"The Nature of Time"
"Speak, Master Oogway."
The old master took a second to pause - mulling over his words carefully as he observed the facial reactions of all three judges. The familiar faces - Master Thundering Rhino and Master Croc - felt malleable to Oogway's words. The newly appointed head judge however - Master Wing - was more impassive.
"I am confused to have been summoned to the Head Council," Oogway deliberately kept vague, admiring the simple, greyed architecture of the courtroom. "Even more confused that no one touched my paintings! Hehe…"
Master Rhino chuckled a bit, seeing the old Dragon paintings Oogway was referring to.
"We don't want to take too much time Oogway," Croc spiked up, thick green scales flexing from his podium chair. "We just need a simple answer."
"Actually, I um - " Master Wing interrupted, position in the center making the questioning process more difficult. " - want to do a thorough review, and perhaps discuss your recent health as of late, Master Oogway?"
Oogway felt disturbed - the question itself wasn't a particularly problematic thing to answer, but he accurately predicted the next, furious reactions from Rhino and Croc.
"You dare question our Grandmaster's judgement?!"
"How dare you say Oogway's going senile?!"
"Gentlemen, gentlemen," Wing attempted, trying to keep the dissent low. "I'm not - trying to suggest anything. I merely want to do this investigation thoroughly! That is all…"
"We were told this was a simple formality," Rhino shot up, as Croc nodded his head.
"I beg to differ," Wing fired back. "I am fully aware of the status our grandmaster has earned. Believe me - with all my heart - I called this meeting for clarity's sake."
Oogway smiled kindly. "Then clear I shall be. Ask your questions, Master Wing."
Wing blinked at both Rhino and Croc, waiting for them to slowly grumble in silent allowance.
"How would you describe your mental health before the Dragon Warrior Tournament?" Wing queried.
Oogway frowned slightly. "Somewhat better than normal - but then again, I might be exaggerating…"
Wing grew more interested, leaning over in his podium. "Exaggeration? You don't think you were doing too well?"
Oogway offered a wry smile. "No - I think not. To be honest - I've been growing quite - complacent, as time passes…"
"Interesting," Wing vocalized, making a small note on a scroll in front of him. "And how - "
"This is no time to be modest and honest Oogway!" Croc shouted, looking at Wing with disgust. "This man is looking for a reason to make this a criminal trial!"
Wing was about to respond, but Oogway silenced him with soft speech.
"If Master Wing desires clarity," Oogway softly let out. "Then I will give clarity. Honesty. Maybe even too much honesty! Hehe…"
Oogway stopped laughing as he noted Wing's still serious expression. "I have indeed been feeling different, for the last few years, Master Wing…"
"And would you say because of the last few years - your judgement has been affected somewhat?"
Oogway nodded slowly, earning Rhino's disapproving face-palm. "Indeed - I would say it has."
Wing made another note on the scroll. "Now, during the day of the Dragon Warrior Tournament - did you feel any sort of discontent before that? Loss of memory?"
"A mild sort," Oogway observed, scratching at his chin with the wooden staff. "I certainly felt a little more tired than usual!"
None of this seemed to have any effect on Master Wing, who hurriedly wrote down increasingly messy notes on his scroll.
"Well then, we can now get to why I even called this meeting," Master Wing attempted, putting away his scroll in a knapsack. "Master Oogway - do you have any regrets or thoughts on your - eccentric choice of Dragon Warrior?"
Nothing that Rhino or Croc could say would be able to counter this. Even worse, they both seemed to mildly agree with what Wing had said - not that it was surprising to Oogway, who had seen this coming, perhaps the instant he had chosen Po.
"Yes - it was certainly thought-provoking," Oogway slowly analyzed. "It might or might not lead to regret - only time will tell."
Master Wing's furry eyebrows twitched in mild anger. "Master Oogway - I know you have a fondness for vague platitudes, but - "
"My platitudes are not vague," Oogway cut across. Wing silenced himself immediately. "I am telling you exactly what I think."
Oogway paused after this, watching the three judges' continue to listen in eager but misguided confusion.
"Have I been feeling worse in the past few years? Somewhat." Oogway declared. "Is it possible that I am losing my noodles, and hence picked somewhat unfit for the position of Dragon Warrior? Entirely."
Another pause.
"But if you understand the universe as I do," Oogway started again. "You will know that it doesn't matter what I did now."
"What do you mean?" Croc suddenly spoke up, leaning forward. "What you do is - "
"Not what I do," Oogway emphasized. "What I did. What I did in the past was the best I thought at the time. But what I do right now - that is far more important. So I am giving you - the three respected masters of Head Council - the best answers I can give. And if you hold another meeting tomorrow, asking me what I did yesterday - I will give you the same answers."
An elaborated pause.
"I can only help you understand today," Oogway continued. "Not yesterday, and not tomorrow. So maybe your real concern should be over what Po is, not what Po has been, nor what Po might be."
Another pause. The three judges looked at each other with confusion as Oogway smiled on.
"And what is he now?" Wing asked tentatively.
Oogway smiled wider. "Just a panda!"
Wing nodded his head slowly, still confused. "Right - thank you Master Oogway. We will be in touch shortly."
The old tortoise nodded his head at all three judges. He turned to leave, using the staff to gently guide his steps down his own podium.
"And the fleshling?"
Oogway stopped, turning his neck around ever so slightly.
"He didn't matter before, doesn't matter now, and won't matter later," Oogway stated. "Do not worry, my friends."
With that, the old grandmaster strode out of the courtroom doors.
. . .
The Jade Palace - particularly at night time - was truly an eccentric structure. While the Valley was still moderately active, with occasional festivals and shopkeepers tending to their various chores - the Palace was completely quiet. Under the moonlight of nighttime, it was immediately evident that no one was active and about in the Jade Palace. Shifu was immensely focused on getting everyone to bed on time - yet obviously, this didn't apply to individuals without dorms, or at least beds. This also applied to those who had been freshly expunged from their "dorms".
Thus, Alf was out at midnight - having exited the Palace courtyard. He sat on the steps leading down into the Valley, feeling the cool night air brush past him. Alf switched gazes often - between the Valley, and the moon.
He wiped a few fresh tears from his face. His fingers idly passed by the metal collar, still encircled around his neck.
It was cold.
Unbelievably cold.
Immovable.
He had experienced how citizens of the Valley had treated him, but this was far different. It felt malicious, sadistic, even possessive.
"Master Alfalfa?"
Alf shot up, wiping away any remnant moisture on his face. He instinctively moved his fingers to the collar, expecting more pain.
Yet he became confused. A silver-grey fox, with a Palace emblem gently strapped onto her long robes - spoke more words in an unsure tone.
"Are you outside for any specific reason?" she asked.
Alf nodded. "Just needed to get some fresh air."
"It has nothing to do with - not having a bed in the Palace?"
A pause. Alf eyed the young fox with concern - he had the underlying suspicion that engaging with her some more would lead to a negative consequence. Yet he ignored it.
"You can just call me Alf," Alf eventually broke in, ignoring the question. "Why are you out?"
Alf sat back down, turning his back to her. The fox stepped forward some more, taking a seat next to him.
"I cater for the Palace," the young fox noted. "You can call me Yu, by the way."
"I feel like we've met before," Alf noted. "You said your name was Yu?"
"It's a common name in China," Yu acquiesced. "But yes - I met you in the Training Hall. Well not met - I sort of saw you when, you know - "
"I was getting beat up," Alf completed. "Yeah - I sort of remember you."
Yu smiled uneasily. Alf watched her slender hand extend gently in the direction of the collar.
"What are you doing?" Alf moved away, keeping a hand to his partially exposed neck.
"I'm so sorry!" Yu apologized profusely. "I wasn't thinking! I just saw the thing and I just wanted to know - what it sort of feels like…"
"It feels like metal," Alf cut across. "Tight. Cold. Painful - "
Alf stopped, shuddering. He turned his face away from Yu, looking back to the bright moon. The same warm feeling came behind his eyes again. He shut them quickly.
"I - uh - I'm sorry about that happening," Yu mentioned, folding her arms and staring away from Alf. "You know, I don't agree with all the Seeker business that's going on."
"Heh - what Seeker business?" Alf asked, confused to hear that term again.
"You know - the anger. The blame. All the hatred…"
"Hmph," Alf groaned. His fingers subconsciously drifted to the collar again. "Doesn't matter."
"It doesn't?" Yu questioned, taken aback. "Not even to you?"
"What's happening to me is something I don't care to explain or justify," Alf noted simply. "It happens - I just have to adapt to it, that's all."
"You don't care about questioning the history?"
"What happened doesn't matter, and to be honest I don't know much about it," Alf spat. "What might happen tomorrow doesn't matter either - I just have to learn to work with what I have now."
A pause. He looked back at Yu, surprised to see her face full of gentle concern.
"You know what? Let's try this again," Alf suggested with a wink. "My name's Alf."
Yu smiled. "My name's Yu. I cater."
Alf feigned being impressed. "How interesting! I cater too! For a noodle store."
Yu let out a hearty laugh, wrapping her arms more firmly around herself to brace against the onslaught of cold night air.
"I've heard of it," Yu noted, still chuckling. "Mr. Ping runs it, right? Why not just stay with him?"
"Pshh," Alf dismissed. "He barely lets me stay over when Po is around - now with Po at the Palace…"
Alf stopped, forcing his fingers away from the collar. "It doesn't matter now anyway, with this thing forcing me to stay here."
"It activates if you get too far?" Yu queried. "Weird… but eventually they'll take it off, right?"
Alf wouldn't describe it as weird. It felt surreal - almost as if he had never seen this coming. The second part of the statement wasn't something Alf felt could be answered now.
"I don't know," Alf let out finally. "I'll trade you for that robe you have on, though."
Yu snickered. "I mean like - eventually when they figure out that the panda isn't the Dragon Warrior… I mean no offense to your friend, but - "
"Believe me," Alf started. "The second we get kicked out, and they take off this stupid thing - the second I start selling noodles for free."
"Maybe we could eat together sometime."
Alf looked more intently at Yu's face. There was an element of boldness, certainly - but even more importantly, a sense of unease. Doubt. Deep thought.
"Not on a date! Oh my - please, I didn't mean to - " Yu tried again, nervous. "Just you know - I figure it's been a while since you've talked to someone, just for fun…"
"If you cater," Alf emphasized. "Sure."
Yu smiled again. Both Alf and her collectively turned their gazes back to the moon.
A/N
I've said it once, and I'll say it again - the feedback is amazing. Really - I'm by no means a remotely popular author but you guys really do make me feel that way!
The cruelty part in the last chapter - I agree - may have gone a little far. But it is PG-13! (well still...) I don't know. You can be assured that obviously, most of the story won't be like that. But other than that, everything's going well! Being that I'm literally forming new story ideas with each chapter, expect plenty of variety in plot! I'm sort of slowly building a general outline - but that's much, much farther down in the line.
A big part of the fic is that I want it to feel like the side-story. The story not told. The second character. The "beta". Alf is the protagonist of this fic, yes - but I want to show it honestly like he was just tagging along in the KFP Universe - and appropriately changed the plot. That being said - he's still the main character - and that obviously means he will always be relevant to the plot.
TL;DR: much to come! Thanks to everyone!
~TW
