RJ had his favorite tree, and right now, that was about all he had in the world. And it was nice, for awhile, to be alone with only that tree for company, listening to his fellow students training, watching the wind, wishing he never had to face his father again.
The time passed, and the joy of solitude faded. The enjoyment he felt as he listened to the others in the distance became less relevant. And, at last, there was only the fear of his father, and that dread. The dread of going back.
He heard a sound. None but the most heightened ears could have detected the sound, but he knew, instinctively, that it did not denote a threat.
A whoosh, and he felt a presence. Just behind him.
"Hello, Master Swoop," he sighed.
Master Swoop, the bat master, was hanging, completely upside down, from a branch above RJ's head.
"Hello, RJ," Master Swoop replied. "I couldn't help noticing you were absent from training today."
RJ sighed. He didn't need this right now, he truly didn't. One disappointed father figure was enough.
"Yeah, I, uh... something suddenly came up," he said lamely.
"Something like Master Finn disapproving of your patron animal spirit?"
RJ was startled. He shouldn't have been, this was Master Swoop. Master Swoop knew everything. Things he should have no earthly way of knowing, due to his blindness, he knew. But still, RJ had had a foolish notion that his family's private business had somehow managed to remain private, even among the close-knit community of the Pai Zhuq. The shame he felt, the shame his father made him feel, was the kind of thing he didn't want another soul to find out about.
"Yeah. How'd you know?" he asked.
"We masters do communicate from time to time," was all Master Swoop said.
"Yeah, of course you do," RJ whispered sadly. He could only imagine what his father had said. Of course, RJ would look like the bad guy. The disobedient, ungrateful son, the rebel, the poor student. There he goes again, antagonizing his poor, long suffering father who only wants the best for his only son. How dare he. How dare he.
"I don't see what any of that has to do with missing your training, though," Swoop shrugged.
"Why should I train using your technique?" RJ said. "Dad wants me to use his. He wants to be my only master, as usual. Don't you ever get headaches? Hanging upside down all the time?"
"No, not so far. RJ, that's not what you want. Is it? To train under your father?"
"No. But since when does that matter?"
"It matters because it is your life, not your father's."
RJ let out a humorless laugh.
"I'm afraid Dad never got the memo."
Swoop unlatched himself from the tree branch, and neatly arced his body into a standing position. RJ felt a pang of envy; more than a pang, as he imagined himself never being able to move so smoothly.
The two were silent, and RJ put his head in his hands moodily. He wished he could simply get up and leave, but he would never disrespect a master in such a way.
"Your father is disappointed that you didn't choose the same path he did," Swoop said carefully.
"Well, can you blame him?" RJ snapped. "I certainly can't."
"Then, you believe you're on the wrong path, and you should be following in your father's footsteps."
"No!"
Swoop glanced at him over his shoulder.
"But it doesn't stop me from feeling bad. Dad had his heart set on raising me to be a shark like him. I'm letting him down."
"You can't change what you are," Swoop said. He turned around and tilted his head toward the sky, as though he was gazing at the clouds. "Just as I couldn't."
RJ scoffed. He instantly covered his mouth and gave Swoop an apologetic little sigh.
"I'm sorry, it's just..."
"You can't imagine someone like me going through the same problems you are. Being a master, and so lofty and all."
RJ shrugged.
"Touche. But... well, yeah."
Swoop nodded.
"I was born blind, you know."
RJ's eyes widened.
"No, I... I didn't."
"My parents were a hawk and a spider. Needless to say, my father the hawk's skills were somewhat beyond my abilities. I came close to mastering Mother's abilities; she helped me tune my other senses, but something just didn't fit. I assume you know the feeling."
"And then some. Your dad must have been..."
"He felt as though he had failed me. He never stopped trying to make it up to me. Even when I discovered my true spirit animal, he was still... so remorseful."
"Well," RJ sighed. "I know all about remorseful. My dad, on the other hand..."
"...Must feel the same way."
"What? No, I don't think so. I'm the one doing all the apologizing."
"And whom has it served? Does your father forgive you?"
"I don't know. Probably not."
"Because there is nothing to forgive. And he knows it. Believe me, he does. Just as I did. There were times, many times, when I wished I could have been a hawk like my father wanted me to be. I so often wished he had approached me as a man, and not as the embodiment of one of his sins, and something to be handled like a cracked, stained vase."
RJ exhaled sharply. Master Swoop understood, alright. He understood exactly how RJ had been walking on eggshells around his father, taking the full burden of both of their shortcomings.
"Be advised, RJ," Swoop sighed, "That it may take your father some time to come to realize this. But in the meantime, you owe it to yourself, to all of us... perhaps even to me, to learn your own path. Without fear, without regret, without holding back. You have the potential to be a master one day, RJ. One day very soon, perhaps."
"Me?" RJ laughed disbelievingly. "Oh, I don't know about that."
"No?"
"Don't tell my dad, but... I always thought it would be cool to open up a pizza shop."
The time passed, and the joy of solitude faded. The enjoyment he felt as he listened to the others in the distance became less relevant. And, at last, there was only the fear of his father, and that dread. The dread of going back.
He heard a sound. None but the most heightened ears could have detected the sound, but he knew, instinctively, that it did not denote a threat.
A whoosh, and he felt a presence. Just behind him.
"Hello, Master Swoop," he sighed.
Master Swoop, the bat master, was hanging, completely upside down, from a branch above RJ's head.
"Hello, RJ," Master Swoop replied. "I couldn't help noticing you were absent from training today."
RJ sighed. He didn't need this right now, he truly didn't. One disappointed father figure was enough.
"Yeah, I, uh... something suddenly came up," he said lamely.
"Something like Master Finn disapproving of your patron animal spirit?"
RJ was startled. He shouldn't have been, this was Master Swoop. Master Swoop knew everything. Things he should have no earthly way of knowing, due to his blindness, he knew. But still, RJ had had a foolish notion that his family's private business had somehow managed to remain private, even among the close-knit community of the Pai Zhuq. The shame he felt, the shame his father made him feel, was the kind of thing he didn't want another soul to find out about.
"Yeah. How'd you know?" he asked.
"We masters do communicate from time to time," was all Master Swoop said.
"Yeah, of course you do," RJ whispered sadly. He could only imagine what his father had said. Of course, RJ would look like the bad guy. The disobedient, ungrateful son, the rebel, the poor student. There he goes again, antagonizing his poor, long suffering father who only wants the best for his only son. How dare he. How dare he.
"I don't see what any of that has to do with missing your training, though," Swoop shrugged.
"Why should I train using your technique?" RJ said. "Dad wants me to use his. He wants to be my only master, as usual. Don't you ever get headaches? Hanging upside down all the time?"
"No, not so far. RJ, that's not what you want. Is it? To train under your father?"
"No. But since when does that matter?"
"It matters because it is your life, not your father's."
RJ let out a humorless laugh.
"I'm afraid Dad never got the memo."
Swoop unlatched himself from the tree branch, and neatly arced his body into a standing position. RJ felt a pang of envy; more than a pang, as he imagined himself never being able to move so smoothly.
The two were silent, and RJ put his head in his hands moodily. He wished he could simply get up and leave, but he would never disrespect a master in such a way.
"Your father is disappointed that you didn't choose the same path he did," Swoop said carefully.
"Well, can you blame him?" RJ snapped. "I certainly can't."
"Then, you believe you're on the wrong path, and you should be following in your father's footsteps."
"No!"
Swoop glanced at him over his shoulder.
"But it doesn't stop me from feeling bad. Dad had his heart set on raising me to be a shark like him. I'm letting him down."
"You can't change what you are," Swoop said. He turned around and tilted his head toward the sky, as though he was gazing at the clouds. "Just as I couldn't."
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"I'm sorry, it's just..."
"You can't imagine someone like me going through the same problems you are. Being a master, and so lofty and all."
RJ shrugged.
"Touche. But... well, yeah."
Swoop nodded.
"I was born blind, you know."
RJ's eyes widened.
"No, I... I didn't."
"My parents were a hawk and a spider. Needless to say, my father the hawk's skills were somewhat beyond my abilities. I came close to mastering Mother's abilities; she helped me tune my other senses, but something just didn't fit. I assume you know the feeling."
"And then some. Your dad must have been..."
"He felt as though he had failed me. He never stopped trying to make it up to me. Even when I discovered my true spirit animal, he was still... so remorseful."
"Well," RJ sighed. "I know all about remorseful. My dad, on the other hand..."
"...Must feel the same way."
"What? No, I don't think so. I'm the one doing all the apologizing."
"And whom has it served? Does your father forgive you?"
"I don't know. Probably not."
"Because there is nothing to forgive. And he knows it. Believe me, he does. Just as I did. There were times, many times, when I wished I could have been a hawk like my father wanted me to be. I so often wished he had approached me as a man, and not as the embodiment of one of his sins, and something to be handled like a cracked, stained vase."
RJ exhaled sharply. Master Swoop understood, alright. He understood exactly how RJ had been walking on eggshells around his father, taking the full burden of both of their shortcomings.
"Be advised, RJ," Swoop sighed, "That it may take your father some time to come to realize this. But in the meantime, you owe it to yourself, to all of us... perhaps even to me, to learn your own path. Without fear, without regret, without holding back. You have the potential to be a master one day, RJ. One day very soon, perhaps."
"Me?" RJ laughed disbelievingly. "Oh, I don't know about that."
"No?"
"Don't tell my dad, but... I always thought it would be cool to open up a pizza shop."
***
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