A Sense of Compassion
"Come on, one final time before lunch. I think you just need a bit more practice to iron out the last kinks in your swing." She held out her staff in a defensive pose and nodded at her sparring partner, a young rhino, who went through his training pattern for what felt like the millionth time today. But I've been there, too, she told herself, and practice makes perfect.
"Hey, Mei Ling, you coming?" a familiar voice came from behind her.
"Gimme a few, we're in the middle of something!" she shouted back without looking. "Besides, it's still a bit early for lunch!"
"Not for lunch! Visitors are approaching!"
Mei Ling rolled her eyes. "Oh, yeah, I'll drop everything right away because whoooo, somebody is coming to visit us." The rhino was just swinging his staff at hers when suddenly, a third staff appeared between them, knocking her partner's weapon away. She dropped her staff and turned to face the wolf who had interfered. "Are you deaf, stupid, or both, Yuan Da?" she snapped and gave him an angry glare.
The wolf, who was dressed in a dark red version of the Lee Da Kung Fu Academy uniform, just gave her a smirk. "Not just any visitor," he replied calmly as if nothing had happened, "but allegedly visitors from the Jade Palace."
"...the Jade Palace?" Mei Ling's jaw dropped, and for a moment, she forgot that she was supposed to be angry at Yuan Da. "You've got to be kidding. Why would the most famous Kung Fu temple in all of China send visitors to the Academy?"
"Ohhhh, that's the best part!" Yuan Da's tail was wagging. "My sources tell me they saw three people: a giant tortoise and a red panda. Oh, and some servant carrying their bags, but whatever."
Mei Ling wheezed. Grand Masters Oogway and Shifu? Two living legends coming here? NOW? "I... I..." She gestured this way and that, trying to get her brain to work again.
"Listen up, students!" one of the instructors shouted before she could succeed. "We're getting visitors in a few, so lunch break starts early! Light lunch only! I expect everybody in the courtyard in half an hour! NOW GO, GO, GO!"
Servants rushed onto the scene, taking weapons from the students as they passed by. Mei Ling handed her staff to a crow and thanked him without really thinking about it. "Grand Master Oogway himself is coming to the Academy?" she whispered, hoping that things would start to make sense if she said them out loud.
"Exciting, isn't it?" Yuan Da asked and gently steered her to the large hall where lunch was waiting for them.
"Why would he come all the way up here, though?"
The wolf rubbed his chin in mock contemplation. "Hmmmmm, why would two Kung Fu teachers travel to a Kung Fu Academy filled with promising students?"
Mei Ling stopped dead in her tracks, causing the person behind her to walk straight into her. "You think they're here to recruit somebody?" she asked, barely noticing the annoyed sounds behind her. "Seriously? A new student for the Jade Palace?"
"Two Grand Masters in a huge temple. How many students do they have, anyway? I never heard of any."
"I... I..." Mei Ling tried to concentrate, but her mind was trying to go in every direction at the same time.
"Here, food." Yuan Da handed her a full tray and quickly picked up one for himself before steering her to a free table.
For several minutes, the Mountain Cat just poked her plate. What if he's right? What if they will pick one of us to be the new Jade Palace student? Wow, all of a sudden, Lee Da looks like an utterly insignificant school. I mean, it's not, but... compared to the Jade Palace? Oof. The possibilities! The reputation! "I need to get in there," she finally whispered and took her first, determined bite.
"Ha, get in line!" Yuan Da gave her a confident look.
Hm, competition. That could be a minor problem. She cocked her head. "You're good, but I could beat you in battle any day of the week."
"It's not just about fighting, my dear." He was looking past her now, and Mei Ling realized that the hall had become strangely quiet. "It's also about showing that you're willing to lead and to take control." He got up and walked past her.
After taking another, hasty bite, Mei Ling turned around to see where he was going. Oh, no, what's the idiot up to now? she asked herself when she spotted a tall, hooded figure holding a tray and looking for a place to sit.
"Hey, you!" Yuan Da shouted before even having covered half the distance to the figure. "You're the Jade Palace servant, aren't you?"
The figure slowly turned to face him. "I'm from the Jade Palace, yes," she replied carefully. The voice made Mei Ling's fur stand up on the back of her neck, and she immediately knew that something was terribly wrong. Still, she remained seated, her anxiety overruling her desire to join her friend.
Yuan Da pulled himself up to his full height, standing just an inch or two taller than the female visitor. "This is the students' lunch hall," he told her, raising his voice to make sure everybody in the room heard him. Some of the other students cheered him on, but others were either confused or careful.
"I was told that I could eat something here," the visitor replied calmly, her voice reaching all ears despite remaining low.
"Well, then you were told wrong." Yuan Da casually flicked her hood away, letting it drop to her shoulders and revealing a feline head. Black stripes on gold, framing a young but determined face. The sight caused several students to exchange hushed words of confusion and admiration, but the wolf was unimpressed and grabbed her tray. "Go ask the servants for something in the kitchen." And with that, he yanked her tray away.
Except that it didn't move one inch. "Please," the young tigress said, calmly holding her tray with one hand while Yuan Da was trying to pull it away, "we have traveled a long way, and I was promised a bit of food before things get started."
Mei Ling watched the slowly escalating scene with both horror and awe. She knew that in a few seconds, Yuan Da would lose his cool and that the Lee Da Academy students would have to explain why one of them beat up a Jade Palace servant. Yeah, right, servant, her inner voice quipped, making her blink for a moment before the implications of her hunch made it all the way into her consciousness. Oh. Crap.
"Guys, guys, please!" Mei Ling wheezed in relief - Crane had stepped in before she could come up with a plan to prevent the situation from exploding. "This lunch hall is for students of the Academy," the former janitor of the Academy spoke up as he hopped over to them in his slightly comical style where he was trying to run without using his wings, "but also for guests. Any guest." He pointed at a small sign near the entrance. "I should know, I put up the signs last year! See?"
Yuan Da gave Crane a dark look before finally letting go. "Very well, then," he muttered and turned around to go back to his own table. Behind him, Crane was apologizing quietly to the tigress, who simply bowed politely before heading to a table in a corner. "Meh, that could've gone better, I guess," the wolf told her when he arrived.
"Are you insane?" Mei Ling hissed. "Do you think the Jade Palace will pick people who act like complete jerks?"
"Oh, please. " He rolled his eyes. "She's a servant. You gotta be assertive!"
There is no way that someone like her is a mere servant. Mei Ling's eyes wandered back to the corner where the visitor was eating now. But best not to bring this up now. Crane defused the situation, so I don't want to provoke a second round.
"Break is over!" one of the instructors finally shouted, making everybody get up. "Gather in the courtyard!"
The students exchanged hushed comments when they arrived at the courtyard - a small stage had been built at one wall, giving the three Grand Masters plenty of sitting room. This is probably the most impressive thing I will ever see, Mei Ling thought, her eyes moving from the ancient Grand Master Oogway to his successor, Grand Master Shifu, and from there to one of Oogway's first students, Grand Master Guo, who had then founded the Academy with two of his peers.
Following the orders of their instructors, everybody lined up along the walls, leaving the center area unoccupied. Only one person ignored the instructors: the tigress was calmly walking towards the stage, dropping into a lotus position behind Grand Master Shifu. Yeah, definitely not a servant, Mei Ling thought when she saw her exchanging a few words with the red panda.
"Huh," Yuan Da whispered, "she seems to be awfully chummy with the Grand Master."
"Looks like you tried to bully a Jade Palace student," Mei Lung purred. "So much for being a candidate, huh?"
The wolf snarled quietly, but Master Guo spoke up before he could come up with a witty reply. "Everybody here? No latecomers?" The rhino looked around, exchanging brief looks with the instructors. When they all gave him short nods, he smiled. "Wonderful. In that case, it's an honor to welcome Grand Masters Oogway and Shifu from the Jade Palace, as well as one of their students!" Everybody applauded briefly. "As you know..."
Mei Ling tuned him out - she had never cared too much about the long history of the Academy or its founding details. Instead, she focused on the two visiting Grand Masters. It was hard to believe that Grand Master Oogway knew any Kung Fu at all - giant, old tortoises just didn't strike anybody as the type. Still, she knew that he was actually the founder of the art. Next to him, his chosen successor looked equally unlikely to be a Kung Fu Master, though for different reasons. The short red panda was looking menacing, but still... well, short. Also somewhat weak, but Crane had demonstrated nicely that raw strength was absolutely no requirement for learning Kung Fu. Looking at the two, it was Master Guo who was the odd one out - he was large, even for a rhino, and would be able to hold his own in a fight even without Kung Fu, simply thanks to his sheer strength.
"...and in their wisdom, they have decided to offer one member of our Academy a chance to become their new student!" Master Guo finished his lengthy speech, the confirmation making Mei Ling take a deep breath. "Now, we will give everybody a chance to demonstrate their skills, but someone always has to go first. If there is anybody who would like to volunteer for-"
"I would!" Yuan Da immediately shouted and stepped out of the line of students.
Mei Ling gritted her teeth. He just won't give up, will he? Bah, just as well. Let him make a fool out of himself, my chance will come later. She watched Yuan Da picking a staff from a weapon rack next to them and tried to shove her emotions aside. Pay attention, she told herself, and see what impresses them and what doesn't.
"Ahhh, Yuan Da, one of our best students!" Master Guo greeted him enthusiastically. "Would you like to give us a short demonstration alone, or with somebody else?" He waved invitingly across the courtyard.
"Well, if I can indeed pick somebody to spar with me..." Yuan Da smiled sheepishly, but Mei Ling knew from experience that this smile was just a mask. "...could it be her?" And he pointed straight at Master Shifu, or rather at the tigress behind him.
Master Guo frowned deeply, but then gave Grand Master Shifu a look. He in turn exchanged quick words with his Master before nodding courtly. "Very well," the red panda addressed Yuan Da, "Tigress will be your sparring partner. Light sparring, five minutes, extendable if needed."
The assembled students snickered, obviously finding it funny to see a tigress named Tigress. Mei Ling just sighed - they had reacted the same way to the crane named Crane. Laugh all you want, but she is a Jade Palace student. Even if she is a rookie, she had probably received better training than any of you.
Tigress rose slowly and took off her brown robe, revealing a beautiful uniform consisting of a red vest with gold patterns and dark pants.
"So... Tigress, eh?" Yuan Da smirked while Tigress made her way to the sparring area. "Well, pick a weapon! Free choice!"
The feline shrugged. "I'm more comfortable without weapons."
He gave his Master a brief look. "That's... great, but I'll stick to my staff."
"Of course." She dropped into her base stance, one arm outstretched, the other one held back, with her fist behind her head.
Mei Ling squinted. She wasn't too familiar with Tiger style, but this stance looked... lazy. Sloppy, even. Did I overestimate her? Maybe they're looking for a new student to encourage her to do better?
Once Yuan Da had assumed his own base stance, staff angled above his head, Master Guo nodded. "Begin."
The wolf immediately went into the offensive, swinging his staff at his opponent. Tigress dodged the first two attacks and then jumped to the side to avoid a strike that came down vertically. After a few more attacks, Mei Ling cocked her head. It was an extremely one-sided battle - Yuan Da was attacking almost the entire time, leaving Tigress only tiny chances to get in close for a strike of her own. She's badly outranged.
Then she frowned as another thought hit her: This isn't light sparring. "Crap!" she hissed as she realized that Yuan Da was definitely aiming to hit and bruise his opponent. No wonder she's falling back the entire time! Why doesn't anybody do anything? She shot a glance over to the assembled Grand Masters. Master Guo was looking shocked, Grand Master Shifu was obviously trying to murder Yuan Da with his mind - He can't do that, right? - and Grand Master Oogway was looking... somewhat amused.
"Mei Ling, what are you doing?" one of her fellow students hissed when she grabbed another staff from the rack.
Salvaging our reputation! Mei Ling silently replied and rushed over to the scene of the battle. Neither of the two fighters really seemed to notice her - Tigress's eyes were trained on Yuan Da's staff, and the wolf had his back turned to her. Here goes nothing! She brought up her staff, blocking his attack and then yanking back hard, flinging the weapon out of his hands. "Are you deaf, stupid, or both, Yuan Da?"
The wolf snarled loudly at her. "How dare you interfere here?"
"Light sparring, you idiot! LIGHT!" She showed her fangs. "Or is that you trying to show'em who's the boss again?"
"I tend to agree," Master Guo's voice came from right behind Mei Ling, making her turn around. The rhino was towering above both of them, looking displeased. "Yuan Da, wait here while we discuss how to proceed. Mei Ling, why don't you join us?"
Yuan Da crossed his arms defiantly, but did as he was told. Tigress on the other hand was as enigmatic as ever, standing simply at attention.
"Master Oogway, Master Shifu, I must apologize for my student," Master Guo told the two seated visitors when they arrived back at the stage. He sat down on his old place and directed Mei Ling to sit behind him on a sitting pillow, much like Tigress had sat behind Grand Master Shifu.
"No harm done," Grand Master Oogway replied calmly. "Though you should work on reining in his... enthusiasm."
"Ha, I'm afraid that won't happen - not in my lifetime at least." Master Guo laughed drily, and Mei Ling couldn't help but feel that he was suddenly looking old.
"Well, in that case, you should maybe start to plan ahead," the tortoise replied and smiled mysteriously.
"That's nice, we can all work out our retirement plans later," Master Shifu hissed, looking justifiably irritated. "But for now, let's think of how to deal with this issue."
Grand Master Oogway chuckled quietly. "Oh, Shifu. You know exactly how to deal with this..."
The red panda was looking confused for a second, but then he smiled. It was a horrible, thin-lipped smile that Mei Ling knew from her instructors and Master Guo whenever they had thought up a particularly entertaining training routine or punishment. "She wanted to keep a low profile, though," he finally replied.
"I'm sure she won't complain, given the current situation." Grand Master Oogway nodded his head at the center of the courtyard, where Yuan Da was quietly teasing Tigress. Both Grand Masters smiled, shrugged and finally nodded at Master Guo, who was obviously in on the joke.
"Can't say I mind..." The big rhino cleared his throat, making both students stand at attention. "Well, we have reached a decision," he announced. "If both of you agree, we will escalate things to contact sparring."
Tigress was obviously surprised by this turn of events, and gave her Masters a questioning look. Grand Master Shifu just made a few quick gestures, and Tigress immediately nodded and bowed slightly. "I don't mind."
Now it was Yuan Da's turn to be surprised. "Are you serious?" he asked Tigress, who simply ignored him. Grinning as if he just had been promoted to Master rank, he gave them a thumb-up sign. "Sure, I'm in!"
Master Guo smiled widely. "Excellent! Now, to make things more balanced and entertaining, you can pick two students to help you."
For a few seconds, Yuan Da gave Tigress an expectant look. When the feline didn't react, he looked back at his Master. "Wait, were you talking to me?"
Mei Ling swallowed hard as her worst fears were slowly being proven right. She's not a servant. And while she may be Grand Master Shifu's student, she's not just a student, is she?
"Indeed. Pick two people you can work with, they take whatever weapons they like, and then the four of you will do a quick contact sparring session."
"You mean... us three... against... her?" The wolf was gesturing slowly at Tigress, who had somehow managed to keep a straight face throughout the entire discussion. "Seriously? She could barely land one hit when it had been one-on-one!"
All three Grand Masters were smiling now. "Oh, I'm sure that Master Tigress will hold back a bit less this time," Master Guo told him.
Yuan Da's staff hit the ground, quickly followed by his tail. The courtyard was filled with silence at this revelation... at least until one of the younger students could be heard saying, "Pay up."
The resulting laughter snapped the wolf out of his shock and pushed him straight into denial. "She? A Master? You've got to be kidding me!" He glared at the other fighter, who was still calmly facing the row of Grand Masters. "You're not a Master!" he sneered. "But fine! You think you're so great? Let's treat you like it!"
It was an extremely subtle movement, but Mei Ling could see Master Tigress taking a deep breath and sighing at that remark. Guess that's why she wanted to keep a low profile - being a Master when she's at most my age must lead to plenty of scenes like this one...
Yuan Da had of course missed the small gesture. The wolf was fully caught up in his little fantasy world now, scanning the row of students for suitable candidates. "Mei Ling?" he finally asked, but the mountain cat instantly shook her head. "Pah." He made a dismissive gesture in her general direction before snapping his fingers and pointing at two of his closer friends, a ferret and a rhino. The former was wearing a student uniform just like Yuan Da's, but the rhino was wearing a bulky set of metal armor. Still, he was moving almost as quickly and swiftly as his smaller buddy, showing just how much strength and control he possessed. Each student grabbed a staff and headed into the middle of the courtyard.
"Prepare," Master Guo simply said when the three friends had exchanged nods and grins.
All three Lee Da students took a few steps back, forming a loose triangle around their opponent, putting her just barely in range of their weapons. Master Tigress... bowed deeply and offered the three Grand Masters the traditional Kung Fu salute. Then she turned, saluting the rhino, the ferret and the wolf in this order. Mei Ling noted that Master Tigress hadn't done this in the first fight and assumed that that too had been a part of her act. Both the rhino and the ferret hastily returned the salute, obviously regretting that they had forgotten to greet the Grand Masters. Yuan Da just kept his base stance, his anger obviously overriding his rational side. This will either be a very short or very entertaining fight, Mei Ling thought and sighed quietly. I should've stopped him when I had the chance.
"You did what you could, Mei Ling," Master Guo whispered without looking at her, obviously knowing what was going through her head. Then, louder: "Begin."
Mei Ling frowned; she knew the trio regularly practiced together, and their teamwork was excellent. While all three were staff users, they all used different styles: The ferret attacked with a quick one-two-three combo, holding his staff in the middle and alternating frequently between what end would come forward. Yuan Da came in next, his staff moving in graceful arcs that were aimed at sweeping rather than striking. And finally, the actual striking was done by the rhino, who used his staff like a very long sword.
Master Tigress's movements at first looked frantic, with her barely dodging the various blows, but then Mei Ling realized something important: nobody was actually hitting her. While there were many close calls and even more last-second moments where she had to do a quick jab to move somebody else's staff to let it block for her, Master Tigress was taking practically no damage. Still, she has to fight back to win this. It's not like those three will just give up after a few failed attacks.
As if having waited for Mei Ling's observation, Master Tigress moved into the offensive. The mountain cat had merely heard descriptions of Tiger style from Master Guo - there were no natural practitioners at the Academy, and Master Guo was far too bulky to properly demonstrate the style - so seeing it in action came to her as a shock:
The ferret had attempted to jab one end of his staff into Master Tigress's side, the rhino had then tried to strike her down with a vertical slash, and Yuan Da was moving in to complete the round of attacks with a high sweep. And then, all of a sudden, Master Tigress did a quick jump, landing on the ferret's outstretched staff and forcing it down onto the rhino's. From there, she did another jump, this time straight at the unsuspecting wolf, who was still in mid-swing. Before any of the three warriors could even comprehend what had just happened, Yuan Da was skidding away from them, his staff landing a few feet away from him.
But then, Master Tigress seemingly made a terrible mistake. Instead of following up on her surprise move and dealing with the other two, she turned her back to them and instead focused her attention on Yuan Da, whose brain was still in the middle of reviewing the past second. Both the rhino and the ferret saw their big chance - and promptly made their own stupid mistake by attacking in perfect unison for the first time in this fight.
The beauty of the trio's pattern had been that at any time, one person was attacking, one person was preparing an attack, and the last person was watching the situation and planning ahead. The attacks would still come in rapid succession, but a keen observer had no trouble seeing the turn-taking. With one fighter out of the picture, things were of course trickier, but taking turns still would have had the advantage of being able to react to the opponent's actions.
Now, though, the rhino and the ferret were driven both by their fear that Master Tigress might turn around at any moment and by their individual desire to be the one to strike down the Kung Fu Master. Unfortunately, this was exactly what said Kung Fu Master had anticipated: Accompanied by a fierce shout, the feline's hand moved to her upper right, blindly meeting the rhino's staff. There was a horrible cracking sound, but instead of the fighter's hand, the staff was breaking into pieces.
Even while the audience was going wild at this, Mei Ling focused on the ferret's attack. Like before, the ferret had attacked with a quick stabbing motion, but in her quarter turn to deal with the rhino, Master Tigress's other hand had moved to deflect the incoming staff. Turning like that, with one hand pointing at the sky and the other at the ground, Master Tigress looked as if she was in the middle of an exotic dance routine. But then, any illusion of a dance was dispelled when she whirled around and brought her raised hand down against the ferret's staff, snapping it in two just like the rhino's.
"Holy crap," Mei Ling whispered, not caring that three Kung Fu Grand Masters were able to hear her - she was sure they understood.
Yuan Da was finally getting back onto his feet - in all fairness, he had only been on the ground for a few moments, but in the context of this fight, he might as well have gone on a week-long vacation - and charged back at Master Tigress after picking up his staff. His two friends were trying to decide between attacking with their bare hands and running back to the weapons rack, and Master Tigress took advantage of this by delivering a quick roundhouse kick that sent both of them to the ground. It hadn't been strong enough to knock out even the ferret, but they would be out of the fight for precious seconds.
The wolf didn't really care, though. He could hear his fellow students cheering for his opponent, and combined with the ever-growing shame of having underestimated Master Tigress, he could only see one way to re-establish his reputation as one of the top students: a reckless offensive.
Screaming like a madman, Yuan Da charged at Master Tigress, staff held at one end, ready for a fierce swing. Mei Ling held her breath - she had been on the receiving end of this attack before, and that experience had taught her the value of a very good defense - anything less would simply be mowed down. When the swing came, the mountain cat almost cringed. It was a high swing, aimed right at Master Tigress's head. She'll dodge. Her reflexes are very good. Right? Right? ...why isn't she moving? Mei Ling blinked. Yuan Da was already in mid-swing, but Master Tigress was just standing in front of him. She wasn't even in any sort of Kung Fu stance, unless one counted a most basic light squat with spread legs. Low center of gravity, good stability, but little potential for offense or defense.
Finally, wood hit flesh, and the audience fell silent just in time for the loud smacking sound to reach everybody's ears. Mei Ling's jaw dropped when she took in the scene in front of her. Master Tigress hadn't dodged the blow, and Yuan Da hadn't pulled back at the last moment. No, the weapon had hit properly, just not her face as intended. Yuan Da stared at Master Tigress's hand, which had caught the staff just inches away from her head, and finally gave his opponent a look of pure disbelief.
"Your strategy was sound, but it fell apart too quickly," Master Tigress remarked calmly, as if not even feeling the pain of the impact. "At this point, I suggest that you either regroup or call it quits."
Yuan Da was still staring at her hand while the message made its way through to his brain. When it arrived, he blinked and slowly stumbled backwards, looking at some people in the audience, then back at Master Tigress, and finally at his two friends. "I... I..."
The ferret was still looking slightly dazed, but the rhino already was getting back onto his feet, looking eager for another round. Way too eager, even. "I'll show her!" he growled and stomped towards the weapons rack. "Master, shmaster. Think you're so-"
"We give up."
The wolf's words made the rhino freeze dead in his tracks. "We WHAT?"
"Very well," Master Tigress replied and let go of the staff. Yuan Da bowed briefly before quickly facing the rhino, who was already coming his way.
"We're giving up?" the bigger fighter snapped, his pride obviously hurt. "We're barely getting started, for crying out loud!"
"Trust me on this one, please," the wolf pleaded. "I'll explain later."
"Oof. Fine, whatever, then." The rhino sighed dramatically and gave Master Tigress a respectful bow, coupled with the Kung Fu salute. The ferret, who had by now found back to his feet, quickly did the same.
The last of the three to bow was Yuan Da. To make up for it, the wolf bowed deeply - deeper than Mei Ling had ever seen him bow. Master Tigress returned the salute and also bowed, albeit not as deeply as her opponents. Just when she was about to turn to the stage, the wolf spoke up, loud enough for all to hear: "Master Tigress?" When the feline Master blinked and turned back to him, he cleared his throat. "I... I would like to offer my deepest apologies to you, your Masters, and the entire Jade Palace." He took a deep breath. "My behavior has been unacceptable and had been fueled entirely by my blind ambition. It is my... my hope that my stupidity does not reflect badly on the Academy." He offered an even deeper bow, making Mei Ling worry that he'd hit his head on the stone floor.
Grand Master Oogway slowly leaned forward. "We have all been young once, Yuan Da. And this is hardly the first time we had to beat some sense into somebody from the Academy." He ignored Master Guo's sudden cough and just smiled. "We accept your apology, and I'm sure that the lesson you learned today was worth the minor inconvenience."
"Thank you, Grand Master Oogway." Yuan Da gave his friends and Master Tigress a quick look. Then, finally, the group turned to face the three Grand Masters and bowed as one.
Seconds later, the group on the courtyard dispersed. Master Tigress sat down behind Grand Master Shifu as if nothing had happened. Yuan Da and his friends had vanished into the crowd, and Mei Ling doubted that they would be around to watch any of the other presentations.
"Less goofing around next time, Tigress," Grand Master Shifu remarked without turning around. "Defensive play-arounds don't fit into your style."
Master Tigress bowed her head slightly. "It was a sparring match to let them show what they got."
The red panda huffed at that. Bad enough that he scolded her to begin with! Mei Ling thought, but didn't dare to interfere in a Master's discussion with his student. Really, though, that fight was virtually flawless. Stupid, old grump.
"Then perhaps you shouldn't have given him that look," Grand Master Shifu suddenly added, making Tigress blink in surprise.
"I didn't give him any angry looks!" Master Tigress protested, showing more emotions than ever before.
The red panda looked over his shoulder, looking vaguely amused. "That's just it, Tigress - you were looking bored. The poor boy probably figured he might as well stop trying when you're barely even acknowledging that he's doing anything at all."
"Poor boy?" Tigress's eyes narrowed slightly. "He's a jerk. An ambitious jerk with quite decent Kung Fu skills and maybe a few redeeming qualities, but still a jerk."
"Oh?" Grand Master Shifu feigned surprise. "So does that mean you would oppose me picking him?"
The feline Kung Fu Master gave him a bored look. "Oh, please, Master. I know what you're looking for, and I know what you can't stand. He had been off the list the moment he ignored the light-sparring rule."
Grand Master Shifu smirked at that, but didn't comment further. Instead, he simply returned his attention to the courtyard, where the next candidate was preparing.
The presentations went on until the early evening, at which point all hopefuls the Academy had to offer had shown their skill. Mei Ling had enjoyed quite a few, though the only two that stood out in her mind were her own (for being terribly, terribly mediocre) and Crane's (for being so radically different from any other student). The two Jade Palace Grand Masters had watched all presentations without ever changing expressions: Grand Master Oogway had been lightly smiling all the way through, and Grand Master Shifu had looked carefully neutral.
Now, long after dinner, Mei Ling was sitting in one of the small gardens the Academy had to offer for recreation. Few other students ever came to this particular one, and at such a late time, it was deserted... which suited her just fine. Tomorrow, the Grand Masters will announce their decision. And I'm pretty sure it won't be me. She flicked a pebble at a house-shaped flower pot. Damn Yuan Da for going first. Ever since his little stunt, my entire inner peace had been shattered. No wonder that my presentation had been riddled with mistakes! I barely looked better than the rookies!
"Would you mind if I sat here?" somebody behind her asked, his voice slow and deliberate.
"Sure, whatever." She didn't even bother to look up and instead picked up another pebble. At least Yuan Da seems to be an even less likely candidate, especially if Master Tigress's impression is accurate. No, no, no! What am I thinking? Jerk or not, he's a good guy, and I should wish for him to get picked. "Damn it all," she hissed and flicked the pebble at the flower pot again.
Except that this time, another pebble intercepted it in mid-air, causing both to narrowly miss the pot.
"What the-" Mei Ling blinked, as if hoping that her eyes had betrayed her. Who could throw a pebble with such precision? And who would have reflexes to toss it in time like that? Her mouth went dry. And who asks slowly and politely whether he can sit here? She slowly turned around and barely held back a curse when she found herself looking up at Grand Master Oogway.
The giant tortoise was smiling gently. "Mei Ling."
"Grand Master Oogway! I'm so sorry I didn't recognize..." Her voice trailed off when he slowly raised his hand.
"Please, calm down. I apologize for startling you."
"No harm done," she heard herself saying. After a few seconds of silence, she cocked her head. "Did you come here to talk to me?"
The founder of Kung Fu gazed upon the small garden, taking it all in. After long seconds, he finally nodded. "Shifu and I were quite impressed by your performance today."
"Ha!" The word was out before she could stop herself. "My performance had been mediocre at best, and you know it."
"Who was talking about your Kung Fu presentation?" He gave her a long look. "Today, you alone stepped in to stop your fellow student after he deliberately broke the rules of a match. You have a strong sense of what is right and what is wrong, and you have the courage to stand up for these values, even when your own Master hesitates."
"I... uh... thank you kindly, but I only wanted to avoid anybody getting hurt..."
"And that is very commendable." Another pause. "Shifu believes that you would be the perfect candidate to train at the Jade Palace."
Mei Ling was immediately on her feet. "Really? Me? The perfect candidate?" She beamed, but then something made her frown. "Wait. You just said that Grand Master Shifu believes so... but what about you?"
"Ah, I see that you are also quite observant. Another great trait to have..." Grand Master Oogway motioned her to sit again, his face completely unreadable. "You would be a valuable addition to the Jade Palace, yes."
"But?" Mei Ling asked, trying to ignore the hole that was forming in her guts.
The founder of Kung Fu didn't immediately reply. In fact, it appeared that he was at a loss of words for a change. "But I believe you can do better."
"Better?" The mountain cat couldn't hold back her laughter. "Better?" she repeated, shaking her head in open disbelief. "Better than studying under the founder of Kung Fu and his successor?"
He let her have her moment and simply smiled politely. "I'm not directly involved in teaching students anymore," he said when she had calmed down a bit. "And Shifu..." The smile turned into a frown. "Shifu will perfect your current style. You will become one of China's most respected Masters."
"You're saying that like it's a bad thing." Mei Ling gave him a puzzled look.
His smile quickly returned, but she could tell that it was not entirely genuine. "Guo told me that you failed your Master exam. Twice."
The young student almost choked. "Wha-..." She took a deep breath. Calm down! Calm down!
"He also told me that you had been more than ready for the title months before your first exam."
The words made Mei Ling blink. "He... said that? Really?"
"Indeed." Grand Master Oogway smiled softly. "Is it true that you failed both times because of a lack of sleep?" When Mei Ling didn't even bother to reply, his smile widened. "You stayed up late, but not to study or train. Instead, you helped other students who had been struggling with details. Those students passed their exams thanks to your help, and you failed." He scratched his chin without taking his eyes off her. "One would have thought that you had learned your lesson after the first time..."
For a few seconds, Mei Ling tried to make sense of the conversation so far. What is he getting at? I feel like I'm trying to assemble a puzzle without knowing what it's supposed to look like. "I like helping people," she finally replied. "Our teachers are very good, but they often don't have the patience for in-depth work with individual students. There was no lesson to be learned for me - I chose to help them because they needed the help, and I don't regret that decision."
"Very good! And this is exactly why I hesitate to endorse you as Shifu's new student."
"I... don't follow," Mei Ling admitted after struggling for another few seconds. "As in, at all."
"You and Tigress are very similar in that you both would give everything you have to help others." Master Oogway gave her a serious look. "However, Tigress is driven by a sense of justice. She has a strong sense of right and wrong, and she wants to help by using her skills to stop bad people." He paused for a moment. "You on the other hand are driven by compassion. The people around you are struggling, and you help them because you want to ease their misfortune. Now, of course, you showed that you also have a sense of justice, and Tigress is not without compassion. But this is about what you two are at your very core. Tigress is a warrior. You are a teacher."
Teacher? Huh. I guess you could call it that, but... but... She frowned lightly. "Is this why you feel I shouldn't join the Jade Palace? That makes no sense, does it?"
The tortoise was looking extremely uncomfortable now. "The time is not right, I'm afraid. I'm not in a good position to take student, and Shifu's focus is rather narrow right now - he is looking for the most capable and diverse warriors. The thing that drives him is fear." When Mei Ling just gave him a surprised look, he sighed. "Shifu is not ready to give you the training you need. His past is haunting him, and as long as that dark cloud is at the horizon, he will only see your potential as a fighter because he thinks that is what he needs. Tigress fits his expectations, you don't."
Grand Master Shifu's past? Mei Ling quickly searched her memory for tales about the red panda. "...oh," she whispered when her brain produced a name: Tai Lung. His adopted son who turned bad and was imprisoned.
"It's not all bad, though." Grand Master Oogway held out his arms, ignoring her insight. "You are in the perfect position to realize your potential."
"Well, yeah," she admitted lamely. "I guess I could focus a bit, get my Master title, and then become a teacher here..."
For a moment, Grand Master Oogway looked as if he was going to say something, but then he cocked his head and stood up. "Ah, I guess your next visitor will have to wrap this up. So let me just say that Shifu will make you an offer tomorrow and that I will happily accept any decision you make." He bowed slightly and offered her the traditional salute.
Mei Ling quickly returned it and bowed deeply in respect. When she looked up again, the tortoise was nowhere to be seen. "Huh, he's faster than I thought," she muttered and shook her head.
"Who is?"
The voice made Mei Ling whirl around, searching for the person who was apparently spying on her. "Master Tigress?" she asked when she spotted the Jade Palace student crouching on one of the walls separating the garden from the rest of the Academy.
"I apologize for the interruption," her new visitor spoke quietly. "I was just trying to get away from some students. Ever since the presentations, people have been asking for demonstrations or even competitive matches." She hesitated. "Would you like me to leave? I can probably find another quiet spot."
My next visitor will wrap this up, huh? Mei Ling eyed the elegant tigress. "I'd be honored if you chose to stay for a while, Master Tigress."
Master Tigress gave her a look before hopping down from the wall. "No need for formalities. From what your Master told us, you're pretty much on my level, no matter what some exam results say."
Me? On the same level as her? Master Guo must have been fabricating some outlandish stories about me... "Thank you... Tigress."
Grand Master Shifu's student smiled and nodded at that. "So, may I ask who your last visitor had been?"
"Um." Mei Ling turned around, as if expecting the tortoise to return. "It had been Grand Master Oogway."
Tigress's eyes widened at that. "Master Oogway paid you a visit? So did he tell you that-" She froze. "What did he tell you?"
How cute, she's trying keep the surprise a secret... "He told me that Grand Master Shifu would like me to join the Jade Palace."
"Huh, it's not like him to spoil a surprise like that, but congratulations!" It was the first time Mei Ling saw Tigress smiling widely. "You'll love it at the Jade Palace! There is so much to-... wait, you're not happy."
Mei Ling sighed at that. "He also wanted to convince me that I would be better off here. As a teacher."
"Huh... really?" Now it was Tigress's turn to look at where Grand Master Oogway had been. "That sounds... great," she then said, making no effort to conceal the blatant lie.
"Eh."
"Truthfully, that doesn't sound like him at all. From what I heard, you have way too much talent to become a simple teacher here. I've seen the ones you call teachers, and while they're skilled... no." Tigress huffed.
"They're not that bad," Mei Ling told her, but deep down, she fully agreed. Our teachers are far too specialized, and mostly in fields that emphasize strength over style. They're great in the niches they teach, but that's it. To the point where only two of them are actually Masters.
The look Tigress gave her spoke volumes. "You must have misunderstood something," she said. "Master Oogway can be... cryptic at times. Think back - did he actually say that you would be better off here as one of the teachers at the Academy?"
"Yes!" Mei Ling hissed, somehow not happy with Tigress's doubting tone. "I mean... he didn't quite put it that way; not literally at least..." She pressed her palms against her eyes in an attempt to focus. "Look, I can see where he's coming from. I like helping the others, and I will stop them if I think they're being jerks. Isn't that what teachers are supposed to do?"
"Well, yes," Tigress allowed, "but-"
"See? And that's what Grand Master Oogway told me!"
"He told you what exactly?" Tigress tried again.
"That I can do better than joining the Jade Palace and that I'm in the perfect position to realize my potential!" Mei Ling snapped, exasperated at the way Tigress was either unable or unwilling to comprehend.
"That you are..." Tigress's voice trailed off. She first gave the mountain cat a once-over before focusing on something in the distance. "Hmmm."
"Anything you would like to share with the rest of the class, Tigress?" Mei Ling asked in her best teacher-tone.
"Both Master Oogway and Master Shifu agree that you're good," Tigress finally began after ignoring Mei Ling for another half minute. "Very good, in fact. That's high praise, so I definitely don't think you're supposed to become a teacher." A smile was forming on her face now. "Tell me, Mei Ling. How old is Master Guo?"
"What does that have to do with me?" Mei Ling immediately asked, but then still tried to think of an answer. "Um, I don't know for sure, really. He's not the chatty, outgoing type."
"Educated guess?" Tigress asked, looking oddly amused now.
"Oof. Blindly guessing... maybe sixty? Or seventy?"
"Ha!" The Jade Palace Master laughed quietly. "Seventy... that's a good one." She shook her head. "How old is the Academy?"
"What does-" Mei Ling froze, thus cutting off what would have been an extremely stupid question. Master Guo co-founded the Academy. And the Academy is most definitely more than fifty years old. But... that would mean that Master Guo is old. REALLY OLD. Wow, how'd I never think of that? Guess I never really thought about the full implications of the school's history...
"I'm sure Master Guo would be flattered to know that you were off by a couple of decades." Tigress was looking smug now.
Mei Ling narrowed her eyes. She had always hated people who made fun of her mistakes, just like she had always hated people who played games with her - especially the sort where they would dangle a piece of information over her head like a toy she couldn't quite reach. "Are you going anywhere with this? Or are you just trying to guilt-trip me about forgetting a few dozen candles on his birthday cake every year?"
Tigress was obviously considering it for a while. But then she just smiled and shrugged apologetically. "I don't think this is something I can or should just tell you."
This is a joke, right? Mei Ling asked herself. "Oh, and why not?"
"Because you'd probably laugh. I really doubt you'd believe me." She cocked her head. "It's something you need to realize yourself, I think."
"Oh come ON!" the mountain cat thought... until she realized that she had actually said it out loud instead. Bah, fine, whatever. It had to be said. "Look, you obviously don't know me. I don't react well to people withholding information from me - especially not important information that could change my life. So either tell me what you think or-" She froze.
Tigress's eyes widened at this. "Or... what?" she asked, and it was impossible to tell if she was offended, shocked, excited, or just amused.
Whatever you do, don't finish this sentence. Mei Ling gulped. I mean, there is a tiny chance that I might prevail in a fight, but Tigress came here trying to avoid people challenging her! Besides, "Tell me or I beat you up!" is a terrible way to treat a Kung Fu Master and honored guest. She took a deep breath. "Nothing. Please forget I said anything."
For a few seconds, Tigress silently studied Mei Ling, as if trying to read her mind. "Tell me," she finally said, "did you just back out of a fight because you're afraid you might lose or because challenging me would be impolite?"
She's pretty good. "The latter. Kung Fu should not be used to bully others into obedience."
"So you're not afraid you might lose if you challenged me?" There was a mix of amusement and disappointment in Tigress's voice that reminded Mei Ling that she was talking to somebody who could catch a staff in her bare hand without showing any sign of pain. Of course, the question was unfair since Mei Ling's answer had not implied this at all; but she figured that Tigress was testing her.
"No," Mei Ling replied, watching carefully how Tigress's eyes widened just a little bit. "It's extremely possible that I might lose a fight against you," she finally added, "but it's not something I'm afraid of."
"A very good answer," Tigress praised her, "if just a bit too modest in my eyes. In fact, I would wager that a sparring match between us would be a close call - definitely not a case of 'extremely possible that I might lose', if you ask me." She moved a step closer. "And to be honest, I would love to find out if I'm correct."
...oh sweet mercy, no. "I... don't know, really..." Terrible idea! Terrible, terrible idea! That's what I get for opening my mouth without thinking! Now a Jade Palace Master is convinced that I can spar with her and maybe even win! Ha! I totally can't! The corner of her mouth twitched as a daring thought was forming slowly, but surely. ...or can I?
Tigress smiled. "You're considering it, aren't you?"
"What would be the ground rules?" Mei Ling asked, postponing her decision for now.
The smile widened visibly. "Full contact sparring, and I'll let you use any weapon you like. Let's start with best two out of three rounds, with one round ending once somebody hits the floor or steps out of the ring. We can escalate things from there if we feel like it."
"That sounds like it's going to hurt. A lot."
"Only if you hold back in a misguided attempt to flatter me."
I can't believe I'm doing this... "I'll agree only if you promise to tell me your theory if I beat you."
"I promise," Tigress replied instantly. Then she leaned forwards. "I trust you to know a place where we can do this without being interrupted..."
Several hours of sparring and far too few hours of sleep later, Mei Ling trotted out of her room again. I can't believe I did that...
"Morning, Mei-" Yuan Da started to greet her, but froze when he took a closer look at her. "Good heavens, you tried to steal from Master Guo's cookie jar again?"
"It's not that bad," she told him even while she was trying to ignore the signals of protest her body was sending. "It's just the shoulder... and thigh... and that one time with the face..."
The wolf gave her a sympathetic look. "Okay, tell me. Who ganged up on you? I'll gladly help you get even with whoever did this."
"No, nothing like that..." Mei Ling shook her head. "I just got talked into a sparring match with Tigress."
Yuan Da's ears immediately flattened against his head. "You mean the Tigress? Master from the Jade Palace? The force of nature who got bored during my fight with her?"
"It was kinda important to me," she defended her decision. "But... yeah, didn't work out."
Her friend considered what to ask next. Wisely, he decided to not probe for details on her motivation. "I'm sorry," he finally said. "Did you at least land a few hits?"
"A few. Not nearly enough, though." She massaged her wrist. "Called it quits at 37-24." Meaning that 37 trips to the floor had been for nothing...
Yuan Da did a double-take. "You managed to score 24 points? That's gr-" Another double-take. "You guys went on for 61 rounds? Are you insane?"
No, not insane. Just stubborn enough for the words "Best 37 out of 73!" to be spoken in a sparring match. "We got carried away."
Breakfast was thankfully uneventful, with very few people commenting on the bruises. Tigress didn't attend, just how she hadn't been around for dinner; Mei Ling guessed that she had been accompanying her Masters. Finally, she followed the other students to the courtyard where everything had been prepared for the big announcement.
Like yesterday, the students lined up along the walls of the courtyard, leaving the center space empty. The stage, however, had been removed. Instead, the Jade Palace Masters were standing in the center, waiting.
"Mei Ling," Master Guo said quietly when he walked past her, "join me, please."
Again with me joining him... Mei Ling obeyed with a puzzled frown. Probably because he knows they'll invite me. ...damn, what will I answer?
The thought kept her occupied while she mindlessly followed her Master's cues on where to stand. Only then did she start paying attention to her surroundings. Master Guo had placed her a step behind him and slightly to the right, and they stood facing the two Jade Palace Grand Masters and Master Tigress. Grand Master Oogway was at the front, standing right in front of Master Guo. A step behind him and to his right was his successor, Grand Master Shifu. And standing a step behind him and slightly to the right was Master Tigress.
Mei Ling smiled to herself. Heh. The entire line of succession of the Jade Palace. Oogway, Shifu, Tigress. All standing neatly arranged. She blinked. Just like Master Guo and I. Slowly, she let the thought run past her consciousness again, to check for mistakes. Then she blinked again. "What the-" Her eyes met Tigress's, looking for a sign that she was arriving at a wrong and stupid conclusion. But the other feline was simply giving her a wide, knowing smile. "You're kidding."
"Pardon me?" Master Guo asked her and turned around. Then he raised an eyebrow. "You've seen better days, Mei Ling."
"Yes, indeed," Grand Master Shifu commented, squinting at her. "Looks like she fell down the same stairs that got to Tigress last night." A quick glare at his student, who, despite the light bruises at her cheek and left wrist, was still looking oddly satisfied.
"Yeah, yeah," Mei Ling heard herself say. "Stairs always mess me up." She can't be serious! Me? Master Guo's successor? No way. Grand Master Mei Ling, leader of the Lee Da Academy? Pah, get real... Still, she had to admit that she was standing quite literally at the center of attention, with even her teachers banished to the sidelines. And then she thought about the conversations of the last night. It... makes sense, doesn't it? In some completely insane way, it makes sense... Why else all this talk about Master Guo's age and about me being a teacher at heart?
"Creative thinking under pressure-" Grand Master Oogway began and pointedly ignored the way Grand Master Shifu huffed at his choice of words, "-aside, I believe we should begin without much fanfare."
"Very well, Master. I can save my big speech for when your new student is packing their bag." Master Guo shrugged and placed his hands behind his back.
Grand Master Shifu cleared his throat. "The Masters of the Jade Palace have been looking at all the potential candidates the Lee Da Academy has to offer," he announced loudly without actually shouting. "In the end, after much deliberation, we have decided to extend an invitation towards Mei Ling. Her heart is in the right place, and while her actual presentation could have used some more polish, we saw influences of her strong style in the presentations of her peers."
That comment made Mei Ling blink. My style influenced others? I only coached a few people in a few details! That can't have rubbed off! I mean... I don't even have some sort of trademark style... do I? She took a deep breath. Just how good is Grand Master Shifu if he can see such subtle details? Should I really pass up a chance to train under him?
"Mei Ling, I have high hopes for you, and your Master has praised you, too." Grand Master Shifu was looking eager now. "Do you accept the invitation?"
A chance to train under Grand Master Shifu. A chance to train with Tigress. Not even to mention what that would do to my reputation! Should I give up all of that just to maybe be named Master Guo's successor at some point in the future? The mountain cat bit her lip. No, I should not. "Grand Master Shifu, I thank you for your offer and your most kind words," she whispered and bowed deeply.
"Excellent!" Master Shifu was smiling widely now. "I had been hoping you'd-"
"But sadly, I must decline." No. I won't give up fame and the chance to train under China's greatest Masters just because Master Guo might one day reward me. She looked Grand Master Shifu in the eyes, seeing regret, but little surprise in them. I'll give it all up because I can do the right thing here. "I feel that the Academy is where I truly belong, and I want to help its students be the best they can be."
Master Guo was giving her a look of surprise and approval. Tigress merely nodded and smiled. Grand Master Oogway was looking extremely pleased. And Grand Master Shifu... sighed and rolled his eyes. "The worst part is," the short Kung Fu Grand Master said, "that I'm not sure whether to scowl at the person in front of me or behind me." At that, Tigress and Grand Master Oogway exchanged sheepish smiles. "Ah well... I have never been so disappointed that somebody made such a right choice."
"Please tell me you have a contingency plan, Master Shifu," Master Guo said. "I would hate the thought of all of you having made this trip for nothing."
Grand Master Oogway smiled gently. "Don't worry. No matter what happens now, this trip certainly hasn't been for nothing."
"Indeed," Grand Master Shifu confirmed and nodded at Mei Ling before focusing on his peer again. "But I do have an alternate choice. And it's somebody whose fate has been deeply influenced by Mei Ling here, which I guess speaks for her decision to help others."
Master Guo cocked his head for a moment before chuckling. "Oh, him. Yes, please ask him - I found it hard to give him the training he deserves."
Tigress and Mei Ling exchanged puzzled glances. If he's going to ask Yuan Da... then what? Gah, I still feel so conflicted about him!
For the second time today, Grand Master Shifu cleared his throat. "Crane, would you please step forward?"
"Oh no," Tigress muttered and shook her head. "Not the bird."
"Ah, I can already tell I made the right decision," Master Shifu told nobody in particular and smiled.
The acceptance ceremony had been short and sweet. Crane had been extremely surprised and nervous, but nobody had blamed him, really. Being asked to join the greatest Masters in all of China when you've just been studying Kung Fu for less than a year is a big deal, after all. Standing in her room. she smiled to herself. As is turning down such an offer. Oof. A knock on her door behind her made her sigh. Of course he'd come here the moment the action dies down. "Go ahead, tell me what an idiot I am, Yuan Da."
The door opened and closed. "I'm sorry, but Yuan Da is busy stalling Crane."
"Master Guo!" Mei Ling whirled around, stopped neatly and bowed. Then, after her Master had returned the bow, she frowned. "He's stalling Crane? Why would he do that?"
The giant rhino gave her a smile. "Mostly because I told him to. I figured I might answer at least a few of your questions early so you will be focused and mostly free of doubt during the farewell ceremony. After all, it will be a while before you will see Crane again, so you should give him the best last impression you can."
She opened and closed her mouth a few times. "Thank you, Master Guo," she finally said and nodded. Her Master grabbed one of the chairs in her room and sat down on it. The small chair creaked loudly, but held out for the moment. Okay, moment of truth! ...even though just that offer alone pretty much answers the biggest question I had. Still... "Was Tigress right?"
Master Guo blinked at that. "I have no idea what she told you."
"She didn't tell me anything!"
"We're getting awfully philosophical here, Mei Ling," the rhino said calmly, making her groan. "I'll happily discuss the truthfulness of an unspoken-"
Easy, girl, attacking your Master out of frustration would be extremely awkward in this situation, no matter how justified it might seem to you. "Did you plan this?"
Judging by his smile, this question seemed to be much closer to what her Master had in mind. "I planted the hints, and I was hoping for this outcome, yes." When she just gave him a questioning look, he shrugged. "I was responsible for the planning of the stage yesterday. Do you think it was a coincidence that I left an empty seat behind me?"
"There was no certainty that Yuan Da would act out of place. And there was no certainty that I'd interfere." Despite her best efforts not to, Mei Ling started to pace.
Her Master chuckled quietly. "I may not be able to predict the future, Mei Ling, but I know my students well enough to know which buttons to push. I asked Master Oogway to send Tigress into the lunch hall. We couldn't tell Shifu or Tigress before the presentation - their acting skills are best when they're not aware they are in a play. With the rumors about the two Grand Masters looking for a new student and Tigress's incognito status, it was practically a given that somebody would try to assert their dominance - Yuan Da was the most likely candidate in my book. And with him all set to do something stupid, all I had to do was wait." He beamed. "Because I knew that you would interfere. That is why I want you to eventually succeed me."
"But... but..." Mei Ling waved her hands helplessly.
"But you can't possibly imagine leading this Academy? But you don't feel ready to become Grand Master? But the notion that you will one day be considered one of THE Masters of Kung Fu is completely alien to you?" Her Master was grinning from ear to ear now. "Trust me, Mei Ling, I felt exactly the same way when Master Oogway set me up for my journey. I gave him exactly the same dumbfounded look, I asked him exactly the same questions, and I didn't- no, couldn't believe him even when all had been said and done." He got up and straightened his uniform. "When you were a child, you probably couldn't imagine ever being an adult. Yet here you are. The journey to becoming a Grand Master is a very long one, Mei Ling. Unlike the title of Master, this is not something with a fixed training regimen. There will be no final exam. You will train, you will teach, you will learn. And one day, decades from now, long after you stopped giving the issue any thought, you will realize that respected Masters of Kung Fu look up to you for guidance, wisdom and leadership." He took a deep breath. "That is when you will know. Not that you are ready, but that you have been ready for a long time."
"But... what if I change my mind?" Mei Ling's brain was desperate to come up with scenarios that would not lead to the absolutely unbelievable conclusion of her being a Grand Master.
Master Guo chortled, got up and opened the door, motioning her to follow him. "Mei Ling, whatever you end up doing, I'm sure you will do a fine job. I'm not asking you to throw away your chances and options." He calmly led her to the courtyard since it was apparently time to say goodbye to Crane. "If you realize that you want to do something else with your life, you can do so."
"Let go!"
"Look, you don't understand-"
"I understand that I'll need more than one set of clothing at the Jade Palace!"
Mei Ling squinted at the scene in front of her. Yuan Da had somehow ended up wrestling with Crane over a small bag that probably contained Crane's belongings. And the three Masters of the Jade Palace were standing nearby, watching the fight with a mix of amusement and incredulity.
She sighed theatrically. "No, no, crazy plans for my future aside, I think this is where I belong. After all, if I went to the Jade Palace or someplace else, who would keep this idiot in check?" Ignoring Master Guo's deep laughter, she clapped her hands. "Guys? GUYS? Don't make me look for my staff!"
Author's notes: While this is a stand-alone fic, it's also taking place in the same continuity as "A Sense of Purpose" (and here you probably thought that I'm just really uncreative when it comes to picking names for my fics), so the events of this fic might eventually be referenced over there.