The dojo felt empty tonight. The darkness overwhelming whatever light was in the room. Besides all that, the only noticeable feature in the room was the satisfying brew of coffee, prepared in my favorite mug.

Just coming from the kitchen, I make my way to the couch right in front of me. Reclining near the closest arm rest. The television remote was lying on the table; I reach for it, bending just barely to avoid straining myself. I turn the TV on. To a news bulletin…

"We are currently witnessing live the attack of a blue Woo Foo rabbit child, who appears to be carrying what seems to be a massive sword for a weapon. As you can see, majority of the city has sustained insurmountable damage as a result of the child's act of violence, some parts left engulfed in flames. Twenty-three have been found injured, but fortunately there are none reported dead. Local authorities are currently investigating the matter and evacuating any remaining passers-by. In the meantime, it is strongly advised to stay indoors as much as possible and avoid coming in contact with the child because of his unpredictable nature and the immense threat he poses."

Rabbit child… Woo Foo… I knew it. Yang… My son… First, him. Then, Yin… And now, you. How many times does this have to happen? The worst isn't yet to come. It already has. But the blame for all this should be pushed to me. My choices start to haunt me. And they have brought me this. A punishment. A wake-up call. One or the other. A way for God to make me regret what I've done. But I feel so powerless. I wanted to make the right choices. Only to end up making the seemingly right ones. I remember that one proverb written in the Woo Foo scrolls. "Our actions shape everything, big and small. Our character, the future, any and all." Heh! Now I remember something important…

I speak softly, keeping the words to myself. Only for me to hear. "I'll try this time. I'll try and make things actually right for a change." If I could just bring myself to do what I say.

Footsteps then started booming. Highly audible footsteps, which could be heard anywhere within the dojo; my daughter Yin was on her way down and must have seen the bulletin herself just now, too. Knowing her, she'll demand an explanation very soon. Whatever needs to be done, I'll be ready.

"Master Yo!" She yells out and holds the last syllable, catching as much breath as soon as she got down. Right in front of me.

"You saw it too, huh?" I make a rough guess.

"Yeah. That can't…really be him… Can it?"

"Suffice to say, it's very likely. They even said 'blue Woo Foo rabbit child'. That says enough." The words come out with a lack of empathy. I retreat my head, grief taking over.

"You… You've been hiding something…have you?" Yes, I was. But I remained silent. Yin wouldn't take that. For the first time, she imposed herself. "Tell me!"

I wanted to let it all out of my chest myself. But I could never get used to being reminded of a painful experience. After prodding myself a few times, I finally bring it out. My face straining with each sentence.

"My student…" I start in a soft way.

"What about Yang?" Yin misunderstands.

"No. Not Yang… My former student – Lupin."

"You mean that guy from that show with that outlaw or something?"

I laugh at the sentence, correcting it as soon as I stopped. "No. That wolf person Yang's been looking for. He was…my student. The thing I had once treasured the most. He was like…my son. One I thought I'd never have."

Memories, images, flow back into me at intervals that I could control.

The dojo, many years ago. On a clouded, rainy day.

"He was all alone in front of the dojo as a pup. It was raining. Little guy was crying, freezing to death. Anyone within spitting distance could hear him. I took him in. Looking at his face gave me a little biology lesson; I thought about his species and genus. That's how I gave him the name 'Lupin'. Then I promised myself to take care of him, like he was my own kid. Since he was inside a Woo Foo dojo, I thought it'd do no harm to teach him a few things…"

Years pass. A young wolf child at the age of six wearing a white gi continued his training routine. Breaking blocks of wood, reading various scrolls, moving parts of his body in complex motions and formations, practicing spells…everything.

"A few years pass, and the wolf pup I found on that rainy day grew into a formidable fighter. Mastering so many in just several years – a prodigy, indeed."

A montage of still images surface in my mind. Happy, serene pictures of me and Lupin. A still of me treating of his wound after an accident with his first bicycle. A still of me helping him with his fighting stance. A still of me watching and supporting as he plays cacophonic sounds on the guitar I had bought for him for his eighth birthday. Lastly, a still of the both of us sharing our laughter, with no reason except to appreciate each other and be glad that we were together. This bliss was too good to last; nothing remains in this world forever. Unless God makes it so. If there even IS a God.

"I gave this wolf all my life, all my love, anything. Everything. We loved each other. He was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. I wanted it all to last. But only to be reminded that it's all too good to do so. It started when he was 11 years old. When he travelled to every damn corner of the world, all to let everyone know about Woo Foo. Just a few days after he achieved the Grand Master rank – the only one to ever do so. That passion for Woo Foo…it burned in his eyes. But…"

The next wave of memories was the one I wanted to avoid. My most precious student…he's grown up. Now 15 years old. That one day… He was training as usual. But something felt odd. Just by looking at how he was training, one could easily point out the raw emotion put in each of his movements. Spells were performed aggressively. Martial arts techniques were executed in frightening ferocity… The resounding, blood-curdling yells matching so well. It had to stop! I approach him, giving him one last teaching from the Woo Foo scrolls. More like 'shoving down his throat', to be more precise.

"That one day, he was training as usual. But all I could find in those punches, kicks and spells were hatred, anger, pure violence and all the other wrong reasons. No more, no less. I couldn't stand looking at it any longer. I had to stop him, so that I could teach him one last important proverb from the Woo Foo scrolls. 'The fools who seek and live only by power, will find ruin and chaos in every hour'."

"What happened then?" Yin displays her curiosity.

"He protested against me. He told me he was doing all that for the sake of the Woo Foo name and culture. I tried to teach him not to become obsessed with power, no matter what the reason. But come to think about it, it's not exactly 'teaching'. It's more like…force-feeding. We started arguing. He said that I'm a 'crusty old man who doesn't give a damn about Woo Foo'. 'A lazy ass who didn't value anything at all.' I told him how 'arrogant and ignorant' he was. 'An idiot who willingly lets his manias blind him'."

"And then? How did he take it?" Yin asked again. The topic had completely engrossed my daughter. But she didn't realize how my soul was being pecked after each word, each syllable, that I said. Then again, I needed to reveal the truth. There's no backing down!

Another unwanted flashback flows. Pictures of me and Lupin arguing. Me trying to guide him, force him, to the right path. Then, the stream of memories fast forwards to two weeks later. The battle against the Night Master… The one detail that was purposely omitted from the history books. My former student…my greatest treasure…Lupin…had tapped into forbidden power. Power that only a moron could kill for. He stood before our army, before me. As an enemy.

I struggle with what I was about to say; truth be told, I didn't want to say it at all. "He…didn't take it too well… He cherished his Woo Foo heritage. He wanted to protect everything related to Woo Foo. But it all turned wrong. He found terrifying power. The power of the Night Master… My student…completely blinded by the Night Master's temptations and taken to the other side."

Having heard all this, Yin wore a heartbroken face. It wasn't as easy to hear as it is to say it. "And…you had to…"

Quickly, I fill the rest of the sentence. "Yes. We did fight. But I thought about what he told me. I thought about how there was nothing important to me… Just one glance at Lupin's eyes, I finally convinced myself that I had something important to me. But I never realized how much he truly meant to me. I just squandered everything he had to offer. And because of that, I lost everything…" For a moment, I close my eyes. I start to cry. I wanted to turn back time. But I know that it's too late. The teardrops slowly fall from my face. Crashing to the wooden floor. Then I sniffle out a few last words. "I couldn't bring myself to kill him."

"So what did you do?"

The last wave of memories pour in. The battle raged on. It was even. If Lupin had been with us, the battle would have been one-sided. But alas, I used my last resort. I lifted my arms up in the air. All my energy distributing to them. A large glyph circled where my arms were. Everyone did what they could to stay away from it. I had set my sights on Lupin, realizing that it had to be done. That my precious student will have to endure a harsh fate, and nightmares will plague me once it's all over. I swung my hands forward, tossing the massive sign on top of Lupin. A giant beam of light bursted. Screams of pain emerged from Lupin's mouth, as a large hole opened beneath him; we were fighting on top of the Pit, and I intended to seal him away in it. The screams continued. Lupin reached out futilely as the Pit swallowed him. All I and everyone else could do was stand by and watch. Grief invading my heart. The mighty spell closing the hole and conveniently camouflaging it… It was done…

The tears stop. I can continue with ease. "The only thing left to do… The Woo Foo spell…Mugen Shirushi."

"Mugen…Shirushi?" Yin asks, the syllables slowly sliding off her lips.

"Or the 'Infinity Seal'. A powerful spell that binds any and all evil. Only Woo Foo Masters can use it."

"And you used it to seal Lupin away?" She hit the nail on the head. Right there.

Hesitantly I answer. "Yes… For over a hundred years…" For so long, I've been running from this problem. I thought I had finally dealt with it by locking Lupin up in the Pit. Whether it was bad parenting, irresponsibility or total disregard for something that was meant to be cherished such as life, I felt so helpless. Mistakes happen for us to either learn from them or to undo them. With this powerlessness, I can't do either one. I'm just…too afraid. Afraid that I'll make the same mistake again.

Yin notices the disheartened look on my face. She wants to help me. She and Yang are my anchor to help me stay up. And to deal with whatever mistake I make.

She approaches me. The wind grows somber. "Master Yo…"

"Hm?"

"Do you think…it's the same thing all over again? With my brother?"

"I didn't want to believe it. Maybe Lupin had something to do with it… That's just a guess." I had more to say. But I took the time to think thoroughly. I don't want to make the same mistake again. No. Not with Yin and Yang. Renewed in spirit, I added. "Yin. Promise me you'll always treasure your brother. Cherish him. Something precious like him only comes in a while. You'll never know when both of you will be apart for good. Don't make the same bonehead mistake I made."

My daughter draws from these words. An invigorated smile stretched her face. She nods at me. "I will. I'm going to go help him. And if I'm feeling lucky, I'll do the same thing for Lupin. I better hurry! He's still here. And I can't miss him!"

Immediately she dashes. On her way to the Woo Foo Armory.

I stare on at her until she was out of sight. I can't rest just yet. I'll have to make sure that nothing goes wrong this time around. But I can't let Yin know that. She's still in the dojo. I have to wait until she's gone…

Even if I must, I'll have to reside in the shadows. And keep a close eye on the children…


"Let's see…"

The weapons in the Armory… Some are very odd to even pass for a weapon. Some very outlandish. The rest…are actual, captivating and powerful weapons used in combat. Each one contained in glass capsules. If I'm going to face Yang, I need to be prepared. But none of these weapons fit me at all. They're either too weird or too bizzare. There's got to be something… Something that catches my eye.

Deeper into the Armory I go. The further I go, the lower the temperature becomes. I wander around, scanning every detail of the place. From the floor to the ceiling to the beams that support the dojo. More weapons present themselves to me… No. Not good enough.

Eventually, I stumble upon a blanket of cold air.

"Huh?"

Closer and closer, I assert myself. Carefully approaching the shroud. The source became gradually visible the closer I got. This mist… The sudden drop in temperature… It could only mean one thing.

But I had to make sure first…

Crossing my arms on my chest, I inhale a little. I close my eyes momentarily, focusing. Whispering "Woo Foo…" Opening them quickly afterwards! Spreading my arms wide and yelling together. "…Gale!"

A gust blows from my palms at opposite directions. The mist clears up. Where the mist once was, I saw the weapon. Sparkling. Glistening a clear blue. Releasing cold air around it. A katana in the clearest of blue, said to grant its wielder affinity and control over ice. Concealed in a sturdy blue scabbard. One of the Kami no Gofu – The Arctic Whisperer: Yuki no Hana, or Snow Flower.

"This is…" I stammer. "The…Snow Flower…" Disbelief takes over. It's the real thing, alright. But it's in a capsule, just like the rest. How the hell do I get it out though? And more importantly, how do I use it? I know that an incantation must be recited to activate one of the Kami no Gofu. And I've memorized every single one. But that's it. Damn it!

These thoughts and questions cram up whatever space is left in my brain. But I need to be quick. I have to catch up to him. He could still be in the town.

Considering this urgency, I rush towards a fire extinguisher, lifting it with my spell. Aiming for and tossing it at the glass. Small, sharp shards scatter everywhere. Master Yo…er…Dad's gonna be really pissed.

Now…the Snow Flower is in my hands. Time for the incantation… I take a deep breath and close my eyes…concentrating. "Woo Foo Elders far and near. Heed my cries and pleas, loud and clear. Arctic Sky, Frozen Wind. Grant me my wish to grasp the power within! With hilt in hand, mine is the power…" Before I finish the last sentence, I again quickly open my eyes. The determination ignited, sizzling in them. "…of the Arctic Whisper: Snow Flower! Yuki no Hana!"

A brief flash of light… Small crystal pieces float about, matched with a glittering sound; the spell that secured the Snow Flower sword has been broken. I did it! My mind and spirit feel somewhat stimulated. I can feel my magic becoming stronger…

Slowly, I unveil the blade from its scabbard. A typical Woo Foo weapon in the shape of a Japanese katana…forged from what looked like crystal. Said to absorb the moisture in the air to create ice-based techniques. It was mesmerizing.

For a second, I focus on the blade and assume a fighting stance. Gazing at the emptiness. At a blinding pace, I slash the air. Small snowflakes dropped from the blue streak where my sword swung. Just to test its power. I can handle this… Now the only question is… Can I stop my brother…? Can I save him just as he saved me? Tch. That's two questions. Hmph!

I'll just have to find out myself. I promise to be my twin brother's morality pet. His saving grace. Fixated on all this, I stride out of the Armory. Out of the dojo. Leaving behind a shattered display container, with pieces of glass crowding it.

"Sorry, Master Yo", I speak beneath my breath. "I gotta get Yang back first… Then you can get mad at us, and we can clean up this mess…any mess…together."

There's no turning back! I've already promised myself… I'm coming, big brother. You saved me once… Now…it's my turn.


"T is for Terminology" #2.1: The Infernal Beast - A large, wolf-like creature that appeared in the world in the distant past. It had left ruin and death in its wake, killing most of the global population.

"T is for Terminology" #2.2: The Kami no Gofu ('Talismans of Woo Foo Elders') - Mighty weapons forged by the Governor. Along with the Twelve Woo Foo Crystals, they are the last lines of defense.

"T is for Terminology" #2.3: The Twelve Woo Foo Crystals - Artifacts formed from a rare type of material infused with the Mediator's magic, housing twelve elements. Along with the Kami no Gofu, they are the last lines of defense.