The Five [COMPLETED]

Part Thirty

It hadn't taken very long for Kai to agree.

Within days, we were back on the road, saying goodbye to the Tribe for what might be the last time. We made good time. Within two months, we were finally within reach of our home.

As I raised my head, my vision blurry and muscles still weak, I stared at a path before us. There was white dust on it, with large trees guarding the sides. As the cogs in my brain began to spin, I realised - I recognised this path. It was the path that was taken by people wanting to go on long journeys, like we had all that time ago. 

It was the same path that led to the Jade Palace.

Excitement buzzed through my veins. I was instantly on my feet, rousing the others. "Guys, wake up! We're nearly home! The path is ahead of us!"

Violet's head instantly snapped up. "What?" The others followed suit, similar cries of relief and disbelief coming from them.

"Our journey is finally coming to an end!" Mark sprang to his feet, hauling Lawrence up. In minutes, our gear was packed and we were sprinting through the forest.

I felt the familiar fresh air I had come to love rushing past my face, sending my curls into a frenzy. As we crested the rise, I saw glimpses of the village far below us, and I slowed to a stop. The others followed suit, all of us panting as we stared down at our home.

"Last time we were up here, we were leaving on a mission," Violet breathed. "And now, we're back."

I grinned. "Indeed we are."

We pushed on, racing through the trees until we came to the open ground in front of the Jade Palace.

"I never thought I would see this ground ever again!" Mark cried, throwing himself down. Violet and I exchanged a look and affectionately rolled our eyes at him, laughing. Banging on the door, I yelled, "Fai! Open up, it's us!"

The door instantly opened, and delight filled the servant's eyes when we saw us. "I-it's you! You're alive!" He let out a cry of happiness, and he ran across the courtyard, yelling, "Sifu! They have returned!"

Fai's words echoed across the mountain, and surely down below, too. Everything seemed to silence as our master descended down the stairs of the Hall. His eyes were wide as he stared at us; he almost seemed stunned into silence. But then, he gave the biggest smile I'd ever seen and opened his arms. "My warriors! Come here!"

We all ran to him. As he held us, I cried tears of bittersweet happiness. If only he were here with us, everything would be perfect.

As Sifu pulled away, he gazed at each of us long and hard. "You look older than you did when you left," he commented, eliciting laughs from the rest of us. He smiled, and admitted, "I had no doubts you would fail." Memories of my vision with him contradicted his words, but a look from him only I saw told me to tell the others nothing.

When his gaze landed on Kai, he became confused. "Who is this? Where is Matthew?" Shortly after, understanding came into our master's eyes, and he closed them in sadness. "Don't tell me . . ."

"Yes," I confirmed, my voice strangled.

Sifu looked up to the heavens, then to Kai, and he murmured, "I hoped I would never have to perform this ritual. But it must be done." Assessing our conditions, he added, "The servants will give you new clothes to wear. Go to your barracks and change, and hurry!" Looking at Kai, he added, "I must speak with you before we go through with this." Kai nodded, accepting. Assured, I turned around and left.

Around half an hour later, the seven of us stood in the Hall of Warriors. Gazing around, I held a new appreciation for the relics of the past warriors before us: I thought that maybe someday, a piece of artwork would commemorate our efforts. Sifu's reverent voice brought me back to reality. "We are gathered here today to fulfill the duty given to us by our masters and our master's masters: the ritual of the Six Pieces of Five." He gazed at the top of the marble post. "It was decreed by the Ancients that if a member of the Furious Five died, another would rise to take their place and preserve the sacred bond between comrades." Sifu paused, and, glancing up at Kai, he added, "Our replacement is an unlikely disciple, but we pray to our warrior ancestors above that Matthew's spirit may hear and approve of our choice."

I winced at his choice of words. No one would ever replace Matthew.

Kai stood in front of the marble post. In the top basin, there were ashes, ready to be used for this precise moment. He stood perfectly straight and still, every inch the warrior he was going to become. Sifu's gaze was intense as he stared Kai down and recited the ancient vow that continued to send chills through me. "Kai, do you promise to me, the Jade Palace, the warrior ancestors above, and to your comrades that you will protect and defend the weak, use your skills only for good, and be forever loyal as you fight alongside your comrades, even at the cost of your life?" 

Kai lifted his chin. "I do," he declared strongly.

Sifu smiled. "Then with these ashes, I pronounce you to be a member of the Furious Five." Kai bent his head, and Sifu pressed his index finger into the ashes before writing the characters for acceptance onto his forehead: 驗收. It signified that he had been accepted by the warrior ancestors, and Matthew's spirit.

As I stared at Kai, I again felt the small rush of affection for him, but I pushed it away, because I didn't want to be unloyal to Matthew. But just as this thought passed through my mind, I thought I heard him whisper to me, It's okay. I understand. I smiled, closing my eyes as a wind gently breezed through the Hall. "Okay," I whispered back to him.

A few hours later, after our first dinner at the Palace for the first time in over a year, I was sat at the Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom. Memories of Matthew beside me up here, whispering to me as the lights twinkled below that he would always be there for me, no matter what, rang through my head. 

The same lights were still there, but he was not.

I looked up to see Kai standing above me. "Mind if I sit?" I nodded, feeling a pang at the similarity of his question to Matthew's. Kai settled himself beside me. Unlike Matthew, he didn't hesitate. "I understand you're still grieving," he began. His golden eyes shone in the darkness as he gently turned my head to look at him. "But something tells me you have the same feelings for me, even if they're small." I hesitated, then nodded.

"I felt like if I was going to go out with you instead, I'd be betraying Matthew," I confessed. I stared up at the stars. "But then, after your ceremony, I heard him telling me that he approved of my feelings." My voice grew soft. "He said the same thing before he died: that he knew I no longer loved him in the same way he loved me." I stared into Kai's eyes. "That I loved you, instead."

"And do you?" Kai's question was barely more than an exhale of breath, but I heard it. Maybe I can start over with him, I thought to myself. 

Our real first kiss was soft and gentle, holding a taste and promise of what things might be like down the track. As he pulled away, I knew.

I knew everything was going to be okay, as long as I had him.