Between Friends

Winds

To say that training that morning started unusually would be an understatement. For one, it hardly started at all. Like usual, the morning gong had rung, and the students appeared outside their doors, saluting out of habit. It took a grand total of half of a minute for the assembled students to realize that the hallway was empty.

They stared around the hallway in unanimous confusion, before Mantis broke the silence. "So. . . does this mean we get the day off?"

"Does Shifu even take days off?" Viper asked.

Tigress' eyes narrowed, "Not in my experience."

"You think he's sick?" Crane suggested.

"Maybe," Tigress said. "But if that were the case, he would usually have someone come by anyways, or write out drills for us in the training hall."

"So where is he?" Monkey asked.

"Good morning students," a cheerful voice sounded from Tigress' room. Tigress whirled around, fist raised and ready to strike, before she met with a familiar green visage. Her paws only lowered themselves once Master Oogway had made his way out into the hallway.

"Master," Tigress greeted with a small hint of annoyance. "I trust you didn't come here just to test my reflexes."

Oogway gave a small chuckle. "Quite so. Though I must say, it was an impressive display of control for you to stop yourself."

Tigress rubbed her temples. "Someone is going to end up hitting you one of these days."

Oogway laughed again. "Perhaps." His neck swiveled to look at the rest of the assembled students. "Anyways, I came to tell you students that Shifu will not be able to oversee your training today."

"So he is sick," Mantis said, with perhaps a bit too much enthusiasm.

"Mantis, no, you are not using those needles again," Tigress shot.

Oogway shook his head. "I'm afraid it isn't that. It's not that he has other business either. It would be best if I showed you. Follow me," Oogway said, beckoning with his staff.

***

Monkey was trying, and failing, to contain his laughter, his chortles escaping through his hands. Viper and Crane simply stared in shock, heads tilted at opposite angles. Tigress' face was a blank look of shock, for there was simply no way to process what exactly she was seeing.

The second oddity of the day, was that in the floor of the soon-to-be-completed training hall, was the head and shoulders of one master Shifu, the rest of his body being hidden behind the wooden rafters.

In trying to tug his arms free, Shifu froze, his eyes directed straight towards the entrance.

After several moments of blank staring, Tigress slightly lifted her paw, not quite sure if she should reach out to lend a hand, or wave. "Master Shifu," she simply said in greeting. "Is. . . everything alright?"

Shifu gave a brisk, throat-clearing cough before straightening himself up as best he was able, and tried to look at his students with as much dignity as able. "Good morning, students. . . As you can see, I am continuing to renovate the training hall."

"Shifu," Oogway said conversationally, "Are you stuck?"

Shifu tried to turn his face up, "Of course not," he said, giving a few tugs of his arms experientially. "I'm perfectly capable of freeing myself whenever. . ." A few tugs more, and his head drooped down in defeat. "Yes. Yes, I'm stuck."

Tigress let her head fall into her palm as Oogway started to chuckle, and Monkey's laughs finally breached containment. She let an eye peak out of one of her fingers. "Crane, could you. . ?"