Friday, the day of Po and Shifu's Mei Nian training
Po let out a complacent sigh as he breathed in the fresh air of the outside, waking up to a beautiful day-before the sun! (as Shaolin Students usually did in palaces.)
Today was a rather exciting day for Po, as he would travel to the Wudang mountains with his master in an effort to train with him personally, one-on-one, which was a respectful time of bondage for the master and the student that even dates back to earlier times, which Shifu had done himself as the student.
Po was quite hoping that he would perform well in front of his master, but a part of him considered the thought that he would carry on the misfortune from yesterday to today's training, and that made him let out a rough sigh in annoyance.
As Po walked into the Hall of Warriors and took in the breathless beauty there, he decided to wait for his master below the stairs leading up to his office chamber, as was the usual custom, for he didn't want to necessarily rush him…or anything.
Po could pick up peculiar voices, like his master's, and Zeng's. To be honest, they were pretty distinct by now, even if Po knew them for around 2 years (knowing them at least personally, I mean.)
"I mean, it's not like you're all the way in Guangdong," Zeng spoke, walking down the stairs with Shifu and talking to him. "I could easily send a messenger to reach you."
"Of course," Shifu responded in his usual matter-of-fact tone. "I've done this before, you should not have any problems."
"Yeah." Zeng admitted, "I know. Just comforting myself knowing I can reach you."
Shifu let out an annoyed sigh and flicked his right ear. "You have Xiping to aid you, there won't be any problems."
Shifu and Zeng continued walking down the stairs and reached the main level of the Jade Palace, eventually sighting Po waiting patiently for them, with an assistant standing by his side.
Shifu looked pleasantly surprised to see his student waiting for him, but he knew that Po usually did this and would come early, either to please him or to show that he was truly a disciplined student.
"Ah, good, you're here," Shifu said, dipping his head to his student as Po bowed in the deepest respect. "Wait a minute, my student." Turning to Zeng, Shifu gave a solemn nod to his Head Palace Assistant, their gazes meeting.
"I will be back in a few days," Shifu placed his hand on Zeng's shoulder, as if to make his words even more powerful. "Take care of the palace."
"I will." Zeng solemnly said. "Don't worry about that."
As Shifu and Po left the palace, Po's mind swarmed with the amount of things he was trying to remember in a desperate effort to speak up to his master. It was almost impossible for him, considering that he had been swarming with questions and things to tell him just yesterday, but the training day he went through yesterday was harsh, and the last thing he had wanted to do was think.
To be honest, Po couldn't think any more.
As Shifu and Po were around halfway to the Pool of Sacred Tears in the Wudang Mountains, Shifu, surprisingly, was the one who spoke, as he was reading a scroll, counting on his student to watch out for anything that may be counted as an alarm.
"You're very quiet, my student," Shifu said, "Is there a lot on your mind?"
Po blinked, amused that Shifu had noticed his lack-of-words, which was very much unlike him.
"I guess so, Master."
" 'I guess so' isn't an answer," Shifu responded back. "Tell me, is something worrying you?"
Shifu and Po stared into each other's gazes for a moment before Po sighed.
"Nothing's worrying me, Master, I'm just…." Po trailed off, looking for words. Truly, what was on his mind? He was just thinking of multiple thoughts, and now, his head seemed to swarm. "I'm just thinking."
Shifu softly nodded his head after a moment of thought, as if he seemed to understand.
"I understand." Simply, was all Shifu said, and for the moment that was all Po needed to relieve Po's tension about his thoughts, and I suppose hearing his master's voice seemed to relax him.
As the master and student continued walking through the Wudang Mountain trail, it seemed as if they would never arrive. Both Shifu and Po were fairly quiet, and even though Po told his master that he was just thinking and that nothing was worrying him, Shifu couldn't stop having doubts. He was his student, after all, and with that, Shifu's duties to him as a teacher, - living with him, even- are to look after him. (at least in Shifu's mind!)
As the two trekked up the mountain, Po became more tired with each passing moment. He glanced over to his master, who had walked this way a myriad number of times, and softly sighed.
I'm nothing like him. Po thought, with a blink of recognition. He's way more skilled and talented than me.
And, of course, Po believed that. He wasn't as good as Shifu was….yet. Of course, Po also had his doubts of if he would ever be able to best his master at his own skill.
Shifu flicked his ear in notice as he realized that they were nearing up to the Pool of Sacred Tears, or, in other words, up in the space of the Wudang Mountains.
Shifu sighed and turned to his student, who was already glancing around in awe. Their gazes met, and Shifu flicked his ear again in amusement.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Shifu asked, although he could already tell what Po's answer was. "I never get tired of being here."
"I-It really is, Master." Po agreed, with a humble dip of his head. "If I were you, I wouldn't get tired of it either."
Shifu let out a soft laugh and walked towards the Pool of Sacred Tears, eventually kneeling down and brushing his hand into it like he had done all those years ago, when he had first visited this place with his master. In turn, Po did the same, and with a sudden realization, Shifu pondered on the moment that now Shifu's role had switched and he was the master, rather than the innocent student. Shifu blinked, in the memory.
Po glanced at Shifu's wistful gaze and softly smiled as he watched the thoughts seem to flicker past his master's light in his eyes.
"Master," Po reached out and placed a gentle hand on his master's shoulder, snapping him out of his thoughts. Shifu's gaze turned to his student's as Po went on. "Did you do this with your master every year too?"
Shifu's gaze flickered, and his ear flicked as he was taken aback by his student's question. Did I? Shifu thought to himself amusingly, but rather painfully, as he recalled the many memories that were here for him when he was a student, and even a master himself. He remembered Oogway training him from the great rock, and how many lessons he had taught him during his period of Shifu's life with him.
Shifu blinked back into reality, and shook his head in despair. "I did," Shifu watched as Po stared listening intently to him. "It was truly wonderful, my student."
Po nodded, as if he understood. "You're the greatest teacher, Master," Po blinked solemnly at Shifu, "I can't think of anything more wonderful than this."
With a soft exchange of glances between the master and the student, Shifu dipped his head and blinked, staring intently into his student's jade gaze.
He is right…
This truly is wonderful.
Po and Shifu trained together underneath the sunny sky, the sunlight rays hurling themselves down upon the master and student. Po sighed and glanced upwards as he felt the warm sun on his fur, and relaxed.
For the moment, at least.
Shifu took this moment to fight out another attack upon his student, as they were sparring for the moment when Po took the time to stop.
"Master!" Po surprisingly yelled when he was thrown backwards and was held against the ground. Po let out a sharp laugh as he met his master's amused gaze.
"You weren't paying attention, were you?" Shifu put his head to one side, amusement sparked in his gaze, but Shifu himself was mildly irritated. He should have known better, but this is my chance to make it more obvious, as his master.
Po sighed. "I wasn't, Master."
"Do you think your enemy would wait for you to fight back?" Shifu asked as Po tried struggling against Shifu's hold with his staff by his neck. Po shook his head in despair, but he knew that Shifu wouldn't hurt him.
"No, Master."
"No." Shifu shook his head in annoyance, but he let his student stand up as he placed his staff by his side. Po placed himself in a quick bow to his master, and Shifu went over the pros-and-cons of the entire spar.
"You did well, for the most part," Shifu praised, "but next time, remember that you must always be on your best guard."
Po let out a quick nod, bowing to his master again and glancing upward into Shifu's gaze. "Yes, Master. I'm sorry."
Shifu gave a nod in return and flicked an ear. "I know. Learn from this."
Later that evening, Shifu lit a small lantern with a flickering light, catching the bulk of it and lighting the small stick inside of it on fire. The stars shone brightly above the master and the student as they talked casually together after a long day of walking, and of course training when finally arriving up at the Wudang Mountains and the Pool of Sacred Tears.
"So, Master," Po unrolled a scroll and placed two small rocks on it to keep it straight. "I'm working on an entire map of the Jade Palace, but I was wondering if you could help me."
"Are you asking me?"
Po blinked. "Uh, w-would you help me, Master?"
"Of course." Shifu blinked, flicked an ear, and straightened and positioned himself so he could see better. Shifu glanced at it for a moment before giving a satisfied nod. His gaze glanced at each of the highlighted spots on Po's apparent map of the Jade Palace, which surprised that Po would do such a thing, and brought up a reliable question.
"This is very interesting," Shifu told his student, glancing at him. "What made you want to do this?"
"Well, actually, I came up with the idea a while ago when I was a new student here," Po admitted, giving a dip of his head towards Shifu as he continued, "but just recently I found that I had started this and decided to work on it."
"That's very innovative," Shifu looked and sounded impressed, much to Po's happiness. "How do you think this will be useful for you?" Shifu's gaze narrowed. "You do know your way around the palace by now, do you?"
"I mean, pretty much," Po glanced down at the ground then back to Shifu again. "But I just figured…."
Shifu blinked at his student and placed a gentle hand on his student's arm. "I wasn't criticizing you, I was just wondering." Shifu obviously caught his student's confused expression as he was trying to search for answers. Shifu himself knew that a master's word could change a student's course at times. Shifu gratefully squared his gaze straight into his student's, solemnly speaking to him in a teacher-like manner. "Tell me what you have done so far."
Po dipped his head gratefully at his master as he pointed out the places on the map. Po was oddly nervous as he described and showed his teacher the separate areas of the palace Shifu knew so well. He is my master, after all. I don't need to be afraid of what he's going to say.
Po felt like it would be good if he would ask if Shifu would help him; not just because he could probably literally help him, but rather that Po could find another way to spend time with his master on something when they're not sparring, or training.
There are more ways to strengthen the bond between your master and yourself, right?
At least, that's what Po hoped.
As Po finished describing the map, he leaned back and let his master look at it for himself. Shifu's intent gaze searched the scroll, and he was indeed impressed at his student for such meticulous work. Shifu, with a slight inward laugh, thought that - He truly has grown into one of my students.
Shifu's ear flicked as he rested backwards, folding his hands in front of him and giving a soft gaze to his student. "That truly is impressive so far," Shifu noted, slightly smiling. "I see you've even managed to add in the different parts of the Masters Tribute Garden."
"Of course, Master." Po nodded, catching his master's amused gaze and also smiling. "D-do you like it?"
"Yes, I do." Shifu responded. "Very good."
Po's smile became even wider as the pair shared silent glances with each other. For the first time in a while, Po seemed to forget about his trials in training and seemed to place his mind-and heart-in the present.
As the clouds began to seemingly fade away into the night sky, and as the stars' light became more prevalent outside, Po let out a soft sigh as he was working on a picture on a scroll, with Shifu beside him to aid in his technique, as was a particular custom Shifu would have his students do to practice in control.
Around three lanterns were lit around them, and the light pretty much shone really well, despite the pitch-black sky.
The cool wind had eventually replaced the sun-lit sky, and Po shivered, in the cold.
The weather really had changed rather fast. Po admitted, dipping his head and turning and looking towards his master beside him, who stared out into the mist-filled out-scape beyond the mountains. Po suddenly felt a rush of admiration for his master, for he was used to taking cold weather with a brave and stoic heart.
Even the kindest of masters have the toughest of minds.
Po smiled, knowing that he remembered hearing that phrase long ago, inscripted on the wall of the Piao Dao's Palace Training Hall.
Well, I suppose it wasn't THAT long ago.
Po himself was just still a rather early student.
…..sort of.
As the night progressed on, Shifu and Po eventually got themselves into a soft meditation before Shifu told Po to rest for the evening, due to training tomorrow, and to allow himself time to peacefully think.
Po bowed to his master, and together they both dipped their heads in basic respect, but it was a gesture that meant immense admiration.
As Po gently rested downwards onto the mat he had placed on the ground a little while ago, he let out a soft sigh and spoke out into the fresh, cool, night air.
"Good night, Master."
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