Interlude 2
Silver Millenium
Three young girls stood in a row, before Master Chin, Master of Chi, and the dreaded style of Anything-Goes Martial Arts. This style lent itself more than any other to chi, allowing a practitioner to learn to manipulate their chi at a much earlier age, say, before sixty.
Master Chin opened his eyes and loooked at them. Of the 50 prospective students who had come to him, only these three remained. He looked again and closed his eyes. There was no protest, no shiftinmg of feet; after three days of standing, they remained in place without complaint. He opened his eyes again. "I will train you. Go in that cave, eat, and rest. We will begin in the afternoon."
Only after they were in the cave did he permit himself a smile. They would do.
They trained under Master Chin for two years, learning how to fight and fly and cook.
They also learne dhow to erase their presences so completely that not even their teacher could sense them. Ranko was the best fighter, Serenity could manipulate chi with an unequaled hand and Acchan was strong, careful and controlled; together the three made an unparalleled team, backing up each other's strengths and weaknesses.
"I know you're in there, come out!" the voice was strident and authoritative.
Ranko poked out her head. "What is it--oh, it's just you, Uranus. Uranus?! What are you doing here?"
"I've been looking for you. May I assume the others are here as well? Queen Serenity would like to see have been trying to find you for quite a while; did you have to run away? No, don't answer, I don't want to know, just get out here, you three, it's time to go back."
Master Chin looked at his three students. "Ddin't you get permission first?" he sounded wryly amused.
"Um, no."
