Calamity Hoppers ~Reprise~

by Christopher R. Martin

Chapter 11 – Never forgotten

The dojo doesn't see a lot of activity at night, but tonight, it feels especially empty. Darkness encroaches and overwhelms any small crack of light within the living room to bring the point home. Its only other distinguishing feature is the potent brew of my coffee, steaming hot in my favorite mug. Yin had gotten it for me as a Father's Day present, and I've used it a lot since then.

Arriving from the kitchen, I settle down on the couch in front of me and rest my head upon the nearest armrest. I grab the remote from the coffee table and flip the television on. I turn it on and tune in to a breaking news bulletin…

The report shows live footage of a certain district of the town decimated, abandoned, consumed in walls of fire. The anchor talks through the situation as it plays, explaining the obvious and not-so-obvious. She describes the perpetrator as being male, a child, a rabbit, and in possession of a dangerous weapon. She also brings up that he may or may not be a 'so-called Woo Foo Knight' and states that his intentions are not yet known. Police officers have broken into the scene to contain the threat, but have proven to be unsuccessful. The report ends with her urging citizens to remain indoors and for anyone within the vicinity to evacuate as soon as possible.

Stunned by this turn of events, I shut the television off and place the remote back where I got it from. My thoughts run wild, and there's no use trying to pin them down. Keeping my body still and collected, I close my eyes and pace my breaths.

She said 'rabbit' and 'child' and 'Woo Foo'. Of course, just from those words alone, I already know who it is. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to put two and two together. I mean, who else could it be?

Here we are again. First, it was him. Then, me. And after that, Yin. Now, it's you. How many times do I have to go back to this phase? The worst isn't yet to come; it already has. There's only one person in this world to blame for that. That person is standing right here, in the same dojo, the same room, as I am. That person is me.

Every terrible choice, every poorly thought-out decision, has come back to me. This isn't the first time they've bitten me in the ass. This is my punishment. My recompense. For my complacency, for taking the shortcuts I've taken. Despite my pure intentions, despite my desire to make the right choices, all I end up doing is making the wrong ones.

The Woo Foo scrolls have a proverb about that. I believe it goes something like: We are shaped by action, whether big or small. Past, present and future, any and all. Of all the times I remember that, it just has to be now. This must be a sick joke on God's part. I bet he's looking down from his throne, laughing as he has a go at me.

Footsteps then thump from the staircase, highly audible from the general emptiness of the place. From out of the darkness steps Yin who must have seen the news bulletin this whole time. Knowing the kind of person she is, she'll be asking for an explanation shortly. Whatever she wants to find out, I can give it to her. For the most part…

"It can't really be him, can it?" she asks with solemnity, holding out on a sliver of hope about to slip past her fingers.

"Everything's pointing to it, I'm afraid," I say, just as somber. "They did say 'rabbit' and 'Woo Foo'. So that's your brother, alright."

Sighing deeply, Yin darts her face towards the floor. It's not the statement she wants to hear, but it's the one she has tohear. And saying it isn't any easier, either.

Yin and I sit down on the couch, nearing each other. As father and daughter. Trying to find solace in one another after what we had just witnessed. Being right beside her calms me to a degree. The chaos in my mind clears up from just having her lean on me.

A moment passes where neither of us say a thing. Soon, Yin sits up and gazes at the wall. "You're hiding something from me, aren't you?"

So much for my serenity. I lean forward, clasps my paws together and breathe. I keep silent before opening my mouth, but find myself interrupted. For the first time, Yin is imposing herself on me. She isn't having any of it, whatever 'it' is supposed to be. I mean, I am complying with her.

"Don't even try to deny it, Dad," she states, directing her gaze at me. Her hard-willed expression. "Tell me! Please."

I've always wanted to get it out of my chest, but can't bring myself to out of fear of reliving those mistakes. Now, I have no other choice. The best that I can do is brace myself for the hurt that's about to come.

Swallowing my pride, I take yet another breath and say in a soft, meager tone, "It's my student."

"What about Yang?" asks Yin, misunderstanding.

"No, this isn't about your brother. Or you." I rub the bridge of my nose to keep my fortitude from failing and finally face my daughter. My voice only gets slightly louder, but now it takes on a more sacred tone. "This is about a student that I've had long before you and Yang." Already, it's hard. No, I have to press on. I have to do this. "Lupin."

"What? You mean like that anime about some kind of crook or con artist?"

I giggle a tad at her question and correct it as soon as I stop. "No, not that. I mean that wolf person Yang brought up. Y'know, the one he said he was looking for."

"Oh."

"He was my student. The first and best I ever had. The one I had treasured the most. He was like a son to me. The son I never thought I'd have."

"How did you two meet?"

I smile a short smile. "I was getting to that."

Memories come flowing back into me, at intervals under my control. As word after word slides from my lips, my tongue, these images take shape.

This is the Woo Foo dojo many years ago, on a cloudy, rainy afternoon. The sun loses out to the mass of nimbi in the sky on a nine-to-one scale, with not the slightest glimmer able to pierce through the rain.

"I found him all alone at the doorstep of the dojo, a mere puppy wrapped tightly in a blanket. You should have seen him, he had the cutest little snout and pair of ears you'll ever see. What kind of heartless bastard leaves behind a precious, tiny thing all on his own? Anyway, there was a huge downpour back then. Poor guy was crying, practically freezing to death. Anyone within spitting distance could hear him loud and clear. So I brought him into the dojo. I thought about giving the kid a name. Looking at him gave me a bit of a biology lesson. I was inspired by his species, his genus. That's how I came to 'Lupin', and I swore to myself to take good care of him. To raise him up as if he were my own, shape him into something strong and proud. Those were the happiest days of my life. Well, some of the happiest days."

I rubbed my daughter's head gently, and she giggles.

"So what happened next?"

"Well, with me being a Woo Foo Master and whatnot, and this place being a dojo and all, I figured 'why not teach him a few things?' So I took him under my wing, taught him, trained him, to be a fine Woo Foo Knight."

Much time had come and gone. I see Lupin at the age of six, donning a white Woo Foo gi, in the midst of his training, and me overseeing the routine with folded arms and scrutinizing eyes. Over the years, the precious, little pup I encountered upon my doorstep had grown into a fine, handsome and aspiring young boy. His regimen consisted of breaking blocks of wood, reading our olden art's many scrolls and books, improving on his form and spellcasting. Among other exercises.

"The years went on, and Lupin had become one of the finest Woo Foo Knights I've ever seen in my life. What would normally take one person decades to master, he has learned most of it in his childhood. A prodigy, indeed."

Next to come is a new sequence of images. Blissful, perfect images of him and I together. Each scenario is different from the last. Each one glows with warmth. Lupin's first bicycle ride and me treating a scrape on his knee. A typical Saturday afternoon where I helped him with his fighting stance. His eighth birthday, where I had gotten him his very own acoustic guitar and he played cacophonic sounds on it. A typical Thursday night, with him falling asleep on his desk whilst working on a homeschooling assignment, and me gently ushering him to his bed. And last but not least was the two of us on the front lawn, watching a particularly wonderful sunset from a distance. Side by side, glad to be together.

Every one of those moments, I had put away in the depths of my mind, my heart, for safe keeping. Like all good things in the world, they had to come to an end somewhere down the road. How they came to an end, I didn't know. I didn't remember. But I wish they didn't.

"I gave Lupin every last piece of me. I gave him my life, my love, you name it. Watching him grow, being with him every step of the way, it filled a gap in me that no amount of food could ever fill. He was the most beautiful thing I ever saw. He was a remarkable martial artist and an even greater person. He lived and breathe the art of Woo Foo. I've never felt more content or more proud."

My lips shape into a smile as I utter every one of these sentences. I shut my eyes briefly and envision him there, looking ahead. Looking over his shoulder and right at me, with his cheerful smile. I keep the daydreaming short, however, and glance quickly at Yin and then revert my face back to normal.

"Sadly, there's no happy ending to this," I continue, my chest encumbered. "It began when he was eleven. Lupin had achieved the Grandmaster Rank, the only Woo Foo Knight in existence to ever do so. Being a Grandmaster meant you displayed not only peerless aptitude, but also amazing strength of character. He had come back after travelling to different parts of the world to spread word about Woo Foo. You could see the passion for our art in those eyes of his. He was the whole package. But…" I let the word dangle for a bit, my will to speak slipping.

"But what?" Yin prods, curious about my tale.

"I'd reaped what I'd sown, so to speak."

A new wave of memories crashes in. These recollections are a few that I don't want to revisit.

It was four years after. Lupin, now fifteen years old, was at his prime. My dearest student had blossomed. He trained day after day, honed his skills, his senses. He has faced battle after battle, trial after trial, hardship after hardship. He had come so far, and only knew how to move forward. Nothing was stopping him.

Then that afternoon came. So much could happen in so short a span of time. He was training and I was there to oversee him, as always. It felt…coarse. It was unpleasant. I knew it just from observing him. His moves were executed ferociously, with little to no precision. They brimmed with emotion. Raw emotion. Anger. Bloodlust. Hatred. Wrath. It made the earth under my feet quake. The resounding, blood-curdling yells matched his movements so well. I had to intervene.

I approached him and grabbed his arm before he could fling a ball of dark blue flame. I then sat down on the grass and urged him to join.

"It was just a typical afternoon for the two of us. Me looking out for him as he trained. He told me he had a new regimen he wanted to try, and I was curious to see what it looked like. So he practiced, and I watched. There was something off about him then. I felt it in those punches, those kicks and those spells. I'd never seen him act that way before. So angry, so bitter. I couldn't take it anymore. I needed to stop him. Of all the lessons that I taught him, I had left out the one about not using Woo Foo in anger."

"I guess Yang and I aren't the only ones guilty of that."

"There's a passage in the scrolls about that." At that instant, a scroll materializes in thin air before us, fully unfurled. Levitating. I look into the paper to search for that passage, my finger landing on the first word. "Let's see… Here it is: 'The fool who seeks and lives only by power shall find only devastation in every waking hour'. I tried to tell him this, and…" It's getting harder and harder to speak. To let the burden out of my chest. It's starting to ache.

"And?"

No, I can't let up now. Hopefully this'll be over soon. "He protested against me. Said that he had a very good reason for doing what he did."

"What exactly got into him?" Yin's voice is now as solemn as mine.

"Apparently, during his travels, Lupin came across some…unpleasant company, to say the least. Thought he was some kind of nut job for spreading word about Woo Foo. He made up his training routine as a way to 'broaden his horizons'"—I punctuate the phrase with a pair of air quotes—"to prove to people what Woo Foo could do. To bring glory to his art. But what he was doing then, that was anything but Woo Foo. I don't even know what the hell it was. Sorry."

I cover my mouth with my finger following the slight profanity. Yin shakes her head, allowing me to continue.

"The two of us bickered. I told him that he didn't have to turn down a wayward path. That just because some people aren't too fond of what we practice, it doesn't mean he should have this…obsession. It was one argument after another, and it only got worse. When he'd had enough, he told me that I was just a 'crusty, backwards old grump who didn't give a damn about anything'. And my response was that he was 'pompous, arrogant and ignorant'. 'An idiot so caught up in his manias to even face reality'."

"How did he take it?" asks Yin with a sudden urgency. She's so invested, so engrossed. But she doesn't even see the toll each word, syllable, sentence I say takes on me.

"Pretty badly. Obviously, I didn't mean what I said. I was just upset, disappointed." I don't know why, but I leave out 'scared'. I was. "I guess he meant what he said, though, because he packed his stuff and ran away two weeks later."

There's no backing down now.

Another unwanted slideshow commences. They illustrate the falling out between me and Lupin, each picture showing us two arguing, disagreeing with the other's ideals. The next portion of the slideshow is from three months later. In those three months, I hadn't heard from Lupin at all. Not even in a rumor. It was almost like he just vanished without a trace.

Then the time came where the Night Master had put into motion his world domination agenda. His army against an army of Woo Foo Knights. I never forgot how devastated I was to find out who had joined their ranks. It was none other than Lupin himself. My former student, my greatest treasure. He was a much different person since the last time I had seen him. He had tapped into a forbidden power. Power that only a fool would chase after. He was no longer the compassionate, virtuous canine I had raised. He stood before me, before my colleagues, as an enemy. If hearts could shatter like glass, then I swore I heard mine breaking into a million pieces when I met eyes with him.

Truth be told, I don't have the heart in me to describe any of this to my daughter. I don't want to say any of this at all.

"The next time I saw him was during our war against the Night Master's forces. He was one of them now. He had embraced a power only the Night Master could offer." That was what I believed anyway, and still do. "My precious student, nothing more but another adversary to put down." I tilt my head downwards and shut my eyes, my face straining from saying all of this. From pushing tears away.

Having listened to me up to this point, Yin's face is just as heartbroken. It's not as easy to listen to as it is to explain. She leans against me and entangles me with her arms. She doesn't see me this open, this vulnerable, very often, but when she does, she just drops any inkling to crack a joke at my expense.

"So did you…"

Swiftly, I respond before she can even complete her question. "Yes, we fought. As I traded blows with him, I thought about what he told me before he left. How he said that I had nothing to live for, that I didn't give a damn about anything. One glance into his eyes, and I finally realized that I had something to live for. I didn't even know how much he truly meant to me until it was too late. I squandered the greatest gift I had ever been given. And because of that, I lost everything."

Again, I close my eyes, and for a second there, I almost cry. I do cry. That sure took a while. About time that I did.

If I could turn back time, I would do it in a heartbeat. I would undo every mistake, every injustice that I have ever committed against him. But the world does not work that way. Words, thoughts, actions, none of them can be taken back. Once they're enacted, you can't retract them. There are only consequences. And no one can say that they have it worse than I do.

A fraction of my will restored, I open my eyes and wipe them clean. "In the end, I knew he was still my student. I couldn't bring myself to just kill him."

"What did you do?"

One final wave of memories to go. The battle between both parties was fierce. It was nip and tuck. Dead even. All because of Lupin; if he were on our side, then our victory would have been guaranteed. Alas, he and I were locked in combat instead. He had put up a better fight than I had expected. He had anticipated every single one of my tactics while staying unpredictable with his. Eventually, I was overpowered, and he had knocked me off of my feet.

I wasn't going down that easily. I still had my last resort. As he crept close to me, I raised my arms to the sky, distributing my energy towards them. A large glyph formed just above the palms of my hands. My comrades distanced themselves from the spell I was preparing.

My sets were sight on Lupin and no one else. It had to be done. I accepted the harsh fate he would have to endure and the nightmares that were to follow after carrying out this unhappy deed. I threw my arms at Lupin and flung the glyph over his head. From its center, a ray of light burst and shot to the clouds. Lupin was screaming, yelling in pain, a hole tearing open under his feet; as I had hoped, the Pit was right beneath us and it gave way just in time for me to seal him in it. His screams did not stop, even as he was being swallowed by the cavernous hole.

All that I could do was watch. Grief entered my heart. The fearsome spell was sealing the hole back and conveniently disguising itself.

It was over.

The last of my tears slithers out my eye. I can finally continue without any interruptions. "The closest thing to an act of mercy as you can get. The Woo Foo binding spell: Mugen Shirushi."

"Mugen…Shirushi?" asks Yin, hearing the name for the first time.

"Or Infinity Seal, if you prefer that. It's the ultimate form of negation in Woo Foo. It binds evil in any and all forms it takes. Only a Woo Foo Master is able to use this spell; anyone of a lesser rank and experience runs a bigger risk of losing his or her aura trying to use it."

"And you used it to put him away?" she says with caution, hitting the nail on the head. Empathizing.

I hesitate on my answer to that. "Yup. For a hundred years. One hundred long, agonizing years."

I've been running from this problem for so long. Escaping it in the lost hope that it will vanish. Somewhere along the road—I don't know the exact point it happened—I was convinced that it was over. That it had ended after locking Lupin away in the Pit. Whether I was a terrible teacher and father figure, just plain irresponsible or completely disregarded what was supposed to be the most precious thing to me, it was a moment of helplessness for me.

Mistakes are made by everyone, no exceptions. They happen to strengthen us. So that we may either learn from them or undo them. Given my circumstances, I was not able to do either one. I was just afraid. Just too young. Scared that I'll make these mistakes again.

Yin stands from the sofa and sees my disheartened face.

But now that the circumstances are different, so too might be the outcome. The wrongs that I have done by my former student, I can make right with my current ones. My two rabbit children.

I look deep in her eyes, and I can tell that she wants to help me. She and Yang have always helped me keep my footing. Helped me overcome the trials that I've faced.

"So this situation with Lupin," she says, trailing off to ponder. Her voice mirroring a renewed resolve. "Are you saying that what happened to him, it's like that with Yang now?" The wind around us grows somber.

"I hate to say it. If your brother really did have those dreams he said he had, then it has to be the case. Somehow, someway, Lupin is tied into this."

"Then I can't waste any more time. I need to get out there while I still can," my daughter declares, putting a clenched fist against her chest.

There's that resolve, again, now fully restored. A telling harbinger that I'm on the right track this time around. The resolve that I should have had a long time ago. I know I had it in me before, but I must have lost it. If only I can get it back.

With her courageous claim, Yin hurries out of the living room to prepare herself.

"I'm coming with you," I say to her.

She freezes in place and then spares a wistful look at me. "Sorry, Dad, but I'm going to have to ask you to stay put."

"What?"

"This is between me and my brother. I mean, if it weren't for me, he wouldn't be in this mess in the first place." She lowers her head in shame.

"Sweetie, I'm responsible for this, too."

"No, Dad. You're not." Yin looks up and faces me, beaming to soothe me. "Not this time."

"But—"

"You might have put Yang in a corner, but I'm the real instigator between the two of us. I've always been the instigator, and I need to make it right. So please"—she places her paw on my shoulder—"just leave it to me. I can hold my own just fine; you did train me, after all. If anyone here needs to get through to him, it's his sister."

I'm reluctant to let her out there. To release her into the open. I'd be no better than a shepherd offering a lamb to the slaughter. With the threat that Yang poses and the potential added danger of Lupin into the fray, it's too great a risk to take.

Her hold on my shoulder is soft, but tightens a little to get my attention. Her gentle smile belies the determination I've seen not a second ago. It sends me a message. This is a sibling affair. A matter between brother and sister. The smile also tells me that she understands. That if she were Lupin, she'd forgive me.

Flashing a grin back at her, I take her arm into my hands and plant a kiss upon her forehead. I hold her by her cheeks and lean my head on hers, our eyes locked together.

"Be careful out there," I whisper.

Yin nods slowly and turns on her heels.

Before she completely leaves my sight, I stop her in her tracks, renewed in spirit. Renewed from her tempered will.

"Yin," I say, looking over the backrest of my sofa. "I want you to take everything I've told you to heart. The things we take for granted are often the ones most important to us, and you won't realize that until after they're gone. Promise me that you'll cherish your brother always. Remember that someone like him comes only once in a blue moon. And if you really cherish him, you won't ever turn your back on him. Be by his side the way I never could with Lupin."

She tilts her head downwards, drawing strength from my words. She flashes a vigorous smile and nods. "Got it. I'm not going to give up on him! And if I'm lucky, I just might run into Lupin, too, and bring him back, as well."

I don't respond to that last claim, but deep down I appreciate it. She picks it up from my silence. "I better hurry! He could still be here. I can't miss him!"

Without a shadow of a doubt, she rushes off, heading downstairs, towards the Armory.

I look on until she's no longer visible. I breathe and smile wearily, somewhat self-assured. I can't rest just yet. Anything can go wrong, especially in an ordeal such as this. I need to take action myself. If my old student really is out there, then I can't miss him, either.

Even if it means losing my life, I want to see him again.

"Let's see… What should I bring with me?"

The Woo Foo Armory. There's no telling how many times I've been down here. Of course, it's not always of my own choosing. Half of the time, I go here simply because of my brother; he's the one more keen on going into this place. Now, I actually have a good reason for being here.

Some of these 'weapons' are too odd, too outlandish, to be called such. I mean just look at them! An adult diaper and safety pin that grants gargantuan strength? A bow tie and a pair of suspenders? A red rubber nose? A toilet brush that brings forth light? An impervious sundress? It's easy to see why people think of our martial art as a joke. They have their uses, but they don't actually spell 'threatening'.

All of these items are contained in their respective glass cases. If I'm going to have to face my brother, I need to be well-prepared. None of these are going to make the cut. I need something that really catches my eye. Something that I can call my own. An actual weapon, one that can get the job done.

Deeper into the armory I go. The light in these parts is dimmer than the rest of this place. Not only that, but there seems to be a pervasive chill that nips my skin and makes my fur clench together. The farther I venture, the lower the temperature dips. I wander around this one room, making out whatever I can in the limited light I'm given. From the ceiling to the floor to the beams that hold the dojo in place.

A new set of weapons appear before me. This time, they look like actual weapons. Swords, knives, bows and quivers of arrows, quarterstaffs, brass knuckles, and several more in between that might be eluding me.

No. These won't do either.

An inch further in, and I stumble upon a mist. A bank of cold air that masks something from the naked eye.

"Huh?"

Closer I draw myself to this shroud. My fur grows moist from every step I take. No, I'll worry about drying off later. I'm nearing the source of this icy cloud. I must be, because it's getting thicker. Denser. Harder to see. The chill pierces my skin and rests upon my bones. It isn't exactly absolute zero, but I'm freezing.

There is one thing I can do.

Crossing my arms over my chest, I lower my head and focus. I take a deep breath and channel everything I've got into my paws. They start glowing.

I whisper, as soft as a feather. "Woo Foo…Gale!" I spread my arms wide open, releasing a gust from both of my paws that dispels the chilling air. Most of it.

Where the mist used to be is its source. The weapon I'm looking for. It sparkles, glistens in a clear blue. Even after I've defogged its chill, it continues to cough out tiny jets of cold air.

A katana rumored to be made of the most impervious ice that cannot be melted by any means whatsoever, said to bestow its wielder with absolute affinity over this particular element. The scabbard it is concealed in, also made of a durable, blue material.

This is one of the legendary Kami no Gofu, or Woo Foo Talismans.

"The Snow Flower…" I say to myself, reading the inscription on the base of the display case aloud. The disbelief in me manifests through my wide-eyed leer.

Arctic Whisperer: 雪の花 – Yuki no Hana. Or 'Snow Flower'. That is what's written on the metallic plate. Bringer of snowstorms and long, enduring winters.

Only one question remains to be answered. Actually, there are two. The first is how the heck am I going to get this thing out of its display case? Second, how am I going to use it?

I manage to answer question number one by levitating the case with my magic and gently setting it down on the side. Now that I have the weapon in my possession, there's one thing left to do.

In order to even be able to use these Talismans, an incantation must be invoked to release the seals that bind them. These restrictions were put into effect to prevent the wrong hands from ever using them, which might explain why our foes from the past haven't bothered going after them.

I take a deep breath, close my eyes and focus on nothing else. "Woo Foo Elders, far and near. Hear my most fervent pleas loud and clear," I start, my heart beating harder than it was a while ago. "Arctic Skies and Frozen Wind. I recognize this strength of mine that lies within. As I speak these words of resolution, bestow unto me the power…" Before I finish the final sentence, I spare a momentary glance at the shine that emanates within the scabbard. This is my determination taking shape. "…of the Woo Foo Talisman: Snow Flower!"

A brief flash of light passes by as small shards of crystal hover in a glittering sound; the bind that secures the katana has been shattered. I unsheathe the sword and gaze at my reflection on it. I can't believe I actually did that. I can feel my power growing, my mind, my body and my spirit stimulated.

But still, apart from memorizing the incantations for these weapons back and forth, I don't have much experience in using them. I've never used one at all.

For a while, I focus on Snow Flower alone and take up a stance with it. I get a taste of its power and slice the air in front of me, and small snowflakes emerge in the wake. What am I being worried about? This shouldn't be a problem. I mean, what's another Woo Foo artifact to me? I'm a fast learner, and I'll pick up on how to properly use this in the heat of battle.

That reminds me, I have to get going. I've wasted enough time just retrieving this blade. If I'm lucky, I might just be able to catch up to him.

I pay one last glance to the glass casing on the side of the room and say, "Sorry, Dad. Desperate times and all. I'll bring it back once this is over."

As I hurry out of the Armory, a myriad of thoughts spring to my mind.

Yang. This isn't the first time we've been entangled in a scenario like this. Last time, it was me who had fallen into the dark. He and I swore to always be each other's saving grace. The one to pull us back to the right path whenever we veer away from it. He's done that for me, but will I be able to bring him back the same way he brought me back?

There's only one way to find out. I race up the stairs and out of the Armory, my resolve hardened and tempered. There's no turning back now.

"Big brother, wait for me. I'm going to be there for you, just like you were there for me."