Nervous.
If there was one word to describe how Kyle felt, that would be it. He and Scootaloo stood in the middle of the large room, in the very center of the recessed section of the floor. Both sets of doors were closed and barred, and the only illumination came from the torches that dotted the pillars and walls of the room. The flames flickered and stuttered against the chilly air, sending shadows dancing all over the room.
In front of the two were five Pandaren. On Kyle’s far right was Iron-Body Ponshu, Headmaster of the Way of the Ox. He seemed fairly relaxed, and it was not hard to figure out why. Occasionally, he would bring his flask to his mouth and take a drink, wiping his mouth afterwards.
Directly next to him was a female pandaren. Her hair was beginning to grey with age, and was tied up in a ponytail that fell behind her. On her back rested a staff, with a peculiar bit of metal at the tip - the outline of a large circle, with the outline of a smaller circle on top of it. She wore a teal robe that contrasted brightly against her fur, with pale gold trim and maroon stripes across her chest. Like Ponshu, she wore a belt, but her buckle was a rich purple. This was Wise Scholar Lianji, the Headmaster of the Way of the Serpent. She oversaw all training that involved Mistweavers.
On the far left was another female Pandaren. Like Lianji, her hair was also greying, and she kept it in a pair of pigtails that fell down to her shoulders. She wore a striking red-orange robe with the same pale-gold trim as Lianji, with brighter gold stripes running across her chest. On her back was a staff almost identical to Ponshu’s, complete with the flask. Unlike Ponshu, however, she did not drink from it, instead keeping her eyes locked directly on the two standing in the middle of the room. This was Number Nine Jia, so named for the number of other prospective Master Monks she had bested to become Headmaster of the Way of the Crane.
On her left was a large, Male Pandaren. Like Ponshu, he wore a set of leather armor, though his was not reinforced with metal studs and strips. Instead, the only metal on his attire came from his weapons - a set of razors that were wrapped around each finger, as though his fingers were claws akin to those of the Summit Prowlers. His belt was the same jade-green that Kyle had seen on Master Cheng. This was Fearsome Jang, Headmaster of the Way of the Tiger. He was clearly the oldest of the four Head Masters - his hair had long ago turned a very light grey. He had also seen a fair number of battles, if the scars running across his muzzle were anything to judge by. His visage was calm and calculating as he observed the pair with the keen eyes of an experienced warrior.
In the very center of the group, and a couple of steps forward, was another Pandaren, also male. Unlike the others, his hair was pitch-black, showing his relative youth. And yet his eyes shone with the glimmer of wisdom beyond his years. His attire was almost identical to that of Ponshu, save for his lack of a helmet and his weapon. In his right hand, he held onto a large, ornate spear, trimmed with gold. Like Jang, the buckle on his belt was a bright Jade-Green that matched his eyes, which were locked directly on Kyle.
This was Grand Master Hight, the Leader of the Peak of Serenity. All Headmasters answered directly to him. He was the youngest Grand Master Monk in recorded history, but his youth did not mean inexperience. Rather, it allowed him to see and act on matters in ways that previous, older Grand Masters had failed to comprehend, stuck in their ways as they were. He combined the best elements of the old guard and the new wave. Though some might disagree with his policies, such as allowing the Horde and Alliance to train as Monks, none could challenge their effectiveness.
Kyle had warned Scootaloo of the four Head Masters and the Grand Master as they had made their final preparations. He had also warned her that the five Masters deserved great respect. “They’ve earned their titles and positions a dozen times over,” he had said. “They are the top Masters of their orders for a reason.”
And now, he and Scootaloo stood before them, standing under the scrutinizing gazes. They had been standing there in front of the five Pandaren for several minutes now, and not a word had been spoken on either side. Jia’s expression was hard, unhappy, perhaps even a rare display of anger from the old Monk. Jang, on the other hand, could be seen smiling slightly.
Ponshu continued to sip on his beer, seemingly uninterested in the pair and ignoring them. But Kyle knew better. The old Brewmaster was every bit as wise and observant as the others gathered for the meeting. He was no doubt studying Kyle and Scootaloo, as this delay before the meeting was clearly intended to provide an opportunity for.
Lianji’s expression was unreadable. She kept her face locked in a carefully controlled expression of neutrality, not allowing any emotions to show. Kyle couldn’t even begin to think what her thoughts were. This lack of knowledge only made Kyle feel even more nervous as he shifted his attention to Grand Master Hight.
His face was likewise unemotional, but in a different way. Lianji was clearly forcing herself to remain neutral to mask her emotions, but Hight’s neutrality did not look like a mask at all. Though Kyle knew that he feeling some kind of emotion - the fact that Kyle and Scootaloo had been summoned were testament to this - he did not display these emotions, and made this lack of display look far more natural and less forced than Lianji. Whereas she was tense and rigid, he was relaxed.
“Kyle Slater, Monk of the Way of the Tiger.” Hight suddenly said, breaking the silence that had pervaded the room ever since they had entered. “Welcome back to the Peak of Serenity. And greetings to you as well, Scootaloo of Equestria.”
“Thank you, sir,” The two replied in unison.
“No doubt, you are wondering why you were summoned,” he continued. “I shall be direct with you. Firstly, we wished to welcome you back to the world of the living, Kyle.” There was scattered chuckling from the gathered masters. “When we heard of your disappearance, you were assumed dead. We are thankful that this was not the case.”
“Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, we have received some… interesting reports from the two who reported your survival. They spoke of a small, orange Pony with wings who fought as the Windwalkers do - light, graceful movements paired with quick strikes.” A small murmur ran through the masters behind Hight as he continued, looking directly at Kyle. “I assume that this is the same Pony that stands before us now. Would you happen to know anything about this, Kyle?”
“Yes sir,” Kyle replied evenly, forcing himself to maintain eye contact. “I have been training Scootaloo for several months now.”
Another murmur ran through the masters, louder this time. Hight quickly held up a paw, and the muttering was instantly silenced. “I assume you have a reason for this,” he replied evenly. “I would like to hear the full story of how you came to this decision.”
Kyle took a deep breath to calm himself. This was it. The moment of truth. If he messed this up… No. he thought to himself. I won’t mess up. I can’t.
“Well, I suppose it began the night of my ‘Welcome to Equestria’ party,” he began slowly. “The six Ponies who had first met me threw a party to welcome me. They were all present, along with four others - a large Stallion called Big Macintosh, who was the brother of one of the six; and three filles. Two of them - Sweetie Belle and Applebloom - were relatives of others already at the party. The other one was Scootaloo, who is one of their best friends.”
“And what manner of party was this?” Hight asked.
“It was… almost like a little kid’s birthday party,” Kyle admitted. “Party games, candy, a pinata... “ He skipped over mentioning how he had smashed through the pinata when Pinkie had startled him. “There was some spiked punch there, as well. By the end of the night, the Pegasus who was supposed to take Scootaloo home was drunk. Too drunk to fly herself home, much less Scootaloo. So I volunteered to take her home.”
“So I walked her home. Now, I should mention here that, during the party, Scootaloo and her friends had had a wrestling match with me in an attempt to earn their Cutie Marks. So on the way -”
“Cutie Mark?” Jang interrupted. “What is a ‘Cutie Mark’?”
“It’s a coming-of-age thing. Ponies in Equestria get this mark on their flanks when they discover their special talent, and it displays that talent for all to see.”
“And I assume that that is what is upon Scootaloo’s flank.” Jia said, motioning to the symbol upon the Pegasus. “I had thought that she had gotten a tattoo.”
“No, that is her Cutie Mark, though at the time she did not have one,” Kyle replied. “So, yeah. They had wrestled me to try to earn their Cutie Marks in Human Wrestling. Don’t ask,” he added as Ponshu opened his mouth. “Now, they were just foals - children with no experience with any real fighting. So obviously, I went easy on them so as not to hurt them, and let them win. On the way home, Scootaloo became… emotional. She said she didn’t need anyone to look out for her, and that she was tired of being treated like a helpless foal. She was… angry that I had let her and her friends win, even though it would have been no challenge had I not gone easy. In her anger she attacked me.”
Lianji tsked quietly as Kyle continued. “I defended myself by pinning her to the ground. She was fast, but I was faster. When she calmed down and asked me how I had been so fast, I explained what I was - a Monk. She wanted to learn to be that fast.”
“But there is more to being a Monk than speed,” Jang interjected. “Surely you know this.”
“And I told her as such,” Kyle nodded. “She was insistent, even when I explained what being a Monk truly meant - mental control, complete command over your emotions, and potentially facing the horrors of the world that others could not deal with. Still she wanted to learn. Normally I would have just ignored her demands, but…” he trailed off, glancing away.
“But?” Hight murmured, leaning forward.
“I don’t know,” Kyle admitted. “Maybe it was the lack of control I saw. You remember how emotionally uncontrolled I was when I started?” he asked. Jang nodded with a small smirk. “Scootaloo was far worse. Volatile. Unstable. Quick to anger and frustration. Full of doubt and despair. Some would call her a lost cause. But… Something called to me. I don’t know what, but something told me there was a scrap of potential in her. Besides which… I couldn’t leave her like that, reckless and volatile as she was.”
“So what did you do?” Jia asked with a frown.
“I taught her meditation. The most basic form,” he added quickly. “Something to help her control herself. I told her that meditation was the removal of self from the equation. To become one with the world around you. To make peace with the world, and find peace within yourself at the same time. She tried it, and was unsuccessful at first. I told her to keep at it, since even unsuccessful meditation has a positive effect. I dropped her off at her house, and thought that that was the end of that.”
“Clearly it was not,” Hight murmured. “What else happened?”
“The next day, Sweetie Belle - Scootaloo’s friend - told me that Scootaloo had meditated during school,” Kyle continued. “Before a pop quiz. She had become far calmer thanks to her quick meditation. In less than a day, she had already gone from not being able to meditate at all to finding at least some peace from the act - something that takes most Monks at least a week.”
Hight raised an eyebrow. “Most unusual,” he commented. “Do you know why she succeeded so quickly?”
“I do now, but at the time I believed it to be due to the fact that she was so emotionally volatile. So the week after, I took her to the middle of the forest to see what could be seen while she meditated. I used my true meditation to see her progress. Her intelligence made her stand out from the rest of the creatures around us, so I could sense her Chi clearly as I flashed through her mind again and again.”
“And what did you see?” Ponshu asked.
“It was… astonishing,” Kyle murmured. “Remember, at this point I had merely taught her the most basic of basic forms of meditation, and she had been left to her own devices. After ten days, she had already found tranquility on her own. Her mind was completely calm and collected, as though she had been meditating for years. And what’s more - and this is the shocking part - she had already begun to sense Chi.”
Despite his nervousness, Kyle barely stopped himself from laughing as the Headmasters’ jaws fell open. Every head swiveled toward Scootaloo, who met their gaze evenly. For a moment, silence prevailed.
Finally, Jang shook his head and looked at Kyle. ”Impossible,” he said defiantly. “No Monk in history has ever discovered Chi so quickly. Even you, Kyle, took several months to develop your sense.”
“I know,” Kyle replied. “Which is what was so astonishing. It became clear to me that this filly had- and has - a natural gift beyond anything we could ever imagine. This was her natural talent, and as I have trained her, I can say that I have never met another individual so in tune with the Chi around her. She was with me at the Battle for the Crystal Empire, and her ability to manipulate Chi was instrumental in our survival against the Sha of Greed.”
“Yes, we have heard that the Sha have returned in this new world,” Jia spoke up. She turned towards Scootaloo. “Was this your first encounter with the Sha?”
“No. It was my third,” Scootaloo replied. “I have also encountered the Sha of Misery and Deceit.”
“And how did you fare in these other encounters?”
Scootaloo shifted uncomfortably, glancing over at Kyle. He, likewise, felt a small bead of sweat form on the back of his neck as Jia slowly shifted her attention to Kyle. “Well?” she demanded, her frown returning to her face.
“Her second encounter with the Sha was the Sha of Misery,” Kyle began. “Before facing this one, we had worked together to fight off a small army of the minor Sha. When the Prime Sha arrived, it attacked her first and knocked her out. I was forced to channel heavily into a Life Cocoon to save her from the Sha’s assault.”
“And the first?” Ponshu asked.
“The first was with the Sha of Deceit,” Kyle said slowly. “This would have been the day after I realized that she was already beginning to sense Chi. The encounter was…” Kyle trailed off, trying to find a way to weave the story in a good light.
“I was possessed.”
Every head snapped towards Scootaloo, who was looking down at the floor. “It took hold of me. I had kept telling myself that I didn’t need anypony else. That I would be just fine on my own. That my parents were never around because they didn’t love me. I… I knew it wasn’t true, but it… made me feel stronger, I guess. But the Sha took hold of these lies I told myself and used them to control me.”
“And yet you stand before us now, unpossessed and very much alive.” Hight narrowed his eyes. “None have ever survived being possessed by the Sha before. How did you manage?”
“The Sha in Equestria are different from the ones in Azeroth,” Kyle replied. “They have a clear weakness - the wielders of six powerful artifacts, the Elements of Harmony. Their touch is fatal to the Sha. The Pony who wielded the Element of Honesty touched Scootaloo while she was possessed, and the Sha was purged and destroyed, trapped inside a crystal.”
“And left the young one unharmed… interesting,” Hight murmured. “Would that we had access to such artifacts while we fought the Sha. Countless thousands could have been saved… But I digress. So, Scootaloo was purged of this Sha of Deceit.”
“Yes. And afterwards, I began to tutor her. Her progress is, as I have said, remarkable.”
“That is quite a tale. ” Lianji began. The other Headmasters nodded - even Jia, who still appeared unhappy. “But, even still, we must consider your actions. As you know, normally the training of a prospective Monk by one other than their appointed Master is forbidden, and punished if it occurs.”
“I understand,” Kyle replied, his voice barely remaining even.
“But…” she continued with a hint of a smile, “I believe that, given the extraordinary circumstances, you proceeded with caution and reacted in a manner that, at the time, seemed most appropriate. A most wise choice of actions.”
“You showed the strength to survive in a strange new world. Not just survive, but apparently thrive,” Jang added.
“And the fortitude to persevere even in the most dire of circumstances, including the return of the Sha.” Ponshu added. “And I’m sure Jia can agree that you clearly felt the hope that she could perhaps be saved. Am I right, Jia?” he asked. She slowly nodded.
Grand Master Hight nodded as well. “I would bring to the Council a motion to nullify any consequences for Mr. Slater’s actions,” he said. “All in favor?”
Kyle felt his heart soar as Lianji’s paw shot into the air. Next to her, both Grand Master Hight and Ponshu raised their paws as well. On the other side, Jang also raised his, followed almost reluctantly by Jia. “It is decided,” Hight announced, his eyes locked forward. “Your training of Scootaloo without expressed permission from the Council is hereby forgiven.”
Kyle couldn’t stop himself from smiling. He had been certain that he would have been reprimanded harshly for his actions, but instead he had been pardoned. “Th-thank you.” he stammered as Scootaloo nudged him subtly with her wing.
“Now, only one question remains unanswered,” Hight continued. “What to do with you, Scootaloo?” he rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Am I correct in assuming that you still wish to continue down this path you have chosen? Even knowing the full extent of what you are committing yourself to?”
“Absolutely,” Scootaloo replied without hesitation. “I’ll admit, at first I thought it was all about becoming fast and strong, but now I see that there’s so much more to being a Monk than that. I know I have a long ways to go, but I want to keep going.”
“Very well. In that case, we simply need to find a suitable master to tutor you.”
Kyle felt his heart sink as Scootaloo’s head whipped up towards Hight. “Wait… what?” she demanded. “What… what about Kyle? Why can’t I keep training under him?”
“Kyle is a skilled Monk - of that there is no question,” Hight replied. “But he is young. Inexperienced. Unprepared for a pupil of his own. He himself still has much to learn. No, it would be best if we found you a master with more experience, who is ready for someone with your level of natural talent.”
“Pardon me, Grand Master,” Jang interjected. “But do you think that wise?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, I can see as clear as day that Kyle and Scootaloo have already formed a powerful bond,” he began. “One that I doubt she could hope to replicate with another. Besides which, Kyle has already begun her training. He already knows what she understands, what she is proficient at, what she still needs to work on far better than any of us.”
“You are wrong on one point - Kyle does have experience,” Ponshu added. “Experience that even the oldest among us do not have. To fight the Sha head-on, and to survive encounters with not one, not two, not three, but four of them.”
“But you cannot deny his youth,” Hight continued. “We have never had a Monk become a Master before the age of thirty-five, and for good reason. He needs time to -”
“No Monk had ever become Grand Master before the age of sixty,” Lianji interrupted softly. “And yet, here you stand, Grand Master Hight. The youngest Grand Master in history.”
Hight fell silent. He closed his eyes and hummed softly, drumming his fingers against his armor. The entire room was silent, save for his soft hum and the whistle of the wind outside.
Finally, he opened his eyes. “It requires all four Headmasters to override the decision of the Grand Master,” he finally murmured. “I still feel it would be best to assign Scootaloo a more experienced mentor. What say you all?” he asked, turning to face the Headmasters. “Wise Scholar Lianji?”
“I believe Kyle should be her mentor,” she replied immediately. “There is no question in my mind.”
Hight nodded. “Fearsome Jang?”
“Agreed,” Jang said.
“Iron-Body Ponshu?”
“I agree as well.”
Hight turned towards the final remaining Headmaster. “Number Nine Jia?” he asked. “What is your vote?”
For a long moment, Jia remained silent. Her gaze flicked back and forth between Kyle and Scootaloo, Hight, and the other Grandmasters. Her expression was carefully guarded, betraying nothing of her thoughts.
Kyle could feel his heart sinking even further. Jia had been unhappy about this whole ordeal from the very start. She had been the most reluctant to forgive Kyle for training Scootaloo in the first place. She had been unhappy through this entire meeting. Kyle knew that she would never agree.
Slowly, Jia opened her mouth. The entire group seemed to stop breathing. All eyes were locked on her. Even the wind outside had faded to nothingness. Pure silence dominated the room.
“I agree.”
Kyle felt his heart stop for a split second. His knees grew weak and began to tremble slightly. The other Monks seemed likewise surprised, with reactions ranging from a double take from Hight to a fist pump from Jang.
“I agree,” she continued, “Because of what I have heard thus far. You said, Mr. Slater, that you found Scootaloo at first to be wild, reckless, uncontrolled and unrestrained. Full of doubt and despair and anger, I believe you said?”
“Y-yes…”
“And yet you took a chance. You took a chance on this wild, reckless, unrestrained Pony. You had the hope that you could help her find peace. And your hope has clearly paid off. I find myself filled with hope for your success. Do not let me find my hope unfounded.”
“N-no, Headmaster Jia.”
“All four Headmasters have agreed,” Hight said slowly. “As is the law of the Peak of Serenity, the Grand Master’s decision is overruled. Kyle Slater You are tasked with the tutelage of this young apprentice, Scootaloo. Do you accept this responsibility?”
Kyle nodded quickly. “Yes sir. Absolutely, sir.”
Hight nodded. “Very well. From this moment forth, you shall train Scootaloo in the ways of the Monk, guiding her along her path - whichever path she might choose.”
“Congratulations, Master Kyle.”