability to hear. Do you accept this?"
Kato wanted more than anything to just tell the spirit no. He was in so much pain that he couldn't stand any more. But he did not refuse. "...Yes."
He screamed again as his ears were suddenly destroyed... And he could no longer hear his own screaming.
Finally, he stopped again, although he wasn't sure since he could no longer hear it. He was filled with the pain of losing his arms, legs, and his ears. He didn't think it was possible for the human body to withstand so much pain.
Still the spirit hung over him. And now, words suddenly appeared above it. Now you can no longer even hear me speak to you, it said. I am forced to float words through the air so that you can see them and understand what I am saying to you. You have lost your arms, legs, and ears; you can only lie there, helpless, and watch. And yet, it is still not enough. Next, Kato, I am going to take your eyes, and with them, the last of your ability to perceive the world around you. Do you accept this?
He wanted more than anything just to make the pain stop. And not just the physical pain; he also wanted to stop the pain of knowing that he would never be able to do anything again. He wanted it all to stop. But even now, he did not refuse. "Yes..." he said, not hearing his own voice.
And Kato was filled with yet more pain as his eyes were gouged out, and the world went dark. The pain was overwhelming; he didn't know if he was screaming or not, and at this point he didn't care.
He suddenly sensed something within his mind. So, Kato, it has come to this, the spirit said. Without your sight, I am now forced to communicate directly with your mind. You have lost everything, Kato, except for your mind; it is all you have left. And now I am going to take your mind, Kato. But you probably don't want to accept that, do you?
Kato felt miserable. So his training was truly going to destroy everything he was. It wasn't a test of pain, it was a test of death.
You have lost everything, Kato, the spirit continued. You have accepted all of this because you knew that in the end, you would still have your mind, your identity. But if I gave you the ultimate price, and asked for your mind, would you give it up? Would you give up the only thing that truly makes you who you are? COULD you ever do that?
Kato realized that he didn't know. If the spirit asked him for his mind, he did not know if he would, did not know if he COULD, accept such a thing.
He heard the spirit laughing within his mind. I will have your mind, Kato, know that I will possess it...
Kato slowly felt the spirit recede, and fade away.

Suddenly he was out of the void and back in the world around him. Kato suddenly realized that he still possessed his eyes, ears, arms, and legs. He patted his arms, stood up, listened, and looked around, unable to believe that he had them all back again.
Then he suddenly realized something else: he was much stronger than he had been before coming to Mu. His power had increased exponentially.
I've done it, Kato knew. I've completed the final training.
He also felt wiser, as he now understood the meaning of the test of pain. Everything that had been "taken" from him, he had previously taken for granted... Especially his mind. He still did not know if he would give up his mind, if he ever had to.
Now that his training was complete, it was time to go back to the old master.

Kato returned to the throne room, where the master waited. Bowing to the master respectfully, he said, "Master, I have completed the training of Mu."
The master smiled, and to Kato's surprise there were tears in the old man's eyes. "Well done, Kato," he said sincerely, as he noticed Kato's new level of power. "Even I was not certain that you would pass the test of pain, Kato, especially since you are so young. You are now the youngest warrior in the history of our country to ever complete Mu training."
He sighed as if in relief. "It is good that you have passed the training, because if you had not, all would have been lost."
"What do you mean, Master?" asked Kato.
"I will explain in a moment," the master replied. "First, I must do as I have been instructed to by the emperor, before he disappeared."
The old man recited the order of Emperor Poo. "'When Kato completes the training of Mu, he is to know his true heritage,' the emperor ordered me. And so now you will know who you truly are... Prince Kato."
Kato's jaw dropped in shock. "What... What do you mean?" he asked.
The master smiled. "You are, in truth, the son of Emperor Poo," he explained. "This makes you the Crown Prince of Dalaam."
Kato could not believe this. It was a preposterous notion. But then, through his wisdom, he came to understand that it was true. It was why the emperor had shown him so much kindness, and why he had looked at Kato with a father's love sometimes, when he thought Kato wasn't watching. He knew in his heart that the old master was speaking the truth.
"Why was this hidden from me?" he asked. "Why was I raised to be a bodyguard, if in fact I am the prince?"
The old master sighed. "Before you were born, your father, Emperor Poo, saw great danger for his future son during one of his meditations. In order to protect you from this danger, he decreed that no one, even yourself, was to know anything about who you really are. The only people who know the truth are the emperor and myself, and now you know as well."
"So what must I do now?" Kato asked.
"We still must not let anyone else know who you really are, Kato," the old master cautioned him. "Last night, a great evil became active, and its forces are already affecting this world. If they know who you are, you will be targeted by them. That cannot happen."
He looked at Kato. "But also, last night, destiny has been set in motion," he continued. "I have seen all of this during my meditations. Destiny has chosen a young man named Zain to be the leader of a group of eight people, whose purpose is to destroy the enemy and deliver this world from evil. I have also seen, Kato, that you are one of the eight."
Kato stared at the master, puzzled. "I am?"
"Yes," the master replied. "You are one of four young men who will oppose the new evil. If you had not completed Mu training, then you would not have been strong enough to fulfill your destiny, and all would have been lost. As it is now, however, you WERE able to complete the training, and so you are ready to face your destiny."
"Then what must I do, Master?" asked Kato.
"You must find Zain, the leader of the Chosen Eight," the master answered. "To do this, you must go to a place called Troisemburg, in a far-off country. Zain will eventually reach this Troisemburg; he has to, because he cannot continue his journey otherwise. You must wait in Troisemburg, and when Zain arrives there, you must join him and lend him your strength."
"I understand," said Kato. "But how will I know Zain when he arrives? I don't know what he looks like."
"You will know him when you see him," the old master replied. "You must help Zain, Kato. He will need all the help he can get. Destiny has an iron grip on him; not only must he lead the Chosen Eight in fighting the new evil, he must also protect someone from the grasp of that evil."
Kato nodded. "If he has such a colossal responsibility, then he cannot do it alone," he said.
"You are correct, Prince Kato," the master said with a smile.
The old master approached the throne, and lifted the seat off of it; there was a hidden compartment underneath. "I will now give you the equipment of Emperor Poo, to help you in your quest," he said.
He lifted out a regal cloak. It was not very ornate, but it brimmed with hidden majesty. He gave the cloak to Kato. "This is the Cloak of Kings, Prince Kato," the master said. "It will protect you from harm."
Kato donned the cloak; strangely enough, it fit him well, even though he was only a boy.
The old master lifted out a shining diadem, and gave it to Kato. "This is the Diadem of Kings, Prince Kato," he said. "It will serve you well as head protection, and it is also the crown of Dalaam."
Kato placed the diadem on his head, surprised that it fit him.
The master brought a sturdy-looking and ornate arm guard from the compartment, and gave it to Kato. "This is the Bracer of Kings, Prince Kato," he said. "It will protect your arm, and give you strength."
Kato put on the bracer, still wondering how all of these fit him so well.
Finally, the master lifted out, with reverence, an ancient sword. It was a katana, and it rested in a leather sheath. Just by looking at it, Kato knew that the sword possessed great power. "This is the Sword of Kings, Prince Kato," the master said. "It is your weapon against the new evil. It is the counterpart to another of our ancient treasures, the Shining Wind Sword. The Sword of Kings shines with the power of the Earth, Prince Kato; it is a formidable weapon indeed. You must only use this for the right reasons."
"I promise that I will," Kato vowed, respectfully accepting the sword from the master. Holding it in his hands, he felt much stronger.
The old master placed the seat back on the throne. "Now you must go and wait for Zain to arrive," he said. "I have done all that I can for you, Prince Kato. Now you must go and fend for yourself. I only have one more thing for you: When you have mastered the power of teleportation, you must return to Dalaam, with Zain and your other companions."
"Very well," said Kato. "Once I learn the power of teleportation, I will return. I promise you that."
The old man smiled. "Then goodbye, Prince Kato," he said, beginning to concentrate. "You have made me, and your father, very proud." He placed a finger on Kato's forehead. "Teleport Beta."
Suddenly Kato felt disoriented, and the world around him slipped away.

And so begins Kato's part in the story...