Once upon a time, a long, long time ago, there were two deities. One decorated space with art; the other decorated time with music. They were two parts of a whole, but they very rarely got along. They knew each other was important, though, and so they decided to work together.
What if we made art that sings? said the first to the second.
Glorious! said the second. Music with form! Music with a body!
Art with a body! chanted the first. Art with movement!
And so the two were back to butting heads, but they worked together nonetheless.
I will create art's body, said the first, and created land. From here is where all art shall grow!
I will create music's body, said the second, and created water. From here is where all music shall start!
However, the deities quickly grew bored. The landscape of the thing they'd created changed too slowly.
I will create fire, stated the first boldly. When old art crowds, it shall wipe the canvas clean!
Then I will create air, stated the second calmly. When sound crowds, it shall carry the tune til it dies.
And so these new additions shaped their creation much faster, but it still felt empty.
Creatures, perhaps? mumbled the first, and spread all manner of experimental beasts about the earth, water, air, and fire. This angered the second deity.
You've spread your monstrosities throughout my creations! the second cried, abhorred by the infestation in the water and air.
It is our creation! the first cried, hurt. And I should be able to add whatever I like!
The second deity snarled. Fine, they growled, then watch my beings roam! I spent time on them, unlike your willy-nilly spread of beasts! Behold, they cried. I call them Humans!
And so were created man and beast, humans and animals. Adopting the nature of their creators, they fought wildly. The humans, with their troublesome habit of thinking, soon began to turn the tide in their favor. The first deity was enraged and schemed quietly, but when they were finished, they let their newest creation loose on the unsuspecting humans.
Behold, the first hissed with a terrible glee, Demons!
The second deity watched in horror as the music of humans was cut short en masse by the foul demons. They had the bodies of beasts, the minds of men, and the powers of gods - and were to be feared. The second deity began to cry tears that sparkled with blessed starlight. It seemed the deities would be fated never to work together in harmony, and the humans destroyed. At the thought the first deity was overcome with remorse.
I cannot get rid of the demons. They are my spiteful creation, admitted the first deity, wiping the tears from the second. But I can level the field. And after saying so, the first deity let the second's tears fall to the earthy creation to fall on the humans.
Suddenly, the humans burst with holy starlight and were able to fight the demons properly with the blessing of the gods. Although many battles were still fought and many lives lost on either side, the field was indeed leveled.
We've caused enough turmoil upon our own creations, said the first deity softly, urging the other to move. Let us leave this place, and create heaven anew.
You created the turmoil, the second accused, but regarded the other fondly nonetheless. They went off, bickering fondly into the void, leaving stardust and galaxies in their wake...
...leaving human and demon in their stead…" Master Dashi finished reading and rolled up the scroll.
"Really?" Chase asked sceptically, ignoring Guan's annoyed glare. "I mean it's an interesting story… but do you really think that explains the existence of our adversaries?"
"I think it was a means to an end," Dashi stated, not at all bothered by Chase's suspicion. Guan looked startled. "I think somebody wanted an explanation for the way the world is- the existence of humans and demons and beasts, the reason for our existence. It's a creation story, and one of many." Dashi replaced the scroll to its rightful place in the Xiaolin library and stood, silent for a moment.
"Walk with me," he said, and they followed him outside, into the unfortunate weather. The sky was grey as far as the eye could see and the trees were dripping into puddles from a recent shower. The plants around them appeared more vibrant though, and the aura felt renewed, clean. Chimes with protective symbols twinkled gently with the storm breeze, a promise of a bigger storm to come. The three strolled through the grounds easily and entered the gardens, where the stood atop the bridge and stared into the gently disturbed water below. Every now and then, rain water would drip into the pond, disrupting the perfectly mirrored image of the sky.
"Tell me, what did you think about the story?" Dashi asked, leaning back against the rail. "Take every aspect into consideration, but be thoughtful about it. We only have so much time until the rain starts again."
"There were two deities." Chase said. Dashi nodded.
"Go on- why do you think there were two deities?"
"Because it only takes two to make a relationship," Chase replied easily, "perhaps it mirrored an aspect of the author's life. He and his wife, possibly. The two deities represented traditional marriage and the creation of a life together as well as children, and the facets of not only their own personalities, but their children's as well." Dashi nodded, pleased.
"Not bad!" he allowed, and Chase smiled. Guan however had been frowning, stuck in thought.
"Is that why the Xiaolin believe in the four deities instead of the two?" Guan asked, finally looking up at Dashi. "We vow to live celibate lives, devoid of the call of the flesh. The four deities represent the four elements, and therefore the Xiaolin dragons." Dashi nodded, appeased.
"Logical thinking, Guan- and you're not wrong. Although, you are ignoring the possibility of polyamory," Dashi wiggled his eyebrows and they laughed, "But indeed, the four deities are meant to represent us, give us purpose and reassure us. But there are obviously people who wouldn't agree with this thinking, and that brings us to the moral of our lesson. What would you do if someone approached you with a different idea?" Guan and Chase contemplated this silently for a few moments.
"I would probably disagree with them," Chase admitted begrudgingly, looking at the ground with a guilty countenance while recalling his earlier skepticism. "I would likely get into an argument."
"I would like to believe that even though I might disagree with them, I would listen. I wouldn't want to get into an argument, even though I might." Guan allowed, looking at Dashi with concern at his own thinking.
"Thank you for being honest," he said, and turned to peer over the rail. "My point is this; You will encounter people from all walks of life, with different ideas and morals. No matter how kind you are, nor how fair, there will always be someone who disagrees with you, always. It may be because of a flaw in your thinking or just because they don't like the way you looked at them, but there will always be strife," Chase and Guan came up on either side of him and peered into the pond as well.
"Strife is a part of everything. It is the reason why we exist, metaphorically, literally, existentially.
Somewhere in our families' collective histories, something caused fate to align in the specific way that allowed us to be born. The Xiaolin dragons exist because we disagree with the Heylin, and because we decided to do something about it. We as a race exist because somehow in time and space, there was something we needed to fight against and we evolved to combat it. Strife is everything, as can be said about many things, I suppose," Dashi stated mystically. He ran his finger along the wet rail and gathered a drop of water.
"But it is how we handle strife that, in due course, decides the manner of our fates." He held his finger over the rail and allowed the drop to fall, creating a minor disturbance in the water, and their reflections. "You can allow disturbance to control your life, or you can use the experience to become wiser. Knowledge comes from experience of all things, and fills you like the rain does a pond. Meditate upon this fact, my friends, as I have." he concluded just as thunder began to sound in the distance, the promising hum of rain accompanying it. Guan and Chase consented and hurried to the safety of the temple, but Dashi remained on the bridge, staring at the water below and his dull reflection.
"Hurry Chase, we need to get inside before the rain gets us!" Guan announced playfully.
"Is the rain so bad? Maybe I should lock you outside so you may learn its advantages," Chase retorted with a grin.
Dashi watched them enter the temple, a tiny mite of concern growing in his gut. It appeared that although they had listened to his lesson, they had not truly heard. He hoped they truly would meditate on their differences.
The rain began to come down truly, first a drizzle disrupting the pond, but soon a downpour, and Dashi was forced to retreat inside, lightning crackling at his senses and thunder booming, threatening, warning dually.