A/N: If this goes well, I'll think about doing another one. Oh, and for clarification, in my fic, Master Swoop's student will be Casey and Master Finn's student will be Theo. I think they don't suit their canon masters. And that's my opinion, by the way, so don't go all harsh on me. And review, please!
They were both masters: he was the Bat Master, she was the Penguin Master. He never thought that day would spark anything but it did. It ended up being the best day of his life – well the life he led so far, as a twenty-two year old.
He woke up in his bed, to the sound of ringing. His alarm was going off. He reached out and turned it off. He turned onto his other side in the hope of falling back to sleep but the people around him weren't having it. Neither was fate, he was convinced.
"Master Swoop! It is already past ten o'clock!" He heard a female voice call. It was either Lily, the cheetah spirit bearer or Master Guin, the master that failed to leave his heart or mind. "Please, get up and go to see if you can find Casey. Lily has told me that he has gone from Jungle Karma Pizza!" A frantic voice said.
He sat up and immediately realized the situation. A woman was in his room. A woman that he did not expect to see there in a million years. "OK, OK, but please, leave my room." He frowned. He heard the Penguin Master chuckle and then her footsteps faded as she neared the door.
"Whatever you say, Bat Master." Was the last thing she said before he heard the door click shut. He sighed as he swung his legs over the bed. He reached for his jacket and slipped it on over his shirt. As he slipped his shoes on, his mind couldn't help but wander back to the conversation he had with her a few days back.
He was sitting in the loft of Jungle Karma Pizza, as all the masters, including himself, Guin, Lope and Mao, were invited over for dinner. It had been a while since he had a good pizza. It had been an even longer while since he sat down with his closest friends to eat dinner. Yes, it was safe to say that Master Swoop was looking forward to tonight.
"RJ!" He heard. He connected that voice to Master Finn, RJ's father.
"Yes Dad?" RJ called back. He wished he was able to see what Finn wanted his son for but because fate was not kind to him, all those years ago, that privilege had been taken away. The next part of their conversation he was not able to hear, as the two conversing masters had moved to a different room. Suddenly, he was aware of a delicate presence next to him. He could tell it was a female, because of the soft hum that escaped her lips. He was not able to tell which female it was, there being two females, so he waited a little longer. There was a light crash and he jumped.
"Oh, no." She breathed. "Sorry, Swoop." It was Master Guin. She was the only woman to occasionally address him without his master rank. There were a few clunks and clashes and he was suspecting that she was tidying up whatever she had dropped.
"No trouble, Master Guin. If I had seen you, then I would have been less likely to start." He replied, inwardly cursing his non-existent vision. The clunking stopped.
"Swoop, may I ask you a question?" She asked. He decided it was time to have a little fun.
"You just did." He replied, trying to hide his smirk.
"Another one."
"Ask away. I don't believe I have anything else planned." This time, his smirk was clearly visible. She took a deep breath and hesitated for quite some time. "Master Guin, what is it?" He asked sincerely. The idea for a game had melted away, now that he was sure that she was feeling uncomfortable.
"How… how do you feel that you cannot see? I mean, sight is a huge privilege to have and…" She trailed off and Swoop became aware that she was waiting for the answer to her first question.
"Well, Master Guin-" he started.
"Please, we are alone. The others are out in front. Just call me Guin." He smiled and proceeded to continue.
"I feel downgraded. I feel like I am missing out on all the amazing things that life has in store for everyone else."
"But your hearing is intact. Surely this makes up for your lack of sight?" She asked.
"Well, to an extent, yes. This is also due to the fact that I am the Bat Master. But you cannot just rely on your ears. You need to be able to function properly to have a good life."
"But, Swoop, I can see you are 'functioning' fine, as you would put it. You are an excellent friend and an amazing master. Casey has learnt amazing amounts in your hands. You are an excellent role model to everyone. Those are the best qualities a Pai Zhuq master could ever have." He smiled broadly; no-one had said anything of the like to him before.
"Thank you, Guin. You make me feel somewhat better about myself." He told her.
"My pleasure, Swoop. Now I must go. I need to help the others in the making of the food." Her footsteps faded and he was once again alone.
Swoop shook his head to rid himself of the thoughts and returned to the task at hand. Casey was believed to be missing and it was his job to find him. He planned to use the sounds of nature.
"Master Swoop." Greeted a male voice, after he had gotten himself downstairs. "Good morning."
"Good morning, Master Lope. I'm afraid I can't stay. I have an urgent job to do." He replied.
"Well then, I won't keep you. Good luck." Swoop walked out of the door. If he had been able to see, then he would have seen Lope's smirk as the door slammed shut.
The sun rose high above the ground as Swoop used nature's voice and Casey's smell to work out the young cub's location. Suddenly, the sweet cranberry smell got stronger. "Here he comes." He heard a hushed whisper. "Go get him, Master Guin!" Another cheer from the same voice, followed by shh's and the like. He walked into a clearing when he sensed another presence.
"S-Swoop?" He heard.
"Master Guin? Is that you?" He asked. It probably was, he just felt the need to clarify it.
"Yes. It is me. May… may I talk to you?" She asked.
"Yes, of course." He felt his arm being pulled. "What is it?" He said when they had stopped moving.
"The other day, when we were talking, I felt something. Back then, I didn't know what it was. But now… now I can clarify it as love." She whispered. Even though his heart was racing, he managed to keep a steady face and raise an eyebrow.
"Please continue." He said as if he wasn't sure where this was going.
"Well, I like you." She said after a deep breath. He smiled.
"I like you too."
Two months had passed since that day. The day when his dream came true.
"Swoop?" He heard in the loft. They were all having another united dinner. He had learnt to acquaint that particular voice to his sweetheart, the one person who made his life worth living.
"Yes, love?" He asked. He felt a hand on his shoulder from behind. He turned around and pulled her in to a hug.
"They said they're ready – almost. We have some time to ourselves." She replied, resting her arms around his neck.
"What do you suggest we do in that time?" He asked playfully, twirling her black-blonde hair.
"This." Was all she said before her lips were on his. He pulled her closer, resting his hand on the back of her neck.
Yes, he thought, she was definitely worth living for.