Psalm 119:105
Peace. Serenity. The aging panda once again found himself walking up the stairs to the Jade Palace. He discovered that enjoying the environment around him made the trip less tiring, rather than staring at the building at the top of the stairs, hoping to eventually make it there.
However, he had not gone to the Palace to train his students today. This day was one of grief for him, and one the people of his generation continued to mourn to this very day.
Yuan Yu entered the building, greeted by his young pupils. He greeted them in return with a bow and sent them off to their daily training in the obstacle course. Xi liang, a young lynx, was as usual the first in line, and smiled to her master as he passed the room.
After settling down the old panda sighed, finding himself once again looking upon the portrait hanging at the back of the building. Yuan walked up to it, running his hand gently along the lifted paint and the golden linens hanging from it. His portrait. The elder smiled proudly at the picture, but couldn't help a sad sigh. He grabbed a chair and lifted up the already inked brush, wondering how to start his story. For several minutes he stared at the blank paper, not sure how to write based on only two memories, but eventually the characters came into place as he began to write alongside the alien silence surrounding the Hall of the Masters.
"There are only two things I remember about my grandfather.." Yuan began to write.
"The day he held me in his arms when I was but a child, and the day he died. 'Look at this tiny thing,'" he said to everyone around him. "Hehe, I never thought I'd see the day I had a grandson! Yuan Yu.." I could hear grandma and the other villagers chuckle. Everything was at a temporary peace.
I meekly smiled at the stranger holding me. It had only been four months since my birth so all I could do was release strained words. "Baba.." I cooed.
Strangely, besides my mother and grandmother he was the only one I let near me. Perhaps it was those eyes. Those big green eyes that lighted the dark brighter than the Jade covering the Palace itself. There were so... inviting. Comforting. Another of his secret techniques?
Everyone had told me that he was a man of his virtue. Always putting his family and his friends before himself. He defeated enemy after enemy, even when the chances were slim. He protected those he held close and loved every person he came across. Like a hero. Like the Great Wall of China itself, blocking all its invaders from getting inside.
But one slipped by..
On the day of my third birthday, he was out serving the country, and since couldn't make it to see me, but came home on the third day after. The current Furious Five at that time went out to bring him back home to the Jade Palace after a long and enduring fight. I didn't get to see him.
The next day, around afternoon we all had dinner. He treated us all to his famous bowl of noodles for the celebrated return. His father used to own one of Chinas most famous noodle shops, after it burned down.. Thankfully I learned the recipe.
Being the Dragon Warrior you have to realize that it's China and the Valley of Peace before everything else. Before friends. Before family. Disappointingly though, bandits had come on my special day. Terrified screams were heard down below, and the Five and grandpa rushed out to defend the people. Mom had me stay inside of course.
But I disobeyed, wanting to watch the Dragon Warrior and the masters fight. The bandits were defeated as usual and ran away, snarling like beasts.
But there was no clapping in the end. No celebrating or cheering. The only sound heard were the gasps of the villagers and the agonized cry of the tiger.
And on the 21st day of the third month of Summer, Po Ping, the legendary Dragon Warrior, had passed away from a stab wound to the chest.
The panda put down the brush for a moment, needing a bit to relax his memory. Tears were gathering at his eyelids. With reason. This day had haunted him for the past forty yearsafter all. Deciding to take a breather, the panda exited his chair and strolled around te room, noticing the many portraits of the Dragon Warrior and the Five hung up around the room. Ahh... the beautiful yet lethal Master Viper, the skilled and acrobatic Master Monkey, the strong yet ironically small Master Mantis, the fast and aerial Master Crane, and there's grandma herself, the brave and courageous Master Tigress. And hung up above their portraits was their master, the grandmaster before himself and the Dragon Warrior. Grandmaster Shifu.
Yuan chuckled for a moment at the pictures. They looked so young, so full of energy. He took the scroll and continued walking through the building. Eventually his gaze was caught by the many artifacts throughout the room, just as they had done his grandfather the day he was chosen as Dragon Warrior.
There was the Cloak of Destiny worn by Master Sparrow, and..oh! The Talons of Ferociousness worn by Master Hawk, and even the Bo Staff of Justice used by Master Bull during the Battle of Nanjing. Woah…so many legends. Yuan thought to himself.
Mama always said he knew every detail about the age-old masters. Their skills, the battles that made them famous and the techniques each had developed throughout their lives. Pretty much everything. You could call him a stalker in a way.
Walking past the Palace, Yuan came upon the timeless Peach Tree. He pressed his hand against it and slid down to lay against it. It was almost nauseous, as though those before him were still there, listening and watching the once young panda with their proud faces. He took out his scroll once again and continued his story.
There is not much I remember during the next few days. Though I suspect there was much sadness throughout the whole of China. I held my mothers finger with my whole small paw as we stood in the front of the crowd. Grandpa laid comfortably in the coffin. I never saw him more at peace.
And as they lowered his body into the ground, I quietly said to the lifeless body, not realizing what had really happened to him-
The elder couldn't write down the rest. The day of his grandfathers death had scarred him for years, as he never got to say goodbye. Woeful tears slipped down his white cheeks.
He hadn't noticed the ruined ink running along the scroll for the next few minutes. The tears would not stop. Yuan threw the scroll to the side. Who cares what he wrote? Everyone remembers that horrid day…
"Do you miss him?" A small paw found itself along his shoulder as the Master looked back at his student.
"Very much." Yuan said, wiping his tears once again. "Ye-Ye, when are you coming home?" He then looked over the Valley as he got up. "Very much..now how about we go make some noodles for everyone, Jin?"
The small ant nodded in agreement towards his adoptive father, reaching for the old masters paw as the two headed inside.
A familiar wind found its way throughout the valley, finding its way up to the Palace and past the grandmasters ears. "Im proud of you.."
And for once in a very long time, the panda felt the strength he needed to go on.
Psalm 119:105 – For your word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.