By Todd Fan
Disclaimer: “Oh, a bunny. You know, the last known case of a bunny attack was, well, never”
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Paw May had led Dylan on what seemed an impossibly long trek. They had eventually stopped in Paw May’s home. It was in a clearing in the wood, six small huts stood at each corner of the clearing. The clearing was dotted with various training implements. A small river ran alongside, before disappearing into the woodland.
“Nice place you got here”, mused Dylan, glancing around.
“It is merely a home” replied Paw May with a shrug, “it serves it’s purpose, that is all I ask of it. It does not need to look ‘nice’”.
Dylan sighed, gee, this guy was just a bundle of cheer, wasn’t he?
“In here”, the Badger said gruffly, leading Dylan inside one of the huts, “this one I usually keep for those who wish to train, though I have not taken a student for..”
Paw May sighed.
“For many years”
He frowned, shaking himself out of his thoughts.
“This will be where you sleep”, he said, “training is early, before sunrise. I do not allow for laziness”
Dylan gave a nervous laugh.
“Funny story”, he said, “I kind of, like, have this condition, and I ..err….sleep a lot”
Paw May arched a long furred eyebrow.
“Then that ‘condition’ will have to change”, he said simply, “And am I to take it you have had no previous training in martial arts?”
“Not exactly”, admitted Dylan with a shrug, “but I’m willing to learn, Sifu”
“I’m sure you have your own reasons why”, mused Paw May quietly.
“You have a new student, Sifu?”, spoke up another voice, this in a soft Japanese accent.
“Another rabbit, Tsuki”, smirked Paw May, “though a more…common variety than yourself” (1)
Dylan blinked as the one Paw Pay had addressed as ‘Tsuki’ walked into the room. If Paw May hadn’t said she was a rabbit, he’d never have believed she was. Her fur was a dark, dense brown, her legs short, her ears were very short compared to his own, or any other rabbit he’d met for that matter. The fact she was completely tailless was also a bit of a shock.
“Dylan, this is Tsuki“, said Paw May, then arched a brow at Dylan’s expression, “yes, she is a rabbit, though a different species to your own” (2)
“You can say that again”, said Dylan.
“I found her while I was visiting the island of Amami Oshima, in Japan”, said Paw May, “her family had been killed, and she was all alone in the world”
The old badger gave a smile.
“But she could take care of herself”, he said, “she is proficient with a Katana sword, and knows Kendo like the back of her paw”
Tsuki bowed in Dylan’s direction.
“It is good to meet you, Dylan-san”, she said with a smile.
“Err…yeah”, said Dylan, still feeling slightly confused and getting more than sure he was out of his depth, “good to meet you too, err.. Tsuki?”
Paw May cleared his throat.
“Tsuki, go and get some blankets for the new student, would you?”.
“Of course, Sifu”, said Tsuki, bowing her head before heading out of the hut and towards another.
“She is learning English well”, said Paw May, almost to himself, “when I brought her here, she was completely foreign to the Western world. She has fitted in quite well”
He smiled in Dylan’s direction.
“She is very strong-willed, you see”, he said, “no doubt, you will learn that in time. Though I receive the up most respect from her, being her Sifu. I expect no less from you, young rabbit”
“Oh yeah, like, of course”, nodded Dylan, so…when do we start training?”
“Tomorrow”, said Paw May, looking up as Tsuki walked back in, putting a pile of blankets down on the bed, “I am going hunting, Tsuki, will you give our new arrival some food, please”
“Of course, Sifu”, said Tsuki with a nod.
Without saying another word, he stood up, walking out of the hut and into the woodland.
“Do not worry so much about Paw May-Sifu”, commented Tsuki as she headed out of the hut, “he is gruff at times, but he has a good heart. If you are a good student, he will show you it”
“I sure hope so”, said Dylan, heading out after her, “so.. how long have you lived here?”
“Oh, around five years”, said Tsuki, “I owe Sifu my life. If he had not brought me back with him…”
She sighed, shaking her head. Leading Dylan into one of the larger huts, gesturing him to sit at a table.
“Err…kinda low, isn’t it?”, he asked, looking down at it.
“You are supposed to kneel at it”, chuckled Tsuki, moving into another room, shortly arriving with two bowls, “here we are”
Dylan blinked at the contents.
“What is it, like, exactly?”, he asked, arching a brow.
“Bamboo soup”, replied Tsuki, kneeling down on the other end of the table, “it is part of the normal diet for my own kind”
She cleared her throat.
“I assume that European rabbits do not eat this?”
“Not really”, Dylan admitted, but took a sip of the stuff anyway, “but I’m sure I can get used to it. It’s pretty good”
“Thank you”, said Tsuki, then smirked slightly, “you must have done something to impress Paw May, he does not normally take students, not anymore”
Dylan shrugged.
“I didn’t really do anything”, he said, then yawned, “if I’m going to be up early, I’m going to have to get some shut-eye”
Quite frankly, the thought of an early morning filled the rabbit with terror, but one couldn’t get anywhere in life without working a little, unpleasant as the thought was.
“Sleep well, Dylan-san”, said Tsuki, “oh, and if I were you, I would wake when I’m called… Sifu really does not like to be kept waiting”
“I’ll keep that in mind”, said Dylan, heading back to his hut.
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Of course, Dylan, being Dylan, did NOT keep that in mind. When Paw May tried to wake him in the morning, Dylan had simply buried himself deeper in his blankets and resumed his favorite pastime, sleeping. Tsuki had not been joking, however, in her warning, as Dylan soon found out, when a large bucket of ice cold water was deposited on his head.
“GAAAH”, he yelped, jumping up in shock.
“Maybe THAT will teach you when to wake up”, said Paw May sternly, I want you ready in five minutes, and I MEAN five”.
Dylan yawned, trying to squeeze the water out of the fur on his ears as he got dressed and walked outside. Paw May was waiting outside, leaning on a walking stick, sitting a little way away, observing, was Tsuki. Paw May narrowed his eyes, then gestured to the river running through the clearing. Straddled across it were two long, thin bamboo pole, dripping wet. (3)
“You must cross that”, said Paw May.
Dylan looked at the bamboo, then at the river, then at Paw May.
“..You’re kidding”
“No, I do not kid”, said Paw May simply, “you wished to learn, and so you shall. I told you it is not an easy path. By becoming my student, your arms, your legs, your mind, your body belongs to me, you will do as I say, when I say, are we clear, young rabbit?”
Dylan looked uncertainly at the pole before sighing, nodding.
“Yes, Sifu”
“That is better”, said Paw May, “when you fall in, and you WILL, you must start form the beginning, and keep on doing it until you get across”.
“Yes, Sifu”, said Dylan, before walking over to the poles, glancing down at them, and at the river below them. The current wasn’t too strong, but it would still be enough to carry him a little downstream before he could get out again.
“Here goes nothing”, he said, stepping out onto the poles….and immediately falling into the river.
He was, indeed, swept a little downstream before dragging himself to shore.
“….And I’m back to being wet again”, he muttered, walking back to the poles.
“Grip with your toes”, said Paw May, “find your centre and use it”
“And where, exactly, is, like, my centre?”, asked Dylan.
Paw May poked Dylan’s stomach, just under his belly button with his stick.
“There”, he said, “is your Dan Tien, your energy centre, move from it, and you will find this work a lot easier” (4)
“….If you say so, Sifu”, muttered Dylan, stepping onto the poles again.
It took a good few more drenchings before Dylan was finally able to balance on the poles, and a good number more drenchings after that before he could walk on them. By the time he’d crossed over to the other side, he was exhausted, wet, and quite frankly, was beginning to miss his burrow in his old warren. At least he was warm and dry there.
“Good, you are done for today”, said Paw May, “you have now learned how to use you Dan Tien. Tomorrow, you shall learn how to fight, as well as how NOT to fight”
“I don’t suppose there are any sleep-in days?”, asked Dylan hopefully.
“No”.
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And so, the days passed into weeks, the weeks into months, and months into years. Little by little, Dylan began to master the arts which Paw May taught him. Not only that, but Tsuki had eventually decided to train Dylan in her own expertise, Kendo. It was this that they were now training in, sparring with bamboo swords (5)
“Your technique is very much improved, Dylan-san”, said Tsuki, dodging a strike with ease, “though you have not yet mastered it”
“Hey, I’m as good as you are”, chuckled Dylan, “I am the master of calm, remember?”
“You’re the master of sleep, there is a difference”, she replied.
Paw May chuckled as he watched the pair spar.
“Perhaps, Tsuki, “you are afraid of the student surpassing the teacher?”
“Hardly likely, Sifu”, replied Tsuki.
“Pride comes before a fall, young doe”, said Paw May, “or perhaps the thought of settling down scares you, mm?”
Tsuki paused, glancing over her shoulder.
“Not at all, Sifu”, she replied, “Mareo seems a nice rabbit” (6)
She chuckled, sending a teasing smirk in Dylan’s direction.
“And he smells better than Dylan”, she said, “and at least he doesn’t have big ears”
“Hey!”, laughed Dylan, “I’ve got big ears because I’m a different species, unlike lover boy back in Japan”
He paused.
“And I don’t smell”
“Whatever you say, Dylan-san”, smirked Tsuki.
“Okay, okay, that is enough”, said Paw May, “if we do not leave soon, we shall be late for our transportation”
He smiled, turning to Dylan.
“You have learned well, Dylan”, he said, “I believe along with Tsuki, you are one of my finest pupils. I shall miss you, and your sleepiness”
“I’ll miss you too, Sifu”, said Dylan with a bow of his head, “and thank you, for, like, everything”
“You are most welcome, Dylan”, said Paw May, “but remember, all of these skills I have taught you are not to be used in anger, only in..”
“Self defense”, finished Dylan, “yeah, I know, I won’t forget, Sifu”
Tsuki walked out, carrying Dylan’s guitar, handing it to him.
“Do not forget this”, she said, “I think you will miss this hunk of firewood if you left without it”
“You’ve got no appreciation for music, Tsuki”, said Dylan with a smirk.
Tsuki batted him around his ears playfully, before giving him a hug.
“I will miss you Dylan-san”, she said, “you have been one of my more… unusual friends”
“I’ll take that as a compliment, Tsuki”, said Dylan hugging her back, “hey, you show that Mareo character who’s boss, okay?”
“You know no one can control me”, said Tsuki, “I am too, what is the word? Feisty?”
Dylan chuckled, nodding, then sighed.
“Well, I better be going, you guys still need to pack”, he gave them a small smile, “enjoy Japan”
“Oh, we will”, said Paw May with a nod, “and good luck, my student, in your journey. I hope you find what you are looking for”
“Me too, Sifu, me too”, said Dylan.
And with a wave, he was back on the road, heading off into the horizon once more. Thought perhaps now a little more learned and patient than he was before.
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(1) – Tsuki mean ‘Moon’ in Japanese. There is a Japanese folk tale of ‘The Rabbit in the Moon’. Basically, a rabbit gives his life for a man, and ascends to the moon, there is a ceremony celebrating this and the full moon. Thought it was an appropriate name for her.
(2) – The Amami is a real species of rabbit, one of the rarest in the world, in fact. It exists on only two Japanese islands, Amami Oshima, and Tokuno-shima. It actually looks more like a giant, tailless rat than a rabbit, but it is, indeed, a lapine. Isn’t learning fun?
(3) – This is a training device for Buno, okay, not one of Dylan’s martial arts he has mastered in, but a good training aid either way, I think.
(4) – The Dan Tien is used in a lot of martial arts, I’m currently teaching myself T’ai Chi, in which the Dan Tien is very important.
(5) – Yes, Kendo is trained with bamboo swords, apparently. Kendo is one of the seven martial arts that Dylan has mastered.
(6) – Maero means ‘rare’ in Japanese.
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