3 Years Ago
Tibet:  The Tiger Shrine Training Area

     It was almost exactly as it was before.
     Every monk of the Tiger Shrine had gathered at the ledges that hovered over the Training Area.  Master Zen’keth, Tomas, and Jago stood within the area, with both fighters wearing the same outfits they had been when they first faced each other.  Julie was positioned where she had been before, with the exception of a few feet where the ledge had broken.  Probably the only thing that kept this scene from being an exact replica of the last one was that Organization Agents Maverick and Recon weren’t here this time.
     “This’ll be tough.”  Julie thought.  “But Jago can do it.  I know he can.  But, Master Zen’keth has something up his sleeve, I can feel it.”
     Down below, Master Zen’keth approached the two fighters.  “Now,” he said, “this fight will be a little different.  There is no time limit.  The fight will not end until one fighter is no longer able to continue, be it by knockout, surrender, or the unfortunate occurrence of death.”  Master Zen’keth smiled slyly.  “And, there is one more stipulation.  Jago, you must fight blindfolded.”  He reached into his robe and pulled out a small but thick black piece of cloth.
     Everybody who had gathered around the Training Area let loose an explosive vocal outburst.
     “What!?”  Julie exclaimed.
     “Huh?”  Jago asked.  “Is this another joke?  Or a test!  Is this another test?”
     Master Zen’keth shook his head.  “No pretenses.  Jago, your eyes are nothing more than a comfort; a tool of luxury.  Depending on them will make you weaker, because they can be easily fooled.  You must learn to use your other senses.  Hear his attacks, and feel his movements.  If you can do this, then you will truly be a ninja.  Remember; you have been trained for this.”
     Jago took the blindfold that Master Zen’keth extended towards him.  “But Master…..I…..I can’t do this!  I’m not ready for this type of thing…..”
     Master Zen’keth put his hand on Jago’s shoulder.  “Remember what we talked about, before?  You can do this.  But you have to believe in yourself, and know your abilities.  If you think you will fail, then you will find a way to do it.”
     Jago gave him a strange look, then reluctantly put the blindfold over his eyes, and tied it behind his head.  Master Zen’keth smiled.  “Ready!”  He shouted.  Tomas bowed as he did before; Jago took a blind, nervous bow.
     Master Zen’keth began to leave the arena.  He stood near the stairs that would take him back up to where all the people where.  He wanted to make himself plainly visible so that everyone would know that this was the real test – that he had no more tricks up his sleeve.  “Begin!”  He yelled, starting to ascend the steps.
     Immediately, Tomas backed off, and took a few curving steps to his left.  He knew that Jago’s uncertainty was his greatest weakness right now.  Exploiting it would be the wise thing to do.  Jago took two or three cautious steps forward.  Tomas continued to curve away to his left, taking silent steps.  He let Jago advance a few more steps before hitting him in his side with a front kick.  Jago was more surprised than hurt.  He twisted around, to face the direction of the kick.
     Meanwhile, Master Zen’keth had finished climbing up the steps, and had effortlessly weaved through the crowd to take a position next to Julie.  She was so focused on the fight that she didn’t notice him.  Below, Jago took a few more blind hits from Tomas.  He was obviously disoriented.
     “Come on, feel his movements.”  Master Zen’keth said quietly.
     It wasn’t until then that Julie noticed him next to her.  He displayed a stoic, almost unfeeling attitude towards the fight, but she could tell that deep inside, he was rooting for Jago.  She almost asked him why the blindfold was necessary, but the answer struck her on it’s own.  She remembered a time during her own training, when her own sen’sei started her out on something very similar.
 

    Julie followed obediently while her master lead in front of her.  They walked down a small hallway of the gym where the dojo was located.  Julie didn’t know anything about where they were going, or even where they were now.  She didn’t recognize this part of the gym, although she knew the building well.  During a routine sparring session, she had been paired with an opponent who was three or four years ahead of her.  Julie found herself completely unable to defend against his attacks – they were just too quick for her.  After the match, she asked her master if there was a way to quicken her defensive moves.  He only nodded, and motioned for her to follow him.  And here she was.
     The master finally turned into a small room, at the very end of the building.  There was absolutely nothing to the room except blue padding on the walls, floor, and even the ceiling.  The master walked all the way to the center of the small room, and stopped.  Julie joined him.
     “Do you know where you are?”  The master asked.
     “Not really.”  Julie confessed.  “I’ve never been back here before.”
     “As you had no reason to.  This is a room that I have built, behind the gym.  It took a lot of red tape, and a little work, but it is here and it is good.”
     “What is it for?”
     “It is a special training room.  I have soundproofed this room completely; there are no distractions within this room.”
     “I see.”  Julie nodded.  “Is it for meditation?”
     “Yes.  Meditation is one of the uses for this room.  This room is also good for learning.  That is why I have brought you here.”
     “Okay…..what am I going to learn?”
     The master smiled.  “That is for you to figure out.  I want you to sit here, in the basic meditation position.”
     “And…..”
     “And…...that is it.  Sit here until you find what it is you are looking for.”
     “How am I supposed to do that when I don’t know what it is?”
     “Keep your thoughts free and your mind clear and you will notice it.  If you do not…..then perhaps this exercise is not for you.  It is an advanced technique, but I think that you can handle it.  Very well then.  I will leave you now, and I will return when you have found what you seek.”
     “How will you know?”  Julie asked.
     “The real question is, how will you know?”  The master smiled and left the room.  Still highly unsure, Julie sat down as she was told, closed her eyes, and cleared her head.
     Time passed.  A lot of time.  At least three hours, maybe four.  Julie wasn’t sure.  She had been sitting there the whole time; virtually motionless, waiting.  Before taking martial arts, Julie was a person who had a hard time sitting still.  Now, she could sit there, doing nothing, all day.  It was incredibly peaceful, and it felt like she was giving her soul a much-needed rest.
     “Hello master.”  Julie said, without moving.
     The master, who had walked up behind her, smiled.  “Hello Julie.  Congratulations – you’ve found it.”
     Julie stood up and faced him.  “That’s it, huh?  That’s what you wanted me to find.  That sound.”
     “You heard it?”
     “Yes.  It was like a high pitched buzzing noise that never went away.  I still hear it now.  Any time the area around me changed, the pitch of the noise changed.  That’s how I knew you were behind me.”
     “Very good.  Right now, you hear it as a noise, but actually, it is not.  It is more of a feeling…..a sense if you will.  Over time, with the right amount of practice, you’ll be able to perfect that sense.”
     “And this is how I’m going to improve my defense?”
     “Not just your defense, but everything.  You see, the eyes are a powerful tool, but they can be tricked.  Even the most seasoned fighters know not to rely on their eyes.  You must depend on your other senses, for they too can give you an advantage.  The sound you heard; you can hear it anywhere, be it an isolated room such as this, or a noisy street corner.  From this point on, no one should be able to sneak up on you.”
     “Wow.”  Julie mused.  “So, can I come back here next week?”
     The master laughed.  “My, you are ambitious.  A good thing, I suppose.  I brought you here because I knew you could handle it.  However, this is an advanced technique that I usually don’t introduce to young students such as yourself.  Think of today as a preview.  As you progress through your studies, I will teach you more.”

 
    The master never did finish Julie’s training.  Less than a year from then, she joined the Organization.  In her travels, she took on many short apprenticeships with various different masters around the world.  This accounts for her strange and exotic style of fighting.  Unfortunately, she was never able to learn the technique that Jago is currently trying to perfect.
     Jago continued to stagger around, taking a hit every now and then from Tomas.  Tomas could have long since finished him off by now.  But it seemed as if he was merely playing with the young warrior.  Perhaps he was arrogant, but that didn’t seem right.  Maybe he felt pity for Jago, or maybe Master Zen’keth instructed him to hold back so that Jago could have time to adapt.  Either way, the fight was still going on, although it could have easily been over by now.
     Tomas threw a few swing kicks at Jago.  Because he was luckily moving backwards, Jago managed to miss them all.  Tomas rushed in and threw a roundhouse, which connected with Jago’s right jaw.  He turned sharply, but recovered.  Tomas hit Jago with a front kick, which sent him tumbling backwards.  Tomas pursued slowly.  Jago pushed himself up quickly.  Quickening the pace, Tomas went to throw another roundhouse at Jago’s head, but something different happened this time.
     He blocked it.
     Everyone in attendance around the Training Area was silenced.  Tomas, perhaps Jago even, seemed to be in shock.  Master Zen’keth smiled.
     “There you go.”  Julie whispered.
     Tomas pulled back, then advanced again.  He threw three short kicks, followed by a jumping roundhouse.  Jago blocked the first three attacks and ducked for the last one.  The crowd above began to murmur.  Tomas came in with a standing side kick, but Jago caught his foot, then pushed him back, with a slight twist.  Tomas rotated around once before hitting the ground.  Jago had been standing uneasily, but now he straightened himself, only slightly more confident.  He assumed a basic fighting stance.
     Tomas got up, more resolved than ever.  He knew that Jago was now a worthy adversary.  He circled his opponent, stopping towards his right side.  Tomas tried another standing side kick, but Jago blocked it again.  His leg hadn’t even hit the ground yet before Tomas threw a jab punch, which Jago was oblivious to.  The punch connected, stinging Jago in the face.  Jago took a short step back; Tomas took the opportunity to hit him with a backhand swing.
     “Oh!”  Julie exclaimed.  “What happened?  He was doing so well…..”
     Master Zen’keth turned to her.  “Jago has learned how to sense kicks.  But punches are another story.”
     The fight continued below.  Despite having found his weakness, Tomas’s attack consisted mainly of kicks, which Jago managed to block or avoid.  Every now and then, Tomas would use an upper body attack – a punch, arm strike, headbutt, or throw – which enjoyed almost one hundred percent success.
     “I don’t get it.”  Julie said.  “Jago can’t block punches; why doesn’t Tomas use them more?”
     “The more you exploit your enemy’s weakness,” Master Zen’keth explained, “the closer he becomes to getting rid of it.  If Tomas uses his punches frequently, Jago will adopt a defense to them.  The less he uses them, the more effective they are.”
     “Won’t Jago eventually learn to counter punches anyway?”
     “Yes, he will.  The trick for Tomas is to end the fight before that happens.”
     “Y’know,” Julie observed, “Jago hasn’t attacked yet.  He’ll never win at this rate.”
     “Jago cannot attack until he knows he can defend.  Right now, he is still trying to figure out where his opponent is.”
     “So, basically, the real fight hasn’t even started yet.  Jago has to learn how to fight without his eyes; then he’s got to beat Tomas.  Wow.  If he wins, you can’t say he didn’t earn it.”
     “That’s the point.”  Master Zen’keth said.
     Meanwhile, Tomas’s assault continued.  He tried a short set of side kicks before flinging a fierce punch at the blindfolded warrior.  However, Jago managed to block not only the kicks, but the punch too.  Tomas threw his left fist at him, but Jago blocked that too.  Tomas’s eyes widened for a moment, then narrowed with determination as he launched an aggressive flurry at Jago.  At first, Jago could not block every fourth or fifth punch in the set, but after about a minute, he started to block them all.  Suddenly, Jago caught Tomas’s right fist with his left hand.  He grabbed the arm by the wrist, twisted it, and then threw a punch of his own, connecting with the bridge of Tomas’s nose.  Before Tomas could recover, Jago hit him with a high kick, then used the same leg to deliver a standing side kick to his chest.  While Tomas backed off, Jago assumed a more advanced fighting stance.  He turned his left side towards Tomas, and kept his left leg and arm straight.  He brought his right shoulder up, with his hand around his face, and bent his right knee.  His palms were open with his fingertips curled.
     “Ah, now the real fight begins.”  Master Zen’keth said.
     Jago and Tomas began an incredible exchange of punches, kicks, blocks, and counter attacks.  They moved at an incredible speed; so fast that some of the younger monks of the Shrine had a hard time following them.  With the blindfold no longer a part of this fight, it was now a matter of skill.  Unfortunately, Jago had used most of his good attacks in his first fight, and Tomas was now quite familiar with them.  Tomas was still the most advanced fighter of the two.  For every punch or kick that Jago managed to land, Tomas connected with two.
     “C’mon Jago,” Julie thought, almost hoping that Jago would somehow hear her, “remember what we practiced.  Remember the moves I taught you.  Use them!”  Looking to her left, she suddenly noticed that Master Zen’keth was no longer there.
     In the Training Area below, Jago threw an impressive barrage of punches at Tomas.  He blocked them all, then countered by burying his knee into Jago’s stomach.  With Jago doubled over, Tomas tried an ax kick.  Jago managed to roll to his right side, avoiding the powerful overhead kick.  Tomas sidestepped, flinging his left arm in a backhand motion towards Jago.  Jago blocked it.  Tomas threw three fierce punched; Jago blocked those as well.  With his momentum carrying him left, Tomas tried a left roundhouse kick.  Jago ducked this one instead.  Staying down, Jago dropped his right elbow, then, in one swift motion, he brought his right arm straight up, while pushing his body upwards.  Jago’s fist drove itself under Tomas’s chin sharply.  Jago continued with his upward motion, his feet actually leaving the ground.  Tomas tipped over backwards while Jago developed a slight twist in mid-air.  Jago landed with his left shoulder facing his fallen opponent.  It was the “Tiger Fury” rising uppercut move that Julie had taught him.
     Master Zen’keth, who had disappeared from the ledge above, was suddenly and unexpectedly in the Training Area.  He stood over Tomas, who was lying on his back on the ground without getting up.  Master Zen’keth just stood there for a moment, before finally turning towards Jago.  He raised his right hand into the air, then connected his fingertips together in front of him.
     “Jago is the winner!”  Master Zen’keth exclaimed.
     “Yes!”  Julie shouted, losing her composure.
     “Yeah!”  Jago yelled, pulling off his blindfold.
     The crowd above began to cheer and celebrate.  It was a roar comparable to that of any stadium based sporting event.  Jago had been everyone’s friend, brother, and son.  He was always there to support those who fought for their ninjahood or whatever trials they faced.  And now, finally, he was getting what he truly deserved, the one thing he had wanted since he came to the Shrine – his ninjahood.

One Hour Later
The Tiger Shrine Great Hall

     The Great Hall was perhaps the most beautiful room in the Tiger Shrine.  There were no side walls; instead, there were marble pillars lined up from the front to the back of the room.  Through the pillars, the outside world could be seen, and it was a magnificent view.  Starting from the back wall was a fine red, silk carpet, which extended down the room, stopping at a set of steps that lead to a raised platform area at the front of the room.  At the front wall, there was a large, golden sculpture of a tiger, which seemed to be emerging from the wall.  Its eyes were a brilliant ruby red.
     Almost all of the monks of the Tiger Shrine were gathered around the sides of the red carpet.  Julie stood among this crowd, near the steps.  Master Zen’keth was standing on the steps, to the right, and Tomas, still in his fighting attire, was also on the steps, to the left.  Standing on the platform area was an old monk; another martial arts master.  He had a completely shaven head with a flat brow.  His eyes were small and extremely light; at a distance, they almost appeared completely white.  His most distinguishable feature was a scar that ran up his right cheek.  Behind him was a golden gong with a tiger shaped frame.
     The bald monk suddenly pulled a mallet from his robes and rung the gong.  The sound was loud enough that it could be heard from anywhere within the Shrine.  From the back of the room, Jago entered, still wearing his fighting clothes.  He walked slowly down the red carpet, savoring every moment.  This is what he had been working for, dreaming of for all of his life.  Now that it was actually happening, it felt even better than he thought it would.  He was even oblivious to the pain in his body from his last fight.
     Jago ascended the steps, past Master Zen’keth and Tomas, and faced the bald monk.
     With Jago facing him, the bald monk began to speak.  His voice was perhaps even louder than the gong.  “Eighteen years ago, our brother Jago started down a long and hard path.  This path has shown him nothing but difficult trials and hardships.  Nevertheless, Jago has stayed true, never quivering, never showing doubt, never giving up.  Jago has faced and passed every test with dignity and honor.  That is why, the Shrine has never been prouder to bestow, the level of ninja upon one of our brothers.”
     At this point, the bald monk lowered his head and began a sacred chant.  A few feet away, at the base of the stairs, Julie was amazed at the old man’s chant.  It was beautiful and incredibly rhythmic.  He had a powerful voice, and he could go for minutes without taking a breath.  Julie was so entranced that she didn’t notice what was going on around her.  All of the monks around her had dropped their heads, as if in prayer.  Even Master Zen’keth and Tomas had bowed.  Julie could only assume that it was some part of the ceremony, something that had to do with the Tiger Spirit that these monks believed in.
     Eventually, the bald monk stopped chanting.  Everyone else raised their heads, as he turned around and slowly approached the large tiger sculpture.  He pulled something from its mouth and brought it back to Jago.  It was a sword.  It had a long, thin silver blade, which seemed to capture and reflect any light near it.  It had an elaborate golden handle, which was carved in a way so that it looked as if it was being grasped by a tiger’s paw.
     The bald monk extended the sword to Jago, horizontally, across his hands.  “You still have much to learn, brother Jago, as we all do.  However, you have come to a point where you can no longer be thought of as an apprentice.  Congratulations Jago; you are now a ninja.”
     Almost trembling, Jago took the sword.  He stared at it for a moment, perhaps not completely convinced that it was real.  He held it in his right hand as if it had always been there; like it was a natural part of his hand.  He turned around slowly to face the crowd, who eyed him with their complete attention.
     Jago raised the sword high above his head.  “Yeah!”  He cried.
     The crowd exploded in cheers again.  Within the melee, Julie smiled as she turned and started to leave.

Later

     Jago and Julie walked around the edge of the cliff that overlooked the small lake that the Tiger Shrine sat atop.  As it was sunset, the sky was painted an incredible shade of orange and red, which was reflected in the lake.  A gentle breeze flowed though the crisp, almost night air.
     Jago still held his sword, the ninja sword he had just earned.  For Jago, the whole day was like a dream, one that would end if he put the sword down.  In a way it was; reality would soon set in, as Jago would realize that although he had reached an incredible new level, he still had much to learn.  However, Jago wished to enjoy his moment while he was still in it.
     “So, how does it feel?”  Julie asked, bringing Jago back down to Earth for a moment.
     “It’s strange.”  Jago said.  “I’ve dreamt of this moment over and over again, almost constantly since I first started my training.  And now that it’s here…..not only is it exactly what I expected, it’s better.”
     “Few things ever are.  You should savor this while you can.”
     “Trust me, I am.”  Jago stared at the lake for a few moments.  “You know what makes it better though?”
     “What?”
     “The fact that I can share it with you.”
     Julie both blushed and smiled.  “Oh Jago…..I, I don’t know what to say to that.”
     “You don’t have to say anything.  I know what you’re thinking.”
     Julie smiled again, then bowed her head.  She could feel her eyeballs beginning to sting.  “Jago…..you know that, me and my group, we leave here tomorrow morning.  This is our last night together.”
     “I know.  I didn’t want to think about it.”
     “I’m sorry.”
     “Don’t be.  It’s not something we should ignore.  We should make the most of tonight.”
     “I agree.”  Julie sighed deeply.  “Have you ever heard of Shakespeare?”  She asked.
     “Not really.”  Jago confessed.
     “He’s a famous writer, from a long time ago.  Anyway, one of his most famous sayings is ‘it is better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all.’  On a night like tonight, I don’t know if I can agree with that.  My time with you here has been wonderful, but leaving…..”  At this point, Julie’s voice began to crack.  Sensing her difficulties, Jago took her hand with both of his.  “Leaving here…..is going to be the hardest thing I’ve ever done.”
     “Then…..don’t leave.”  Jago said softly.
     “What?”
     “Don’t leave.  Stay here, with me.  I know there haven’t been any women in the Tiger Shrine since, well, there never have been any women in the Shrine.  But Master Zen’keth likes you and I’m sure he’d make an exception for you.  You could finish your training here.  In fact, we don’t have to live here.  I could build us a house just a mile or two away; it wouldn’t be too big, but we could work on it together and it would be home.  Our home.  And-“
     “Jago!”  Julie had to stop him before her heart broke even more than it already was.  “I can’t do that.  I mean I want to, I really really do.”  She half smiled.  “I could grow that rose garden I always wanted.  We could spar for fun everyday.  Hell, I could even have a child.  That’s been a secret dream of mine.  But I can’t.  Once you’re in the Organization, you’re in for life.  I can’t just quit.  I’m in too deep.”
     “Are you sure?”  Jago asked, his voice starting to crack now.  “I mean, we don’t have to stay here.  I could leave the Shrine, and we could go somewhere where they couldn’t find you.”
     “That’s not possible.  They’ll find me, no matter where we go.  I can’t bring you into this lifestyle that I lead.  It wouldn’t be fair to you.”  Julie pulled her hands away, and turned her back towards Jago.  “In fact, you probably should forget about me.  I’ll be dead in a few years.  Months maybe.”
     Jago took her in his arms, from behind.  “I can’t forget about you.”  He said.  “There’s no way I could ever forget about you.”
     “Oh Jago.”  Julie sighed.  Forget about tomorrow; the only thing that mattered now was tonight.  She tilted her head back and let Jago kiss her as he only knew how.
 
 

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