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3 Years Ago
Tibet: The Tiger Shrine Training Area

     “Well, this is turning out to be a big event, isn’t it?”   Maverick remarked.
     Recon nodded.   “Yeah, I think every monk in the Shrine is here.”
     He was right; the entire population of the Tiger Shrine had gathered at the ledges that hovered over the Training Area.  All
eyes were focused on the three men standing in the center of the Training Area; Master Zen’keth, Tomas, and Jago.  Jago and
Tomas faced each other.  Jago wore a low cut, sleeveless, heavy black gi, with a white t-shirt underneath, loose, baggy, black
pants, and white boots and arm guards.  Tomas was wearing the standard Tiger Shine ninja uniform – a blue tunic and loose
pants, with the hood over his head and a blue mask over his nose and mouth.  He wore black boots with red lining and black
arm guards.  In the training area, the red poles that usually jutted from the ground had been removed.
     Master Zen’keth stepped forward.  “The rules of the fight are simple.  A five-minute time limit will be observed.  If neither
man has been defeated by that time, Jago will be declared the winner.  Otherwise, the fight ends when one man is no longer
able to compete, be it by knockout, surrender, or the unfortunate occurrence of death.”  Master Zen’keth paused, then smiled.
“But, I’m sure that nothing that serious will happen here today, eh?  Should Jago win this fight, he will have earned the right to
be known as a ninja.  Ready!”
     Both Jago and Tomas bowed, then assumed basic fighting stances.  Master Zen’keth began to back off.  “Begin!”  He
yelled.
     Tomas wasted no time in charging at Jago.  Jago backed off, blocking the right punch that was thrown at him.  Using his
momentum, Tomas swung his right leg around, burying his shin into Jago’s side.  Jago took it all, continuing to back off.  Tomas came in with a fierce flurry of punches and kicks.  Jago blocked most of them, although some slipped past and struck him sharply.  He continued to defend, showing no desire to mount an offensive attack.
     On the ledge above the fight, Recon nudged Maverick in the ribs.  “Hey, what’s he doing?  Why isn’t the kid fighting
back?”
     “Well, if I interpreted it correctly,” Maverick said, “Jago doesn’t need to win this fight.  He just needs to survive for five
minutes.  He’s probably just trying to survive the best he can, y’know, not take any chances by attacking.”
     “Is that wise?”
     “I don’t know.  I’d sure be fighting back if I were him.  But then again, I don’t have any martial arts skills.”
     “Speaking of, where are Julie and Orchid?  I thought for sure they would want to see this, being fighters themselves and all.
     “Well, I don’t know where Orchid is.  Probably up in some tree, as usual.  But Julie’s over there, on the other side of the arena.”
     Recon scanned the area ahead of him, eventually finding Julie standing amidst a group of monks.  She watched the fight
completely, almost unaware of anything else around her.
     “C’mon Jago, fight back!”  Julie thought.  “You won’t survive three minutes at that pace.”  She nearly screamed out at Jago, but held her tongue, not wanting to distract him.
     Jago continued his retreating, having just been kicked in the chest.  “Only 30 seconds have passed; a minute at most.  I
won’t last at this pace.  I’ve got to make him go on the defensive for a minute or two, to balance things out.”  Jago had been
pushed back towards the far end of the training area, almost underneath the ledge where Julie stood.   Tomas quickly closed in
on him, but Jago threw a sudden sidekick, which connected.  For the first time, Jago charged, throwing a quick set of jab
punches.  Tomas blocked them, then counterattacked.  Jago took a round kick to the shoulder, then flung an elbow towards
Tomas.
     “There ya go.”  Recon said.  “Fight back a little.”
     Maverick said nothing in response.
     Recon paused, then resumed the conversation.  “Say, have you heard anything from headquarters yet?”
     “No, why do you ask?”
     “Oh, I was just curious.  So, we’re still on the current game plan?”
     “Mm-hmm.”
     “You know, I’d almost hate to leave this place.  It’s so calm and peaceful.”
     “Maybe.  But this lifestyle isn’t for us.”
     “I know, I know, but still.  Don’t you ever get tired of dodging bullets?”
     Maverick batted an eye towards him.  “It’s best not to think about it.  If it weren’t for us, this place might not even exist.
It’s a great responsibility we bear, and I consider myself lucky to be one of the chosen few.”
     “I guess.  Hey, check that out!”  Recon exclaimed, pointing at the fight.
     Down below, Tomas did a backflip, lodging both his feet under Jago’s chin as he flew backwards. Jago stumbled
backwards, but did not fall.  Tomas threw a spinning back kick, which succeeded in knocking the young warrior down.  Jago
stayed on the ground for a few extra seconds, mainly to kill time.  He finally got up slowly, and retreated further, until his back
was against the rocks behind him.  Tomas charged at him fiercely; Jago dug his fingers into the rocks above him, and lifted
himself up.  Unable to stop his momentum, Tomas nearly ran into the rocks; he almost stopped himself, but Jago swung his
heels into Tomas’s back, driving him forward, to a violent impact.  Tomas staggered backwards, his nose bleeding.  Jago let go and fell gracefully down to the ground.
     “There you go.”  Julie silently coached Jago from above.  “Use your head.”  Almost involuntarily, Julie began to think about
her early days training in the martial arts.  There were four classes held every week.  For one and a half-hours, the students
would be taught new techniques, and practice old ones.  Then, they would all sit down while their master told them a tale from
the past.  His stories ranged from the Korean War to going to the supermarket, but they were all accompanied by some
profound moral.  He was a small Japanese man; no more than 5 feet tall, and not really muscular, but Julie was intimidated by
him nonetheless.  She was only four years old when she first started her lessons, but she was still awestruck by his presence by
the time she left the school at the age of eighteen.  By then, it was probably not his physical appearance, but his knowledge that
intimidated her.
     Julie eyeballed the fight.  Jago and Tomas were exchanging punches at a rapid pace.  She checked her watch; almost four
minutes had passed.  It was more than apparent that Tomas was the better fighter, and Jago wouldn’t win this fight.  But he
didn’t have to win; he only had to survive.  With just one minute left, Jago would surely survive and win his ninjahood.  Julie felt
truly happy for him.
     Suddenly, something caught her eye.  A gleam, from somewhere underneath her.   Sunlight bouncing off of something metal.
Julie looked down, but she couldn’t see anything that looked like it could be the source of the gleam.  To her dismay, she could see that the portion of the ledge that she was standing on was cracking.  It happened almost too quickly.  The crack spread outwards, and the ledge lost its integrity.  It crumbled underneath her, and before she could do anything about it, Julie found herself falling down to the Training Area.
     Although he was in the middle of a fierce exchange with Tomas, Jago caught Julie’s fall out of the corner of his eye.  At that
point, time itself seemed to stop, giving Jago a chance to examine his options.  In front of him was a skilled adversary.  There
was less than a minute left in the fight, and to stay conscious during that time would mean earning his ninjahood.  That was
something he had worked towards for years.  It was almost his.  Yet behind him, someone was falling.  A stranger, who had
just walked into his life, yet, she had a tremendous influence on him.  He couldn’t describe it, or explain it, but he felt connected to her, and she made him feel things he never felt possible.  He couldn’t be quite sure, but he was in love.  And she was falling.
     It was a long way down from the ledge she had been standing on to the Training Area below.  Serious injury would be
guaranteed, death would be probable.  She would hit only a few feet away from where he was standing, and he could catch
her, save her, easily.  Unfortunately, that would mean turning his back on his opponent.  And no ninja worth his gi would pass
up an opportunity like that.
     “Not really a choice, is it?”  Jago thought.  He spun around and made a short dash, positioning himself under Julie’s point of
impact.  He stiffened the muscles in his upper body, while keeping his lower body flexible.  Almost like a fallen angel, Julie
descended, landing in Jago’s arms.  The impact of the fall forced Jago down to a knee.
     Julie opened her eyes, almost in shock, not quite aware of what had just happened.  “Jago…..” she whispered softly.
     “Hey.”  Jago said, smiling.  “You okay?”
     Julie almost smiled, but she couldn’t.  She had to warn him.  “Jago, behind you!”  She screamed.
     It was too late.
     Tomas struck Jago in the back of the head with a very well placed roundhouse kick.  Julie could see his eyes rolling back
into his head, before his eyelids shut and he slumped over her.
     “Jago!  Jago!”  Julie gasped.
     From out of nowhere, Master Zen’keth appeared in the Training Area.  “Tomas is the winner!” he declared.  Some
members of the crowd watching above cheered; others booed and hissed.
     “Jago…..oh Jago…..”  Julie whispered.

Three Hours Later

     Julie paced nervously in front of Jago’s room, not wanting to enter.  She arrived about two hours ago, and it took all the
courage she had to slightly open the door and peek inside.   She had been given a temporary pardon; Jago was still unconscious.  However, a few minutes ago, she heard stirring, and she knew that he was awake.
     Julie almost didn’t want to see Jago at all.  She knew how hard it was for her to earn her own black belt, and she could only assume that earning something as prestigious as ninja status would require ten times more work.  Jago must have spent years working, and preparing.  The tests that she had seen Jago performing while she was there were difficult enough.  The worst part was that Jago was well on his way to achieving his goal; at least, before Julie fell off that ledge.  She felt responsible in so many ways.  She was the one who insisted that the agents stay at the temple for the night, and she was the one who accepted Master Zen’keth’s offer to stay the week.  Uncharacteristically, she let her feelings go unchecked during a mission, and not only did she let some innocent kid fall in love with her, she fell in love with him.  Perhaps that was the main reason why Jago couldn’t have just let her fall and finish earning his ninjahood.
     Julie didn’t want to face Jago, but she didn’t have a choice.  She had to apologize, do what she could to make him feel
better, if that was at all impossible.  Sometimes, during some missions,  Julie wondered about what it would feel like to become
attached to people.  To care for them, and love them.  However, it was during times like these when she agreed with The
Organization’s philosophy of emotional detachment.  Perhaps her introverted friend Orchid knew more about life than she
thought she did.
     Julie knocked on the door, as a warning first, before opening the door, and sticking her head through.  Jago sat on the edge
of his bed, with his head in his hands.  “Hey…..can I come in?”  she asked.
     “Sure.”  Jago said softly.
     Julie further opened the door and entered the room, taking a seat on the bed next to Jago.  She tried to speak, but the right
words wouldn’t come.  She didn’t know if the right words existed.
     Jago sensed Julie’s inability to speak.  “If you’ve come to apologize, don’t.  It’s not necessary.”
     “It is necessary!”  Julie insisted.  “It’s my fault you’re not a ninja right now and I – “
     Jago stopped her by putting two fingers on her lips.  He smiled gently.  “Part of our religion states that every living creature
on Earth lives to fulfill a destiny.  This destiny, which was determined long before we were born, helps to maintain balance
between good and evil, and preserve the circle of life.  Everything that happens during the course of our lifetimes happens for a
reason.  We may not understand, or agree with some of the reasons, but we must trust that that reason is for our own good.
The Tiger, in his infinite wisdom, has decided that it is not beneficial for me to become a ninja right now.  I may not understand
why, but I have accepted it; and I trust that he has made this decision for a very good reason.”
     Julie sighed.  “I’m sorry, but I don’t follow your religion.  I believe that we control our own fates, and I’ve made a couple of bad decisions that have lead to you not becoming a ninja.”
     “Very well then, if that is the way you choose to see it, that is the way you will see it.”
     “Are you really okay with this?  I mean, with all the training you had to go through, and all the tests you had to pass, to see
nothing come of that…..”
     “Something did come of it.  I may not be a ninja officially, but my abilities have improved far more than I could have
expected.  My trials have improved my being; that alone makes it all worthwhile.”
     Julie smiled.  “One of these days, you’re going to have to show me how to find the silver lining in a dark cloud.”
     “It’s not that hard.  You know, you could always stay here a little longer, and learn a lot more…..”
     “That’s very tempting.  But you know I have a mission I have to carry out.”
     “Of course.”
     Julie smiled again, and kissed Jago softly on the cheek.  There was a lot of truth to what Jago said, but she still felt wholly
responsible for what happened.  “You know Jago, I am an experienced black belt.  I know how to safe fall.  You didn’t have
to catch me.”
     “I know.  But I did have to catch you, I really did.  Not just because…..”  Jago almost stumbled on the words, “not just
because I love you.”
     Julie’s eyes widened, and her cheeks turned dark red.  “Uh….well, then why did you catch me?”
     “It’s one of the basic rules of being a ninja.  You must always do what you can to help someone who is in need of help.
You see, having great skills is worthless if you do nothing with them.  You can use them for either good or bad.  Although the
tradition of the ninja has been perverted by many other cultures, we believe in using the power of the ninja to do good deeds.
If I had let you fall, even if I had defeated Tomas, I would not have been worthy of being a ninja.”
     “Wow…..”  Julie whispered.  “That a no-win situation if I’ve ever heard one.  That’s not fair, not fair at all.  Master
Zen’keth should have stopped the fight,  instead of letting you lose that way.”
     “Perhaps.  But no one can change what has already happened.  And as I said, I’ve come to accept what has happened, and now it’s time to move on.”
     “Still, something really stinks about this.”  Julie thought.
     “Okay, if you say so.”  Julie said.  She got up and started for the door.  “I…..I have to go see Maverick.  He wanted to talk to me about our mission.  Will I see you later on tonight?”
     “Only if you want to.  You know where to find me.”
     Julie bent down and gave Jago a small kiss before leaving.  She quietly closed the door behind her.  “Destiny’s a nice thing
to believe in,”  she said quietly, “but I don’t know about this.  The way that rock collapsed from under me…..it was just
too…..something really stinks here.”
     Julie left from in front of Jago’s door, with her next destination clear in her mind; the Training Area.  The more she thought
about it, the more she didn’t like it.  The ledge underneath her should happen to give out, just moments before Jago would earn
his ninjahood.  Upon that happening, Jago would be given an impossible choice.  It was almost like…..no, that wasn’t it.  At
least, not until she had more proof.
     Julie quickly left the Shrine and went down to the Training Area, using the stairs this time.  She crossed the battlefield, going
back to the area where she had fell.  She looked up at the place where she had fell from, and the broken rocks scattered about underneath.  She got down on one knee and began to visually search around the area, looking for something odd, something strange, something that didn’t belong.  Suddenly, something caught her eye.  Something shiny, completely out of place among rocks, cement, and grass.  Julie picked it up; it was a small throwing star with three blades, fashioned in the shape of a tiger’s claw.  Julie examined it carefully.  It wasn’t light, but it wasn’t heavy either.  Its weight would allow it to achieve great speeds.  It was also sharp; that, combined with its potential speed, would allow it to cut into rock.  It could not cut all the way through a
rock; but maybe just enough to crack it, and make it lose its integrity.
     “Master Zen’keth.”  Julie said flatly, before turning and quickly leaving the Training Area.
 
 

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