Withered Fist, Blooming Flower
Lei Kugo was stagnating.It wasn't a sudden realization, more of a slow, creeping understanding that slowly strengthened until she could deny it no longer.
It wasn't a matter of growing weaker, she could complete the same drills, smash the same stones, perform the same martial feats as she always did.
And that was the problem. Every time she tried to increase the intensity, to go a step further, she ran into a wall. There were other blocks in her training before, ones that Sifu had helped her push through.
He wasn't here to help her anymore.
So Lei trained and practiced, running kata until her hands bled, meditating until her growling stomach could be ignored no longer, staying in the dojo for weeks at a time, working until she was ready to drop from exhaustion…
No matter what she did, the wall remained.
Frustration rose inside her like a teapot set to boil, threatening to spill out. Every day she failed to progress increasing the feeling, until she felt as though she might explode.
Sifu told her to carry on the mastery of the Earthen Heart style, to train others in its use, and change their lives the same way he changed hers. But he was a wise old man with boundless patience, a kind heart, and the wisdom to see a person's true character.
Lei was an Ex-Bandit, crass and rude. She refused to call her Sifu anything but 'Old Man' until she realized he was dying. When her fellow pupils offered her a helping hand she spat at them for a perceived insult. Her temper was easily stoked and her tongue was sharp.
She could teach how to fight. But a true master of the Earthen Heart could teach how to live.
She wasn't good enough.
And it seemed like no matter how long she meditated, or how hard she ran her drills, that fact would never change.
Once again she found herself standing in front of the memorial, the two graves Sifu had dug, and the one that she made herself. She knelt down before them and prayed. "Yun… Hong… Sifu… I wish you were here. I'm not ready, I may never be ready. What am I supposed to do?"
Lei pressed her hand against the stone, as if willing it to answer her prayer.
The stones had no answer for her.
That fall, when the trees were barren and the first chills of winter were starting to flow in, visitors arrived. Lei couldn't help but be wary, the last time the dojo was 'visited' was when the Indomitable Fist school attacked.
The trio was walking up the mountain path as openly as they could, with no signs of any weapons or aggressive moves. The Ex-bandit watched at a distance, trying to ascertain their purpose.
The man in front was old but spry, with white hair and a wrinkled face that belied his great fitness. Despite the steep climb, he seemed completely unperturbed.
Behind him were two tall muscular men, who couldn't be more different in appearance. One had a bare chest, dark skin, and long blue hair in a ponytail. His uniform was the bottom half of a blue martial arts uniform, and a yellow sash tied around his waist.
His companion had shorter blond hair and tanned but lighter skin, a purple shirt, white pants, and a blue sash around his belt. Was it personal, or were they from different schools?
"You can come out now, young lady." It took all of Lei's willpower not to jump as the old man called out. His companions looked around, seemingly unaware of her presence.
"Who are you? And why are you here?" Lei asked, stalking out of the bushes, entire body tensed like a spring. The two younger men startled, raising their fists as if they expected an attack.
"Simmer down boys, there's no danger here. My name is Duncan, Master of the Blitz style." Duncan raised his open palm and his fist, pressing them together and dipping into a slight bow.
"This is my son, Vargas, and my star pupil, Sabin." Vargas scoffed, crossing his arms over his bare chest as Sabin sheepishly lowered his hands. "I come seeking the master of the Earthen Heart Style. He is an old friend, and we promised to have our students spar together one day."
The tension drained out of Lei in seconds, replacing it was a dull ache in her heart. She remembered the old man mentioning a surprise once, a chance to sharpen their skills in a spar.
"I'm sorry, the old master of the Earthen Heart style is dead." Lei's voice cracked slightly. "I am his successor."
"Ah…" Duncan closed his eyes and bowed his head. "I knew that his time was coming but I didn't think it would be so soon… I'm sorry for your loss. He was a good man and an excellent martial artist."
"He was," Lei said simply. If she tried to say more, she feared her voice would break.
"Please tell me we haven't traveled all this way for no reason," Vargas complained loudly.
"Calm yourself, Vargas." Duncan lightly reprimanded. "The Earthen Heart Master was training three students. The two of you will have worthy opponents."
"... I'm afraid there's been a misunderstanding," Lei said. "My Sifu didn't die of old age. He was killed in battle, along with my fellow students."
"I'm the only one left."
Her three guests paid their respects to the gravestones on the mountain as Lei explained their battle with the Indomitable Fist School, how they ambushed the dojo like cowards while the Master was away, how together with her master they tore the opposing school apart, how Lei was the only survivor.
Duncan shared in her sorrow and spent the rest of the night telling her stories about her old Sifu. Lei never he was so feisty in his youth, almost hot-blooded until he learned to cool his temper.
It made her wonder if he saw her as a kindred spirit. Could that be the real reason why he took her in? Would he have ever told her these stories on his own, if he hadn't… left.
Before retiring for the night, Duncan pulled Lei aside with a request. "Earthen Heart Master Lei, I understand it is unorthodox. But I would like to request the honor of having my star pupil spar with you today."
She almost didn't. She feared her block and her own inadequacy, worried that Duncan may decide she wasn't worth the effort, that she was a failure and that Sifu's school was over. But… wouldn't that happen anyway, if she refused? Maybe not right now, but slowly, a lingering death.
"I accept."
The spar happened on the mountaintop, near the three graves. Master Duncan and Vargas watched from the side, while Sabin stood at the end of the field across from Lei. The two fighters bowed to each other. Then, the fight began.
Lei struck first, closing in and landing an experimental kick to Sabin's side. The muscular monk barely flinched, lashing out with a vicious punch that slipped past Lei's head. She quickly backed away, but with surprising speed for such a large man Sabin immediately closed the distance with a lunging strike that came much too close for comfort.
Sabin fought relentlessly, but not recklessly, using strike after strike without giving Lei much of an opening for her own attack. She managed a few glancing kicks and punches, but nothing she did seemed to seriously injure the bear of a man.
It quickly became apparent that Lei's evasive style would result in her tiring long before Sabin would, and while she was gradually landing light strikes, one of his could seriously hurt her. She needed a change of strategy. Normal techniques would not bring her victory, she needed the Earthen Heart's secret techniques.
She had already attempted the Traveler's First Step and Monkey's Withdrawl, but what other techniques… ah.
Rather than let Sabin close the distance, Lei lunged forward with an open palm strike, Lion's Dismissal. Despite his size, Sabin still staggered back a single step, which was all she needed to perform a somersault kick aimed at Sabin's head. Chipmunk's Delight.
To Lei's astonishment, Sabin recovered quickly enough to block the strike, and the break in her momentum made her stumble when she touched the ground.
This time when Sabin attacked, it was with a speed and ferocity that Lei couldn't hope to evade. His fists surged forward like a storm, battering her flimsy block and knocking her to the ground. Her arms were shaking as she pushed herself to a low crouch.
"You taught him the Pummel technique?!" Vargas demanded
"Vargas." Duncan reproached firmly, directing his attention back to the spar.
"Do you yield?" Sabin asked, panting slightly.
"...No." Lei stood up, a sudden stability in her movements that wasn't there before. Something clicked in her mind, like a fire being lit and banishing the darkness. A sudden clarity of spirit.
She understood.
This time when the Pummel came, Lei was ready. She moved with ethereal grace, dancing around each blow with impossible agility, a movement her master had displayed that she never even came close to matching.
Until now.
It was more than reaction speed, she was predicting Sabin's blows, seeing the way his body twisted and arms tensed so she knew where to move a split second before the blow was struck. Lei distantly realized that she was never going to master Wise Fox's Grace on her own because it was not a move for striking at all. It was a counter, a reaction, a punishment for reckless attacks.
Sabin overextended—the slightest shift of his core that left him off balance on the uneven mountain terrain.
Lei ducked low, grabbed Sabin's arm, and using the entirety of her body, threw him to the ground. Before Sabin could rise Lei stepped on his chest to pin him down and raised a fist. "Do you yield?"
Sabin chuckled slightly, clearly unbothered about the loss. "Yes, I yield."
Lei offered a hand and helped Sabin to his feet, still feeling the rush of battle in her ears. For the first time since Sifu died, Lei felt alive.
"Thank you for the match, Blitz disciple Sabin, you were a worthy opponent." Lei pressed a fist to her palm and bowed slightly. Sabin quickly repeated the gesture.
"You were an excellent opponent as well, Earthen Heart Master." Sabin said. "If I may ask, how did you learn to move so fast? And you were so steady even when the ground is uneven."
This time when the memory of Sifu bloomed in Lei's mind it felt... nostalgic. Not sad. "I was always quick on my feet, but my Sifu taught me to fight on uneven terrain. We would fight in the forest, trying to avoid tripping over tree roots and tumbling down hills. It taught me to be wary of the ground."
Sabin asked more and more questions until Duncan finally stepped in and lightly chided him for taking up so much of her time. He sent the two of them to clean up, and once they were gone he looked to Lei once more. "Have the clouds cleared from your mind?"
"They have. I think I know what I must do. Thank you, Master Duncan." Lei went to bow
"I realized why I was stagnating, why I stopped growing after your death. I allowed myself to slip into the gloom, avoiding challenges and repeating the same tired routine. I am not the kind of person who can grow by repeating the same drills over and over, I crave… challenge. I crave conflict."
As before, the stone graves said nothing. But this time Lei wasn't seeking advice, the silence did not bother her.
"That is why, I am going to leave the Earthen Heart Dojo, perhaps for a long time. I have much to learn, and much growing to do as a woman and a martial artist before I return. I am not ready to teach the next generation of students, but I swear that when I return, I will be."
Lei stood up, throwing a small bag over her shoulder, all that she needed for her journey. When she left, she didn't look back. There was no reason to.
She would return one day. As a better warrior, and a better woman. When that day came, the Earthen Heart School would blossom once again.
This one was probably the toughest of the Love A Live stories so far. I knew the skeleton of the story I wanted to tell, Lei falling into a depression after her Master's death, and being pulled out of it after a fight that reignited her spirit. But I kept waffling back and forth over how to do that. Another attack? Is someone seeking guidance? A visit from an outsider? And if I picked any of these, who would be good crossover material? I think I'm ultimately happy with the results.
Eventually, I decided on the Blitz School from FF6, AKA, the school that taught Sabin how to suplex a train. Sadly this is before Sabin gains his train suplexing powers, back when his only Blitz technique was Pummel. It's the first and most basic move of Blitz, and therefore fitting for a younger, less well-trained Sabin. I also dropped some hints about Vargas's blooming resentment, which will eventually lead him to try and kill Duncan and Sabin in FF6 canon. Only for Sabin to beat his ass.
Also, yes. those animal-themed names are the actual names of moves for the Earthen Heart School. Some of them are quite silly.
Eventually, I decided on the Blitz School from FF6, AKA, the school that taught Sabin how to suplex a train. Sadly this is before Sabin gains his train suplexing powers, back when his only Blitz technique was Pummel. It's the first and most basic move of Blitz, and therefore fitting for a younger, less well-trained Sabin. I also dropped some hints about Vargas's blooming resentment, which will eventually lead him to try and kill Duncan and Sabin in FF6 canon. Only for Sabin to beat his ass.
Also, yes. those animal-themed names are the actual names of moves for the Earthen Heart School. Some of them are quite silly.
