Chapter 5: Wisdoms if the past
Miles away from the Jade Palace, far beyond the Valley, a large forest stood within a small clearing. This ancient wood has stood for generations as pure, untouched wild. In such remote and isolated regions, travelers and merchants are wise to be weary of braving these uncultivated lands. Dangers ranging from camping armies or bandit gangs, who would show no hesitation in silencing any pour souls who stumble upon areas where none should dwell.
Along the earthly ground path, a lone man walked though the wood. A wild cat, clad in a leather poncho and dark clothing. He walked up the road, hearing every step, every snap of a twig, every miniscule noise the forest had to offer. He walked forward, the sounds of his hind paws treading raw earth continued to enter his ear drums, along with the noises of nature.
Suddenly, he looked upwards… He remained silent, looking out at the tree branches rustling in the wind.
He continued walking… He proceeded along the path… Continuing forward …
Then, his inner senses detected a rather uncanny feeling. As if… he wasn't the only being within these trees and bushes. The large wild cat stopped and stood in his tracks. He closed his eyes… listened… and waited.
…
…
…
He waited… and stayed still… the wind slightly blowing his poncho forward… as he stood like a statue.
…
…
…
Suddenly out of the corner of his eye, a small metallic object flew towards his head, and with near split-second reaction, he dodged his head ever so slightly, avoiding having his face sliced by the flying weapon. The metal star then landed on a tree, sticking right into the body of the large wooden plant. The man looked at the weapon, black in coloring, yet reflecting the sun's light beaming through the gaps in the leaves above.
(Fire Emblem Fates ost - "Justice RIP (storm)")
And only a mere second later, he was met with his assaulter. A figure clothed in dark green, leaped from the tree tops, with claws extended and ready to attack. The man turned back and dashed out of the way. He pounced five feet to the side, back up the path. The figure landed on the earthy ground and looked to his left, where his target had just moved. The man took a glance at his would be killer. Another feline, dressed in dark green clothing, with a color matching mask and small scarf concealing his identity. The masked assassin extracted his claws and charged at his prey. As he quickly approached his opponent, he swung himself, building momentum, and his arm reached out to attack the man. The large wild cat raised his left arm and grabbed his foe's wrist, just mere inches away from his face. He then bent the hand, resulting in a slight cracking sound. The attacker groaned in pain, then proceeded to strike with his other paw, claws ready to slice and damage. But the wild cat grabbed the other approaching limb with his free paw, and suddenly he pulled the assassin upwards and slammed him down onto the earth.
Within seconds he prepared to counter attack on the pinned down foe. But before he could slit the assassin's throat, the masked man dug his claws into the larger man's paw, forcing him to let go for a single second, though that's just what he needed. The masked warrior grabbed a small bag, opened it, and blew a large puff of smoke into his target's face. The large wild cat was forced to cover his eyes and nose with his paws, giving his attacker the opportunity of escape. Just a second later, the large man recovered and his sight and smell were protected. He looked forward and saw the masked assassin back-flip and entered into a fighting stance, ready to make another attempt on the man's life. The large man then unclipped his leather poncho, and dropped it onto the ground next to him. He readied himself, and his attacker charged again.
((()-()))
Erdan charged at Tigress, dashing forward with speed toward his opponent. The young wolf then charged his legs, readied himself, and propelled forward as his leg was extended out in front of him. Tigress then dodged out of the way as her younger foe had landed just a couple feet by her. The feline master then took her turn to attack and drove her paw towards Erdan. The wolf turned and reacted quickly enough to block her strike and raised his arm up to push her attack away. Tigress tried again, and drove her fist towards Erdan, who again blocked her attempt. In a moment the two stood in their fighting stances. Tigress had one paw by her head with the other extended outward, and Erdan stood in a similar position. He and Zhong had developed a wolf style of Kung Fu together, which was similar to Tiger style, but had the fighter's paw's fingers in an open position. Erdan panted a bit. Adrenalin pumped blood throughout the teen's body and heart, and sweat was already beginning to flow down his head. Erdan then made the next move as he swung and swiped his paws at Tigress. Over and over again the young fighter performed attack and attack, over and over again only to be block every time.
As the master and student were continuing their mock fight, Po, Zhong, and the rest of the Five were watching from the side. As the two students were sparring, their comrades couldn't help but comment amongst each other on Erdan's progression.
"He's getting pretty good." Po said while spectating.
"He must if he's lasting this long against her." Crane added, referring to the tiger warrior.
"Yeah, but he's still a kid." Mantis said in his usual sarcastic tone.
Master Monkey looked at his insect brother in battle and with a sly grin, said "A kid who managed to beat you twice before."
The bug warrior became annoyed and replied "Th-the first time I went easy on him."
"And what about the second time?" Monkey asked.
"… well, the sun was in my eyes…" Mantis answered followed by an awkward silence.
"Sure…" Po added.
"Well, what do you think Zhong?" Mantis asked.
But nothing was heard from the wolf.
"…Zhong?" Mantis asked as he jumped onto the middle aged wolf's shoulder.
Mantis then tapped on the lupine's face and his one eye opened sluggishly. A series of light groans came out of the ex-soldier's mouth as he regained awareness.
Po looked at his comrade and asked "You ok Zhong?"
The wolf bared a small smile and nodded in response, though he could never fool anyone with his tired face and near motionless body. Po patted Zhong on his should and gave a small smile, which Zhong gave a thankful grin in return. The one eyed wolf looked to his son, squaring off against Tigress.
Erdan was kicked back a few feet, and he regained his footing. He stood ten feet away from his mock foe again. He breathed heavily and sweat dripped down his face. He quickly wiped away his signs of stress. His muscles ached, but this feeling was one he learned to live with. Tigress stood upwards, with one of her arms extended towards her oppenant, and the other kept close to her side, bent and ready. The feline master noticed the young student's condition and pondered on whether to hold back, or push his limits.
"Do you need a break?" Tigress asked.
Erdan, catching his breath, replied "Why? You getting bored yet?"
The young wolf gave a smile that showed he hungered for more. Tigress grinned back and braced herself once more. Erdan then got on all fours, charged and leaped up into the air, ready to land and strike with his next assault.
((()-()))
In just mere seconds the masked assassin threw a series of small darts at his target, all of which were blocked by the wild cat's metal wrist guards. The large man then reached to his belt and unsheathed a knife. He threw it towards his attacker, who dodged his head out of its path, just barely missing it by an inch. The masked one then got on all fours and charged towards his target. The wild cat braced himself, ready and willing. But the ninja leaped up above him, and jumped into the trees. The man stood there on the dirt road, his fight or flight instincts were working in overdrive, and his paws became slightly twitchy with anticipation. He listened and heard the sounds of rustling leave and moving branches. His foe was taking a more stealthy approach.
Suddenly his ears heard a rapid quick sound, and turned to block incoming blades once again. He grabbed one of the knives and held it in his right paw, as he listened once again. His eyes closed, his mind clear, and his ears focused.
Rustling of leaves and creaking of branches continued. He waited, detecting where he should strike.
…
…
…
Suddenly he turned around and threw the dagger towards a high tree, where the masked hunter fell down to the ground. His paw was struck by the knife, blood poured out as pain creeped through his body. For a second he looked at his palm, and then, he turned back to see his target charging at him full speed.
((()-()))
Tigess and Erdan locked together in close combat. Tigress decided to test Erdan, to see how composed he was in the heat of combat.
She put both paws together and pushed him backwards. When he got back up she said in an annoyed tone "You were right."
Puzzled, Erdan, with heavy breathing, asked "What?"
Tigress maintained her collected form as she answered "This fight is boring. I've seen hogs that give a better spar than you."
Erdan's emotions were starting to drive up his mind. But then he looked to his right and noticed something lay on the ground. He quickly grabbed it, and held in one of his paws a bamboo sword. He then made a fighting stance fitting his new weapon.
"How about we spice things up?" Erdan said with a confident tone.
Tigress grinned and grabbed a training sword of her own. Meanwhile, the rest of the palace warriors were now sporting faces of excitement. Now the match has escalated, and had become more interesting for its audience. Po and Zhong were especially overcome with a new sense of thrill.
Erdan then charged towards Tigress again and the two engaged in a swords duel. Erdan swung his bamboo blade again and again, only to be blocked by his older foe's weapon each time. The master tiger and the young lupine engaged in a series of blocks, parrys, and strikes. Erdan swung with all of his strength with swift speed, and Tigress defensively stood her ground. As they were dueling, Po and the other warriors watched with thrills spiraling in their minds, as they were enjoying the deadly dance before them.
"Keep going Erdan!" Crane yelled.
"Tigress stay you're ground!" Viper shouted.
"Let's go Danny boy, you can do it!" Po cheered.
But the panda noticed that his wolven comrade was watching very carefully. A bit too carefully one would think.
Po nudged Zhong with his elbow, gaining the wolf's attention. Zhong looked back to see the panda with a slightly concerned expression.
"Hey, you ok Zhong?" Po asked.
Zhong moaned a bit before replying. "Huh… oh, yeah, I just don't have much energy."
"You sure you're alright?" Po asked.
Zhong sighed and replied "Well I'm-"
Suddenly, Tigress made an offensive move as she pushed Erdan back before swinging her sword at Erdan's legs, sweeping the teen down to the ground. Zhong looked with concern, and any energy he had within was now focused on analyzing every second of Erdan's sparring match. Erdan had his bare back on the cement floor as Tigress just stood in front of him, towering over the young wolf.
"You know-" Tigress said with a purposefully mocking attitude. "You should just quit. Maybe this isn't for you."
Erdan breathed in and out for a few seconds. Then he grabbed the bamboo sword again and got up to fight on. He attacked with ferocity, but his mind was taking the charge now. He attacked quickly, with hard swung blows and raging swings.
"Perhaps all your training was for nothing?" Tigress taunted in the same mocking tone.
Erdan only growled with anger.
"Maybe you're not meant to be a master?"
Erdan yelled and he attacked more and more, just nothing but wrathful attacks over and over again, only to be either dodged or blocked each time.
"Perhaps you're nothing… BUT A FAILURE!"
"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHGGGGGGG!" Erdan shouted with all his voice could handle.
He had had enough. The teen threw his sword towards his opponent and made a mad dash towards Tigress. The feline dodged the flying blade and stood in place. Everyone watched closely. Erdan charged on all four ready to attack. Then, before he realized it, Tigress grabbed him up, pinned him down on the floor, and constrained him.
("Justice RIP (storm)" stops)
((()-()))
The large wild cat charged, he drove his sword from his back, the masked assassin laid in pain. IN just a second his target was upon him. He raised his sword and slammed downward.
…
…
…
The masked man braced himself for death, but was puzzled as to why he could still hear the sounds of the forest. He opened his eyes to see the sword, driven into the dirt road. He looked up, and saw the large wild cat as he just stared down at him. The moment passed so quickly, it felt as if time halted itself. The wild cat picked up his large sword and sheaved it on his back. Then he noticed the wound on the masked one's paw. He then reached into his belt and pulled out a small box, then tossed onto the ground.
"Tend to your wound, before it gets infected." He said in an intimidating voice.
The masked one took off his facial disguise, showing himself as a younger mountain cat. He quickly took the supplies and immediately applied to his injury. As he bandaged his paw, the larger man picked up his leather poncho from the ground, patted the dust on it away, than wrapped it around his shoulders once again. The smaller cat slightly winced in pain, but did his best not to show.
After he finished applying to his wound, he asked "H-how did I perform?"
The large cat looked at him silently. His eyes were focused and judging like always. The younger feline almost wished he never asked his question at all.
After a moment of silence the large mountain lion simply and sternly answered "…you failed."
The young cat let out a sigh of disappointment. He then got up and walked towards camp.
The larger cat stopped him, saying "You will catch us dinner at the lake."
"I thought we had…" the young cat said before he saw the larger feline's glare.
"I'll go at once." He said in shame.
The larger mountain lion then began to walk, than added "If you don't return by sunset, neither of us will eat tonight. Am I made clear?"
"Yes…" the young feline answered submissively.
The large cat walked back to camp, while the younger mountain lion made a pain filled journey to the nearby lake to fetch dinner, even though he found it unnecessary. Regardless, he continued thought the forest with his next test.
((()-()))
Tigress held Erdan down, keeping him from hurting himself or others around him. Tigress could still tell he had some leftover anger within his mental being.
"Erdan calm down." Tigress said as she rubbed her paw on Erdan's head. "Calm down… calm down… calm…down."
The wolf teen continued to breath heavily and bare a frustrated expression. Then, after a few minutes he calmed down. His movements were slowing down until his arms were now still and his demeanor returned to his normal self. In the moment, he knew of what just transpired. He then allowed Tigress to release him and the young fighter sat on the stone ground. His head faced downward as he realized what his actions were just minutes ago.
"I did it again… didn't I?" Erdan asked with a disappointed tone.
Tigress simply nodded, and the boy felt an ominous feeling of self shame, followed by a sudden shot of agony in his right arm. He groaned in pain as he found a scrap on his wrist. Tigress took note of his injury and assessed his situation. Meanwhile, the rest of the warriors joined the two after the sparing match was finished. Upon seeing his son sitting on the floor holding his lower arm, Zhong quickly knelt by Erdan side.
"Are you-"
"I'm fine dad, it's just a little scrape, that's all." Erdan interrupted, with an annoyed/bitter tone.
Tigress looked to his comrades and asked "Crane, fetch some supplies for Erdan."
"Alright" The avian master said before he left.
Tigress and Zhong examined Erdan's injury, much to the teen's dismay. The boy felt the whole group looking at him, as if a small flat cut was a massive wound.
"I'm ok alright! I told you all it's not a big deal!" Erdan yelled.
Everyone then reacted appropriately, with faces of concern and slight shock. Erdan breathed in and out before taking a moment to compose himself.
"I'm, I'm sorry. I-"
Po then held up his paw while replying "Don't worry about it."
The rest of the five nodded in agreement and once again Erdan held his head down. Zhong carefully read his face and body language. He was growing concerned at his son's inner progress, but he had more worry about Erdan mental being then his physical at the moment. Crane then returned with a bag of medical goods. He handed them to Tigress and she begun to perform the treatment. But she thought for a moment before looking back at her comrades.
"Perhaps, I and Erdan could have a word… in private." Tigress requested.
"Yeah, sure." Po replied.
The rest of the Five gave similar answers and they soon left the training hall. Before Zhong left, he placed his paw on his boy's shoulder. Erdan looked up and was met with a warm smile on his dad's face. Erdan gave a small grin back, though it only stayed for a moment until Zhong left as well, leaving the wolf teen and the feline master alone. Tigress took the medicine and applyed it to Erdan's scrape. Upon contact it stung a bit, and the young lupine slightly groaned in response. As she tended to her younger fellow student, he felt a slight feeling of failure.
"I- I'm sorry." Erdan quietly said.
"It's ok, you'll get it soon." Tigress replied as she cleaned his arm.
Erdan sighed before saying "It's just… when I was in the moment… I was… my mind was thinking… I was… I was…"
"It's alright. There's always next time."
"But when I'm in a fight, this could mean life or death for me." Erdan said worried.
Tigress cleaned off any blood on his arm and patted a cloth with water to sooth his cut.
"If I can't keep my… If I let myself be…" Erdan continued.
"I know, I struggled with the very same thing around your age."
"How long did it take you?" Erdan asked.
Tigress begun to bandage Erdan's cut as she answered. "A few days"
Erdan groaned slightly. "It's been a week and I still haven't-"
"I know" tigress said.
Erdan thought about continuing, but he decided to listen to the more experienced master.
"I had that same mindset you do. Only I discovered the reason I kept failing."
As the bandages were nearly completed Erdan asked "What was the reason?"
Tigress paused a moment to focus on finishing Erdan's treatment before answering.
"I realized the problem wasn't my anger, or my enemy, it was the thought of failure. I let it take my mind, and I had to keep my inner being in check to succeed, at least, that how I got it."
The patch was finished. Erdan's cut mark was now replaced by white cloth helping him heal. He looked at the master in front of him who sported a concert face.
"Do you think that's what's bothering you?" Tigress asked.
"I don't know." Erdan answered.
Tigress then placed her right paw on his shoulder and gave him a small smile. He grinned back a bit and they both stood up again.
"Have you been meditating recently?" Tigress asked.
"Well, with my job, training, archery practice, and helping my mom, I don't really find a lot of time." Erdan answered.
"Just try to get a little more every day, should help you."
Erdan nodded. He then asked "Anymore drills?"
Tigress looked at the state of his body, with tired muscles and sweat all over his bare torso.
"I think you've had enough for today."
Erdan was relieved and the two begun to walk together to the training hall's exit.
"Hey, is my dad ok?" Erdan asked, thinking back to how tired and deprived his foster father looked earlier.
Tigress paused a moment before deciding to let him in on Zhong. "Don't tell him, but, I think he's been having bad dreams."
"Really? He has them every now and then." Erdan replied.
"Yeah, but this time it's different."
"How?" Erdan asked with a concerned tone.
"This morning, we found him here in the hall, and from his condition, he was training all night long."
The wolf teen then said back "He's had night terrors before at Shu's house, but it usually doesn't ruin his rest."
"Which makes last night all the more worrying." Tigress added.
"Hey, you should probably spend some time with him. He needs it a lot."
"I will, he is my dad, even though he does stupid things every now and then." Erdan replied.
"And what about you?" Tigress asked with a small smile.
Erdan became embarresed as he said "Well…"
"Alright, get going." Tigress ordered, sparing him the awkward moment.
"Thank you, master Tigress." Erdan said thankfully as he placed a fist next to his flat paw and bowed.
Tigress did the same, as a sign of respect between two students. Erdan then headed to wash up and afterwards spend some time with his old man.
((()-()))
As Erdan prepared to clean himself and afterwards join his foster father, within a more peaceful setting in the palace grounds, master Shifu quietly sat in concentration. He felt the slight winds blow lightly on him. And the smell of carefully crafted candles rose and lingered In the air, bringing a calming and pleasant sent to relax one's senses. The red panda sat, with his eyes closed, and his mind in deep thought. He then opened his eyes, took a deep breath, and exhaled. The red panda looked up to the large statue of his former master. The giant stone turtle smiled eternally, and the palace master gave a nice smile to his late friend and teacher. Shifu then looked to his right and saw Fang, the young rabbit boy in the same position as himself was just in. He also stayed very still, with his eyes closed and his mouth silent. For once, the small bunny was staying still peacefully, as if his whole personality was switched with different person.
Shifu looked at Fang, calmly saying "Well done Fang."
But the boy stayed silent, not responding at all to the red panda's praise.
"Fang, did you hear me?" Shifu asked.
The old master took a closer look at the boy's posture. There he noticed that Fang's mouth was slightly opened, with a small drop of drool tugging at the edge of his lower lip. And his paws weren't relaxed, rather left dangling off of his knees. But the most obvious of clues came when he heard the boy mumble something.
"M-mom… I… I don't… don't want… want to… to eat… this… its… its smell bad."
In a single second the red panda's look of impressments was replaced by a feeling of disappointment. He shook his head slowly horizontally as he sighed to himself. He had trained children before, such as Tigress, or more notably his dead son, Tai Lung. He understood that children can be slow to learn, though not always. But the former two were trained in the ways of Kung Fu from a very young age. This boy on the other hand, grew up to be a village troublemaker. The red panda then took his bamboo flute, positioned it by Fang's ear, and played a single note. The sound of the transferred air created a lone note, and in a millisecond the rabbit boy shot up in shock.
"AAAHHHHGGGG!" Fang screamed, fumbling about in panic.
After a moment he regained awareness and he saw master Shifu standing next to him with his instrument. Then the boy was able to put the pieces together.
"What was that for?!" Fang shouted in anger.
"You fell asleep… again." Shifu answered while putting his flute down.
Fang sported a face of build up annoyance, one that his teacher noticed very much.
"Fang, have you really tried the meditation techniques I showed you?" Shifu asked, calmly but a serious tone.
"Well why did you to lie to me?" Fang protested in anger.
Shifu then raised an eyebrow and asked "What makes you think I lied to you?"
Fang got up on his feet and stood right in front of the master before him.
"You said you were gonna give me a special lesson. That means teaching me how to kick butts and beat people up."
Shifu stayed quiet as the bunny boy continued in his complaints.
"Instead of teaching me all that stuff, you have me just sit and wait in this rock garden."
Shifu raised an eyebrow again and replied "And do you think that meditation isn't a part of Kung Fu?"
"Well yes!" Fang said loudly. "Kung fu is about beating up people and being strong, and having no one mess around with you!"
"That's only a small part of true Martial Arts." Shifu said back.
"Ah just forget it!" Fang yelled in anger.
The rabbit boy then walked a few feet before sitting on one of the stone stairs of the masters' garden. Shifu could tell this boy was frustrated not by his doing, but perhaps something else. The red panda took a moment of thought, and afterwards realized that if he wanted to help this boy in any way, he would need to try a different method of doing so. Shifu walked by Fang's side, but the small boy just turned the opposite way. The experienced teacher remembered that patience is requirement, for both the student and the master.
"You're frustrated and angry, aren't you?" Shifu said.
"How would you know?" Fang replied, with a calmed down, but still angry tone.
"You wish you got better treatment, right?" Shifu simply said.
Fang suddenly turned and gave a perplexed expression. Shifu then took a seat by the boy, getting down (quite literally) to Fang's level.
"How do you…" Fang asked, his attitude of anger replaced by a puzzled mind.
"I could sense your anxieties and rage."
Fang gave a surprised look on his face.
"Meditation doesn't seem so useless, now does it?" Shifu said with a small smile.
Fang then held his head down and sighed. Shifu then said "Whatever is bothering you, you can tell me. I'll keep it secret if you wish."
Fang took a moment to think, to ponder of whether or not to let out his inner turmoil. However, he knew he couldn't keep it too himself forever. And he was with a person who'd keep it to himself, not matter what. So, it seemed like a good enough time for the boy.
"It's just… everybody treats me like some… some… some stupid little kid." Fang said with a calmed down demeanor.
Shifu listened carefully to the small rabbit's words and tone.
"My parents think that I'm always gonna cause trouble, even though half of the time it isn't even my fault. Other kids think I'll bring them bad luck, and others mock and tease me every day."
Shifu continued to give the upmost attention as Fang went on.
"That's why I'm always ready to fight, because everyone thinks I'm some, small… thing. If I were big and tough, everyone wouldn't treat me this way."
Shifu thought a moment before saying "What you want is respect."
Fang simply nodded and took another sigh. Shifu looked up at the stone statues of the great masters of the past. And it was then that he knew what he'd say, regarding this troubled boy.
"Fang, look at that statue." Shifu said as he pointed at a large rhino.
"Isn't that… uh… master rhino?" Fang asked.
"Yes, Master Thundering Rhino. Do you know why he has a statue here?" Shifu asked.
"Because he was really strong and beated a lot of bad guys?" Fang answered.
Shifu shook his head slowly and replied "He has a statue, because he gave his life for Gongmen City. He valued the lives of millions of people above his own."
Fang looked at the stone rhino, with his large threatening horn, and massive hammer.
"Now look at that one, do you know him?" Shifu asked pointing to a statue of a simian master.
"Well, he's a gorilla, he's already though. He's all muscle and strength." Fang answered.
Shifu looked at the statue as he explained "Master Gorilla, ended a five year war. When two kingdoms were fighting each other as country villages suffered the violence."
"He probably fought and took out both armies with his might, right?" Fang asked.
"No." Shifu answered, earning him a puzzled face from Fang.
"He ended the war through peace. By inviting both leaders and negotiating with them. He was able to make them realize that they were ruining the lives of the people they thought were protecting. His greatest weapon… was his words."
"Well, what the point of all this?" Fang asked.
"Fang" Shifu answered. "Respect isn't given, it's earned. And you earn it, by giving it. Those masters performed selfless actions. They were willing to put themselves in danger for the innocent, even if it cost them they're lives. They earned respect through they're selfless deeds. And because of that, they're immortalized here, for all to remember." Shifu explained.
Fang was baffled, in a confused way. "So you're saying that; I should treat people with respect, and they'll give it back?"
Shifu nodded.
"Yeah, well what about kids who do nothing but pester and bully me?" Fang said, his tone becoming a bit angrier again. "They don't show me respect, so why should I?"
"Because that's what being a good person is." Shifu answered.
Fang then got up and turned towards Shifu. "So… this special lesson, was just for a few stories?"
Shifu sighed, got up, and replied in a calm tone. "What this lesson gave you wasn't strength or techniques, rather something just as valuable... wisdom."
Fang stayed silent as Shifu continued.
"Now, whether or not that wisdom is forgotten, or helps, that is for you to decide." Shifu finished.
Fang continued to stay silent, with an slightly aggravated expression. Shifu took note of the boy's reaction. He tried his best, but time will tell if it makes any change in the young rabbit's habits.
"Alright now, lessons over, let's rejoin the others." Shifu said as he and Fang returned to the Palace, leaving the Master's garden in its splendor.
But as the two walked down the stone path, Fang muttered to himself "Great, I just wasted my whole afternoon." Before entering into the Jade Palace with Shifu.
((()-()))
The door to the barrack's wash room slid opened as out walked Erdan, freshly clean and rid of the smells of physical training. The wolf teen tossed a used towel into a wooden box for the palace servants to wash later. The lupine slid the door closed and walked though the hall and towards the kitchen. After a minute he entered and saw that Po was relaxing and snacking on some cookies. The large panda was enjoying the tasty treats when he suddenly saw his canine friend come in. The young wolf changed a bit, removing his training wraps around his legs and wrists, and put on his regular long pants, but still remaining half dressed, showing a freshly cleaned fur coat on his torso. The wolf and panda looked at each other with an awkward air looming in the moment. Po simply stayed still as he held a treat right by his mouth, ready to consume the delicious desert.
"Don't tell Monkey, ok?" Po asked with a muffled voice and crums on his face.
Erdan took a seat at the table while replying "Our little secret."
The two shared a trusting smile as Po offered a cookie to his young friend. Erdan ate and savored the flavor of the baked treat. Po finished his snack and set the jar aside, wanting to talk with his honorary little brother.
"So… you were pretty awesome today, sparring with Tigress." Po said with encouragment.
Erdan looked down a bit and replied "Was I really?"
"Yeah, not many can last ten minutes against Tigress, especially grown guys." Po continued.
Erdan placed his arms on the table and laid his head on them, burying his face into his relaxed arms.
"Yeah, but I again forgot the whole point of the lesson… and failed, again." Erdan said, slightly disappointed.
Po then placed his paw on the wolf boy's shoulder. Erdan looked up and saw a warm grin on the panda's face.
"You'll get it right, it just takes time." Po said reassuringly.
"Yeah, I know." Erdan's mood was slightly better, though only a bit.
Po could see the lingering disappointment in his friend's face, and realized he needed to take his mind off of today's training.
"You know what you need?" Po asked.
"What?"
"A catchphrase!" Po said with enthusiasm.
"What?" Erdan asked with a raised eyebrow.
"A great hero needs a battle cry, something that strikes fear in evil's hearts, and proclaims justice to all around!" The panda said as he striked a pose of glory.
Erdan couldn't help but laugh softly. Despite being the legendary Dragon Warrior, the famed hero of the China sometimes acted like a five year old… well, a little more than sometimes.
"Ok, well, what do you recommend?" Erdan asked with a grin on his face.
Po then cracked his knuckles together, preparing for his best material his bodacious mind could conceive.
"Well it needs to be big and epic, like; 'Feel the thunder!' or 'My fists hunger for justice!'" Po said in bold and mighty tones, as if he was acting (or rather overacting) a scene in a grand play.
"Those are pretty good." Erdan commented.
"Fun fact; the first time I used that last one, was when I first met your dad." Po clued in.
"You mean when my tough, strong foster dad was beat by a plush panda." Erdan said teasingly.
"Well… you could say that." Po replied.
The two begun to laugh together after their little inside joke. The mental image of a muscle bound general getting his butt kicked by a fat bear was quite humorous to Erdan. Even though his dad would most likely try to forget that embarrassing memory, even though his friends wouldn't always let it go.
"Ok, so, I've shared my words of awesomeness, how about you?" Po asked.
"Alright, alright, just give me a minute…" Erdan said, thinking of some battle cries to use.
After a couple minutes the young hero thought of a few phrases to use.
"Ok, how's; 'Taste my arrows of justice!' or 'Hear my howl of freedom!'" Erdan said in the best heroic tone his could muster.
Po held his paw to his chin, with an impacting expression on his face. At a glance one would think he was pondering on the great questions of life and the universe.
"Pretty good, but you've still got a lot to learn." Po said with a smile.
Erdan gave a warm grin and said "Well, it's a good thing I have a master to teach me."
Po patted Erdan's shoulder as he replied "Anytime Danny boy."
Then, master Shifu and Fang came entered in the kitchen. The great master was in his usual mood, simple and calm. But the rabbit boy was rather… well… conned, to put it best.
Fang then jumped onto a chair at the table. Erdan noticed the grumbled face on his best friend, as if he was cheated, robbed, and picked on all day.
"So, how'd your 'special lesson' go, Fang?" Erdan asked.
"Terrible" Fang answered in a mildly angry attitude. "All we did was sit and do nothing for an hour. And then I get a history lesson at the end."
"You had a lesson with Shifu?" Po asked.
"Yeah, but I won't anymore." Fang replied.
Erdan looked worried at his friend. It seemed that his idea showed no change. But then again, this is Fang, a boy who's built a troublesome reputation for a reason.
"Erdan" Shifu said, asking the boy to talk with him in the hall.
After the wolf boy walked out he joined Shifu.
"Well, how'd it go?" Erdan asked.
"I tried my best. But it seems that Fang's expectations clouded his head. I gave him some advice, but I don't know if he's use it or not." Shifu explained.
Erdan sighed before replying "Well, thanks anyway."
"Fang should get back to his home now, I'll see to it he returns before dark." Shifu informed.
Erdan then changed the subject, saying "Tigress told me that my dad has been having trouble sleeping?"
Shifu stroked to fur on his chin as he replied "Yes, he has been having some… issues. Which is why I gave him the following week off, spending time with you and Shu might be what he needs."
"Ok, where is he anyway?" erdan asked.
"At his usual spot, of course." Shifu answered.
Erdan nodded and went to join his dad. Meanwhile Shifu returned to the kitchen, where he saw Fang and Po snacking on the same cookies on the table, the both of them with full mouths and crums on their lips.
Po awkwardly asked "Don't tell Monkey."
"I make no promises." Shifu simply replied.
The red panda then looked at the young rabbit and said "Fang, it's time you went home, I'll have tigress escort you, now come."
Fang wiped his face with his sleave and jumped off of the table on onto the sandel wood floor. His face parctialy releaved.
"Finally, I'd rather be with my parents, at least they don't actively try to bore me to death." Fang said as he walked out of the room.
Shifu sighed to himself as he joined Fang out of the barracks. Po, who was finished with his late afternoon snack, placed the jar up in the cabnit and walked out to the hall. But only seconds later the simian master Monkey entered the kitchen, and climbed up to grab the same jar. He opened it with his tail, but was shocked to find it empty, with nothing but a small piece of white fur. Immediately he knew the true culprit fo this unspeakable crime.
"PO!" Monkey yelled as he dashed to the hall.
He looked down the long room to just catch the panda quickly run around the corner. Monkey looked at his empty pot and then the hall.
"Oh, this means war." The simian master said to himself.
"What you say?" Viper asked.
Monkey was surprised by his fellow master suddenly right next to him. He looked at her, who was curious about his choice of words.
"Oh… nothing." Monkey sheepishly answered.
Viper gave a look that sparked worry in his mind. That is until she slithered away, figuring she was just hearing things.
But once she was gone the ape looked at the hall and darkly said to himself "this means war friend."
((()-()))
(Fire Emblem Warriors ost – "Ordinary afternoon")
Overlooking the Valley of Peace, keeping watch over the beautiful plains and tranquil villages, the sacred peach tree still stood in splendor. Zhong laid up against the tree, eyes closed, mind calmed, and softly breathed in and out. As he once again meditated, he felt the northern wind flow through the thick fur coat on his bare torso. The silence, the sounds, the atmosphere, all of which were right, and Zhong stayed still and silent.
…
…
…
Zhong focused his very being on his peace.
…
…
…
Then, he heard the sounds of footsteps approaching. He opened his one good eye, looked to his left, and saw that someone had joined him.
"Hi dad." Erdan greeted with a warm smile.
"Hey Erdan." Zhong replied with a grin of his own.
Erdan noticed that his father's legs were crossed, and realized what he might have been doing as he arrived.
"Um, was I interrupting something important?" Erdan asked.
"No" Zhong happily replied.
The large wolf then scooted a bit, laid his legs outwards to relax them, and patted the ground next to him, telling his son to sit with him. Erdan then sat with Zhong, laying his back against the peach tree. The father and son sat together and enjoyed the great view for a few minutes, taking the scope and scale of the sight before them.
"Hey dad."
"Yeah?"
"A-are you… ok?" Erdan asked with a hint of worry in his voice.
"Um… yeah, I just couldn't fall asleep last night." Zhong answered.
"That's it?" Erdan pondered.
"Yeah, it's nothing to worry about." Zhong replied.
Erdan thought about asking again, but was cut off when his foster father asked a question of his own.
"Are you alright?"
After a second of thought, Erdan replied "You mean, with today's training?"
Zhong nodded, and Erdan thought that if he couldn't help his father now, perhaps he could let his dad help him.
"I…" Erdan said with a mixture of emotions. "It's just… whenever I… it feels like nowadays I just get angrier when I fight or spar."
"And how do you feel about it?" Zhong asked.
"…Ashamed" Erdan answered simply.
Zhong then placed his large arm around his son's shoulders, giving a sense of comfort to his boy.
"I went through the same thing when I was your age." Zhong explained.
"Really?" Erdan asked.
"Oh yeah." Zhong replied as the winds continued to blow and the sun beamed on the surrounding ground, piercing though the leaves of the peach tree and throught the patches of shade keeping the two wolves cool.
"Back when I was being trained to be a royal guard, I along with many others experienced the drive of new emotions growing up." Erdan listened as he continued. "We were trained to suppress our anger or fear when in battle. But it can be difficult when you're going through so much change."
"Did you ever get the better of it?" Erdan asked.
"Yeah I did, but it took time. And for some, a lot of time." Zhong answered.
Erdan thought about his situation for a few moments, now factoring in his dad's advice. Zhong looked at his son and decided to lighten the mood a bit.
He rubbed erdan's head and said "Don't worry too much, it's just a part of growing up."
Erdan was taken away from his thoughts and now asked a different question.
"What are the other parts?"
"Oh, well, your body changes, you start eating more for awhile, and you start getting interested in girls, that or they get interested in you." Zhong answered.
Erdan rolled his eyes a bit, thinking back to the conversation he had with his foster mother at the beginning of the same day.
"You sound just like mom."
"Heh, do I?" Zhong asked in a humored tone.
"Yeah, she thinks that since I now got muscles, I'm gonna have lots of girls wanting to date me." Erdan explained.
"… well, she's not wrong." Zhong sheepishly said.
"Not you too." Erdan replied, in a joking tone.
Both Zhong and Erdan laughed, making a joke out of the small drama in their daily lives.
"Speaking of which, how's your mother?" Zhong asked.
"She's good, same as always." Erdan answered.
The two wolves continued to relax as the tree's shade kept them (mostly) cool from the summer heat. Then, Erdan looked up and saw something that caught his eyes' attention. He then got up and jumped upwards.
"What are you doing?" Zhong asked.
Erdan then came back down with a peach in each paw.
"Here" He said as he handed one to Zhong.
"Are you sure it's ok, I mean this tress belonged to…" ZHong said with a slightly concerned tone.
Erdan looked at the fruit and replied "Well, I don't think Oogway would mind, its what a fruit tree is for, right?"
With that the two sat down again and snacked on the peaches in their paws. Erdan bit down and tasted the sweet, sensational flavor of one of nature's blessings. Zhong did the same, carefully avoiding the pit piece within. Then, Zhong begun to close his eye, and his head tilted downward. Erdan was about to start another conversation, when he noticed that his dad fell asleep. Light breathing could be heard, and his peach was still in his paw. Erdan, finished with his fruit, decided to savor the moment. He snuggled with his dad, closed his eyes, and drifted away into a nap, snoozing with his father under the shade.
("Ordinary afternoon" stops)
(Fire Emblem Echoes ost – "Reminiscences")
But while the two lupines were napping, a group of blossoms flew together, and in front of the sleeping father and son, the spirit of a wise old turtle arrived. The turtle moved to see the two, and upon looking at the boy and his dad, the wise old master smiled. The ghostly turtle then moved his arms in a flowing motion. His arms swayed back and forth in harmonic symphony. And then, a glowing gold aura formed from the turtle's hands. He then took the two orbs of aura, and placed their golden essence within Erdan's chest, passing through his physical body and into his inner being.
The turtle looked at Erdan, smiled and quietly said "Well done, young one, but you're destiny is soon to come."
The turtle then turned to Zhong. His large, strong chest breathing slightly as he was in peaceful slumber for once in days. The turtle took the golden aura and placed it the same way in Zhong, passing though his torso and into his body.
The wise turtle looked at the one eyed wolf and smiled while saying "You've over come so much, and found your true self again. But you still have one more road to travel, before you're whole once more."
The turtle spirit walked off, but before leaving, he smiled at the sight of the two napping together.
"And please, enjoy the peaches all you'd like." The turtle said happily before disappearing in a cloud of floating petals.
("Reminiscences" ends)
A petal landed on Erdan's eye lid, and the boy then woke up from his snooze. His head sleepy, but when he regain awareness, he saw the sun about the set. At first he admired the sight of the natural beauty, but after thinking for a minute, he realized what part of the day it had become. He suddenly got up and shook his dad slightly.
"Dad, dad wake up!" Erdan said in urgency.
Zhong woke up and saw his teenage son had brought him from his nap.
"Wha-what the?" Zhong said in surprise.
"Dad, it's almost sunset!" Erdan yelled as he pointed to the changing sky.
Upon realizing this ZHong said "Oh man, Shu's gonna give it to us now."
"Then let's go!" Erdan shouted.
The two lupine's immediately rushed to hurry back to their home in the village, hoping that to reach there before dark.
((()-()))
At a small camp in the woods, the large mountain cat sat by the fire. He waited for his meal to arrive. And after a few hours, both his patience and his stomach were wearing thin. Then, he heard footsteps, and prepared to draw his weapon. But the younger cat came, with catch fish dangling from thread.
He then tossed the fished to the large cat, saying "Here you go."
The large cat sternly said "Its sunset."
"But you said 'by sunset'." The younger cat corrected.
The large mountain lion looked at the sky above, and after thinking, decided on a verdict.
"Fine, I suppose this is… acceptable." He said plainly.
The younger mountain lion nodded.
"But just barely acceptable."
The younger cat saw the look within the older lion's eyes and immediately was flooded with regret and shame.
"I'll will do better next time." He said respectfully.
"You better, or else you'll starve the next night." The older one said as he begun to cook the fish.
The younger mountain lion sat with his legs crossed by the fire. He felt his paw, the pain from his small wound still burned slightly, though like many injuries, he learned to live with it. As he rested, he looked at the fish, being fried and cooked over the campfire. And he begun to develop thoughts of doubt within. Wondering if those four catches were truly worth the effort, and the results he was given. He continued to ease himself as the black of night slowly covered their small camp, with only the fire to provide a light that pierced through the surrounding darkness.