Hubris
Xianghua waved the Krita-Yuga around her head to get a feel for it. Her opponent, an experienced warrior named Zhiyi, performed her own warm ups on the other side of the gym. She reminded Xianghua of her mother. Xianghua held the Krita-Yuga straight out and lifted one leg. She balanced perfectly on one leg.
"Are you ready?" Zhiyi called.
Using her raised leg as a counterbalance, Xianghua lowered her head to the floor. Then she tucked her head under and rolled back to her feet. "I am now."
They sparred for several minutes before Zhiyi said, "You've improved a lot since we last fought."
"I've had inspiration to improve."
Zhiyi smirked. "It wouldn't be a man, would it?"
"No!" Xianghua answered too quickly. "I've faced situations of life or death. That is motivation enough."
"You're right. After all, you'll be getting married soon. You may have to give up fighting."
"That is one thing I have no intention of doing."
"What if your future husband disagrees?"
"He will have no choice."
"Those are brave words."
Xianghua twitched. "It would be nice to have someone to fight alongside."
"You sound quite mournful." Zhiyi returned to the weapon rack. "Are you thinking of backing out of the wedding?"
"No." Xianghua looked at the entrance in time to see Maxi arrive with his nunchaku under his arm. "Please tell me you're here to work out."
Maxi shrugged. "I'm here to work out."
"You liar."
"You told me to say it." Xianghua rolled her eyes and walked away. Maxi turned to Zhiyi. "I need some alone time with Xianghua. Do you mind?"
"Not at all." Zhiyi placed her sword onto the weapon rack. "I have things to do anyway."
When Zhiyi disappeared, Xianghua said, "I don't believe you're here for a fight."
"Actually," Maxi said, "you're right. I'm here to talk."
"About what?"
"You."
"And?"
"Kilik."
"Merciful Buddha." Xianghua took a few steps away from him. "Must we go through this?"
"Xianghua, I know you're in love with him."
"What would make you think that?"
"I know how upset you were when Kilik left three years ago. Your aunt and I both know the only reason you're going through with this marriage is because Kilik hurt you."
Xianghua grimaced at him. "You know nothing."
"I take that as an insult, especially since we both know I'm telling the truth."
"Why are we even having this conversation!"
Maxi began swinging his nunchaku. "What if I were to tell you that Kilik feels the same way about you?"
Xianghua's face relaxed. She thought about it for a moment. "I don't believe you."
Maxi swung the nunchaku at her. She deflected it with Krita-Yuga. In the same move, she brought the tip of the sword to Maxi's chin. "What are you trying to prove?" Maxi asked. "Are you trying to punish him?"
"What if I am? I won't back down simply because he's feeling sorry."
"How conceited of you. How out of character." Maxi tilted the tip of Krita-Yuga away. "Have you not noticed how distant he's been? He's felt nothing but regret since he returned. That is punishment enough. When's the last time he looked you in the eye?"
"He should have thought of that before he left." Xianghua lowered Krita-Yuga. "At the most, he could have taken me with him. At the least, he could have told me he was leaving and that he would return. Did you expect me to put my life on hold for something so uncertain?" She was on the verge of tears.
"So it is revenge." Maxi lightly touched her shoulder. "What if you get your vengeance? Then what? Will you live the rest of your life in a loveless marriage? Yearning for someone else the whole time because you were too selfish to do things right when you had the chance." Xianghua turned her back to him to walk away. "This is your chance to make it right!"
"Do not talk to me about making things right."
"Fine. Then I'll just have to beat you into submission."
"What?" Xianghua watched Maxi lift his nunchaku for battle. "So be it."
Kilik awoke at the sound of banging and crashing. He sat up to hear better. There was some cursing followed by more banging. He went downstairs to investigate and stopped in his tracks when he saw the source of the commotion.
Xianghua was walking with a slight limp. She had a few bruises that revealed she'd been hit with a blunt object repeatedly. Maxi was right behind her. He had several cuts. Blood was crusted on the side of his mouth. He was holding his side as he walked behind Xianghua, stumbled, righted himself, and continued walking.
"What the hell happened to you two!" Kilik demanded.
Xianghua and Maxi both looked at him. "We were just having a conversation," Xianghua answered.
"You call that a conversation? You look half dead."
"I told her," Maxi said.
"Told her what?"
"That you're in love with her." Maxi leaned forward to reduce the ache in his side.
"Maxi," Kilik said, "why did you do that?"
Maxi waved his free hand for emphasis. "Because she loves you, too, you idiot." Xianghua limped to a chair as Maxi continued. "The only reason she's marrying the other guy is to get revenge on you for disappearing. She's just too proud to admit it."
"Oh, shut up Maxi!" Xianghua carefully lowered herself into a chair. "We tried to kill each other because you wouldn't shut up."
"We tried to kill each other because you're too proud to admit you love Kilik."
Kilik covered his face with one hand. "I can't believe you did that."
"Believe it." Maxi seized Kilik's hand and dragged him to a chair near Xianghua. Kilik took a seat. Maxi stood between the chairs. In each hand, he took Kilik's hand and Xianghua's hand, then placed one on top of the other. Kilik and Xianghua exchanged looks for a moment before pulling their hands apart. Maxi groaned. "Can't we all just get along?"
Xianghua and Kilik screamed simultaneously, "Shut up Maxi!"
"Fine!" Maxi moved away. "Screw you guys. I'm going to bed." Maxi limped to his room without looking back.
Xianghua and Kilik sat in total silence for several minutes. Finally, Kilik broke the silence. "Is it true?"
"What difference does it make? I'm getting married, and you make no move to protest."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"How could I?" Xianghua moved her head around as if she were drunk. "You were meditating in the mountains!" She placed a hand to her chest as she fought to catch her breath. "I didn't exactly have a way to send a message."
"I need to get out of here."
The moment Kilik stood, Xianghua went into a fit of rage. "Oh yeah! Leave, like you did last time! Like you've done since you got back.! You don't even look me in the eye anymore." Rather than wait for a response, Xianghua stood and limped to her own room. Kilik remained where he was. He contemplated Xianghua's accusation. Then Lien Fa's words returned to him.
"That's what you get for ignoring what's right there in front of you."
Xianghua waved the Krita-Yuga around her head to get a feel for it. Her opponent, an experienced warrior named Zhiyi, performed her own warm ups on the other side of the gym. She reminded Xianghua of her mother. Xianghua held the Krita-Yuga straight out and lifted one leg. She balanced perfectly on one leg.
"Are you ready?" Zhiyi called.
Using her raised leg as a counterbalance, Xianghua lowered her head to the floor. Then she tucked her head under and rolled back to her feet. "I am now."
They sparred for several minutes before Zhiyi said, "You've improved a lot since we last fought."
"I've had inspiration to improve."
Zhiyi smirked. "It wouldn't be a man, would it?"
"No!" Xianghua answered too quickly. "I've faced situations of life or death. That is motivation enough."
"You're right. After all, you'll be getting married soon. You may have to give up fighting."
"That is one thing I have no intention of doing."
"What if your future husband disagrees?"
"He will have no choice."
"Those are brave words."
Xianghua twitched. "It would be nice to have someone to fight alongside."
"You sound quite mournful." Zhiyi returned to the weapon rack. "Are you thinking of backing out of the wedding?"
"No." Xianghua looked at the entrance in time to see Maxi arrive with his nunchaku under his arm. "Please tell me you're here to work out."
Maxi shrugged. "I'm here to work out."
"You liar."
"You told me to say it." Xianghua rolled her eyes and walked away. Maxi turned to Zhiyi. "I need some alone time with Xianghua. Do you mind?"
"Not at all." Zhiyi placed her sword onto the weapon rack. "I have things to do anyway."
When Zhiyi disappeared, Xianghua said, "I don't believe you're here for a fight."
"Actually," Maxi said, "you're right. I'm here to talk."
"About what?"
"You."
"And?"
"Kilik."
"Merciful Buddha." Xianghua took a few steps away from him. "Must we go through this?"
"Xianghua, I know you're in love with him."
"What would make you think that?"
"I know how upset you were when Kilik left three years ago. Your aunt and I both know the only reason you're going through with this marriage is because Kilik hurt you."
Xianghua grimaced at him. "You know nothing."
"I take that as an insult, especially since we both know I'm telling the truth."
"Why are we even having this conversation!"
Maxi began swinging his nunchaku. "What if I were to tell you that Kilik feels the same way about you?"
Xianghua's face relaxed. She thought about it for a moment. "I don't believe you."
Maxi swung the nunchaku at her. She deflected it with Krita-Yuga. In the same move, she brought the tip of the sword to Maxi's chin. "What are you trying to prove?" Maxi asked. "Are you trying to punish him?"
"What if I am? I won't back down simply because he's feeling sorry."
"How conceited of you. How out of character." Maxi tilted the tip of Krita-Yuga away. "Have you not noticed how distant he's been? He's felt nothing but regret since he returned. That is punishment enough. When's the last time he looked you in the eye?"
"He should have thought of that before he left." Xianghua lowered Krita-Yuga. "At the most, he could have taken me with him. At the least, he could have told me he was leaving and that he would return. Did you expect me to put my life on hold for something so uncertain?" She was on the verge of tears.
"So it is revenge." Maxi lightly touched her shoulder. "What if you get your vengeance? Then what? Will you live the rest of your life in a loveless marriage? Yearning for someone else the whole time because you were too selfish to do things right when you had the chance." Xianghua turned her back to him to walk away. "This is your chance to make it right!"
"Do not talk to me about making things right."
"Fine. Then I'll just have to beat you into submission."
"What?" Xianghua watched Maxi lift his nunchaku for battle. "So be it."
Kilik awoke at the sound of banging and crashing. He sat up to hear better. There was some cursing followed by more banging. He went downstairs to investigate and stopped in his tracks when he saw the source of the commotion.
Xianghua was walking with a slight limp. She had a few bruises that revealed she'd been hit with a blunt object repeatedly. Maxi was right behind her. He had several cuts. Blood was crusted on the side of his mouth. He was holding his side as he walked behind Xianghua, stumbled, righted himself, and continued walking.
"What the hell happened to you two!" Kilik demanded.
Xianghua and Maxi both looked at him. "We were just having a conversation," Xianghua answered.
"You call that a conversation? You look half dead."
"I told her," Maxi said.
"Told her what?"
"That you're in love with her." Maxi leaned forward to reduce the ache in his side.
"Maxi," Kilik said, "why did you do that?"
Maxi waved his free hand for emphasis. "Because she loves you, too, you idiot." Xianghua limped to a chair as Maxi continued. "The only reason she's marrying the other guy is to get revenge on you for disappearing. She's just too proud to admit it."
"Oh, shut up Maxi!" Xianghua carefully lowered herself into a chair. "We tried to kill each other because you wouldn't shut up."
"We tried to kill each other because you're too proud to admit you love Kilik."
Kilik covered his face with one hand. "I can't believe you did that."
"Believe it." Maxi seized Kilik's hand and dragged him to a chair near Xianghua. Kilik took a seat. Maxi stood between the chairs. In each hand, he took Kilik's hand and Xianghua's hand, then placed one on top of the other. Kilik and Xianghua exchanged looks for a moment before pulling their hands apart. Maxi groaned. "Can't we all just get along?"
Xianghua and Kilik screamed simultaneously, "Shut up Maxi!"
"Fine!" Maxi moved away. "Screw you guys. I'm going to bed." Maxi limped to his room without looking back.
Xianghua and Kilik sat in total silence for several minutes. Finally, Kilik broke the silence. "Is it true?"
"What difference does it make? I'm getting married, and you make no move to protest."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"How could I?" Xianghua moved her head around as if she were drunk. "You were meditating in the mountains!" She placed a hand to her chest as she fought to catch her breath. "I didn't exactly have a way to send a message."
"I need to get out of here."
The moment Kilik stood, Xianghua went into a fit of rage. "Oh yeah! Leave, like you did last time! Like you've done since you got back.! You don't even look me in the eye anymore." Rather than wait for a response, Xianghua stood and limped to her own room. Kilik remained where he was. He contemplated Xianghua's accusation. Then Lien Fa's words returned to him.
"That's what you get for ignoring what's right there in front of you."