FSE

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The stream sloshed across the smooth river rocks, creating a soft melody of gurgling and splashing water. A cool breeze whistled through the boughs of the tall trees overhead, leaves only just beginning to lose their green tint as the air chilled for autumn. The leaves lent their voices to the wind, singing as a rustling choir. The sun shone down in the odd hole it could find through the foliage, casting shafts of golden light like columns supporting the forest ceiling. Here and there the odd leaf, already spent of its strength from summer, would be carried away dancing through the air and spinning about the clearing. The musical harmony was completed by the virtuoso, a red pandaren seated tranquilly on a shaft of bamboo, playing a low pipe carved from a similar shoot. Her eyes were closed, the soft motion back and forth of her head to the music of nature and her own melody the only movement she made, her cloak and hair dancing in the wind in time with the rhythm. Closer inspection would reveal she was, in fact, standing with only one foot on the end of the bamboo staff, forcibly inserted into the ground, but her legs were crossed and gave the appearance she was sitting.

A crowd began to gather in the earthy clearing, men and women, many only teenagers, and even a couple children, of all races, though mostly humans, mostly dressed in work or relaxed clothing. They stood around, viewed the clearing. Many were uncomfortable, uncertain. They were still often unfamiliar with the pandaren, and the fact that this one seemed unaware that people were waiting for her, still facing away from them and at the river, made them more out-of-sorts. Others accepted the beauty of the place for what it was: a source of calm and quiet, to be beheld and appreciated. The sun reached the zenith, pillars holding the ceiling up perfectly. If the pandaren noticed, she didn't react, still engrossed in her music.

After a couple more moments, a younger draenei shrugged her shoulders and approached. She raised a hand uncertainly. The top of the bamboo pole was above her head, and the pandaren thus even higher. She nervously reached forward and, like she was handling the most delicate glass, tugged on the striped, ginger tail that dangled before her face that slowly flexed back and forth in time with the beat. It twitched out of her grasp and wrapped itself around its owner's hip. Said owner began to uncurl herself, extending her loose leg forward, away from the draenei, tail held tightly against the leg as she leaned backwards, craning her head over and back. She did not interrupt her music at all. Now almost lying back, still supporting her full weight on the single paw, she opened her brilliant jade eyes, gazing upside-down at the girl.

She took a step back and said, "Oh, I'm...I'm sorry, I thought...I mean, it's noon, and your posting said we'd start at noon, sharp."

The monk continued to study her, eyes unblinking, until the music slowly trailed off, the song complete. She lowered the shakuhachi from her lips, pausing before replying, her accent noticeable but not enough to make her incomprehensible. "You are most eager, yes?"

"Ah, yes, yes, I'd like to learn how-"

"But I must wonder if you are impatient, instead."

The draenei blushed and lowered her head, turning to leave.

"What is your name?" she asked.

"Yrinel," she answered.

The monk nodded. She suddenly thrust off the pole and flipped through the air, landing on her feet before the draenei. "It is a beautiful name." She took the bamboo staff in hand and pulled up, dislodging it from the ground. "I think we will begin now."

The monk stretched momentarily, especially the leg that had been supporting her, before standing upright. She took a deep breath, adjusted the leather harness about her chest. She found it difficult to find a good position for the lower band, now that she was pregnant: too low and it painfully cut into her stomach, too high and it cut into her breasts. She straightened her fur, much as one would straighten their clothes, hands gliding over the silky hairs to put them all in line, running along the slight curve of her flanks and midsection.

The pandaren strode forward towards the crowd and they quieted. She looked out across them all, definitely mostly Alliance, not that it was surprising in Duskwood. There appeared to be about fifty in all, more than she originally expected. Her eyes spotted the familiar bold red of a suit jacket and saw her lover Aura, the mayor of the town, watching from the side. The worgen gave an encouraging smile and a wave, which the pandaren returned. It had been an interesting four months since she moved into the town, but now that she was settled she decided it was high time to put her skills to work. This class, training in the Ways of the Monk would be that outlet. She nodded and cleared her throat. The clearing fell silent aside from the wind and the water.

"I am Miyuki Fireheart, Follower of the Huojin, Master of the Ways, and Student of Chi-Ji the Red Crane. I am glad you have all chosen to come here, that you are curious about the secrets of the Monks of Pandaria." She scanned the crowd once more, a little disappointment settling into her when she spotted none of her own people. "I do not know what you have heard about the Ways of the Monk, but unless you have personally witnessed them in action, I doubt anything you have heard is accurate."

A young human raised his hand.

Miyuki hesitated before nodding and asking, "Is there something you wish to know?"

"Is it true you can punch someone at twenty paces?"

Miyuki blinked once. The warmth from her voice had suddenly drained entirely away.

"No."

Without waiting to be acknowledged, a dwarf blurted out, "If I slugged you in the stomach, will you feel it?" A wave of discomfort washed through the crowd. Miyuki's shoulders slumped slightly and her ears drooped, already thinking she may regret this decision. Her spirit strengthened, though, when she saw Aura cover her eyes with her palm, disappointedly shaking her head. Oblivious as to what caused the awkwardness, he tried to clarify, "Well, I mean look at all that muscle, and with a fat gut like that-"

"She's not fat, you cretin, she's pregnant," a blood elf scathingly cut him off.

The dwarf furrowed his brow, trying to take a closer look at Miyuki. His eyes suddenly widened, face turning as red as his beard, as he stammered, "Oh, sorry, lass, I didn't mean...I-I mean I certainly...well, I-I would never-"

Miyuki gave an exasperated sigh and decided to interrupt him before he made it any worse. "Yes, monks still feel pain, and we would appreciate it if you didn't simply attack us, just like anyone else you've ever met."

A goblin from the back shouted out, "Yeah, how much weight can you hold in your-?"

Afraid of where the question was going, she shouted, "Enough! As I said, they are wrong."

Miyuki took a deep breath before continuing.

"The path of a monk is not for everyone, and certainly not for the faint of heart. It requires discipline and focus, years of training. Your body is your true weapon, and it must be forged into one. Your spirit is your true strength, and it must be exercised. Your mind is your true defense, and it must be prepared."

She began walking over to a small pile of stones she had assembled the day before into a pyramid. Taking the one on top, a bit smaller than her head but certainly large than her fist, she held it up for all to see as she returned.

"Individually, each of these three may be strong, but they are even greater when they work in unison. Your spirit will unleash itself using your body as a channel, and it is only through a focused mind that this is possible." She tossed the rock high into the air, which soared into the foliage above her. "When you are in balance, you may unleash this power!" She struck a punch forward as the stone returned to eye-level. A deafening crack filled the clearing and a blaze of blue-white energy swirling about her fist as she punched, shattering the stone into half a dozen pieces. The crowd gasped in surprise, some applauded softly.

"This power, your spirit made manifest, the energy of life within you, is your Chi. Chi is at the heart of our Way, it is what enables us to perform these great feats. Without that discipline and focus, without harnessing inner peace, there is no way to call forth your Chi. If you cannot master this, you will never be a true monk, merely someone who knows how to throw a punch. If you are only here to learn how to punch and kick, go to the Brawler's Guild. That is not what makes a monk."

Miyuki sternly looked over the group as she finished. Two humans and the goblin from earlier shifted with discomfort and then slowly excused themselves. She checked the straps of her harness, her shoulder and wrist guards. She nodded, satisfied they were in place.

"While I might generally choose a different weapon, I am as armored, now, as you would ever find me on the battlefield. Indeed," she tapped the bamboo staff on the ground a couple times, "Even this could be used quite effectively." She spotted one of the town guard, the only person who dressed in true armor, covered in heavy leathers and chain, a shield on his back and sword at his hip. "And I suspect those trained in more traditional warfare may find that difficult to believe. Here, then, let us give a demonstration, so I might show you what you could all learn to do with time, determination, and skill. I need a volunteer to try to strike me."

A murmur went forward, several people shifting as they considered taking her up on the offer. Even Aura raised an eyebrow with consideration, but out of all of them the guard walked forward with determination.

"So..." he said, voice echoing from inside his helmet, "You say what you have on now is enough for a real fight."

Miyuki nodded.

"Mind if we put that to the test?"

The people became tense, only worsened when Miyuki answered, "Certainly. Arm yourself."

He drew his sword and readied his shield, flexing a little inside his armor to loosen up his joints. Miyuki bowed deeply to him, and stood normally, staff held in both hands in front of her, the end resting on the ground.

"Whenever you are ready," she said and closed her eyes.

She could hear him approach. In all that armor, his footsteps sounded like the clumsy, rumbling gate of a mushan. As he reached her, sword high, he swung down and roared a battle cry. To his credit, it was a well-aimed, solid blow, closing in on her neck. It likely would have fallen some ruffian with ease, but Miyuki was not a common street tough. Just as he committed to the blow, she deftly stepped around his shield, staff lingering along the ground and slapping into his knees, tripping him. Already off-balance from the swing and the top-heaviness of his armor, Miyuki wheeled the staff around and slammed its end into the back of his helmet, ringing out like a bell and leaving a large dent in it. He promptly collapsed on the ground and let out a low groan.

"Alright..." he struggled to say, "You're right. That's plenty in a fight."

He struggled to rise for a moment and Miyuki went to him, carefully flipping him over and helping him to his feet. He slowly clapped a hand on her shoulder as he gasped, "Good fight...I'm going to take these off."

"That is a good idea, I think," she answered, planting her staff into the ground again with a single thrust. She removed her shoulder and wrist guards, though left the wrist wraps in place, and rested them on the top of the staff. Now without a weapon or armor, she surrendered the advantage of equipment she had over the others. "Who is next?" she asked.

There was far less enthusiasm this time, but a blood elf snorted derisively and said, "Very well. I'll show you all how it's done." He smoothed back his hair and tied it in place, around his forehead, with a plain band of red cloth. He had wrist wraps of his own, white, and quickly struck a boxer's pose. "You know," he commented, "The Brawler's Guild doesn't teach people how to fight, and they don't allow simply anyone to join. It requires an invitation"

"Hmm, I had been under the impression you could find those invitations lying around any old place," she answered briskly, smiling.

He scowled, "And monks have existed in Azeroth for millennia, long before the pandaren decided to grace us with their presence. We serve the Light." He bowed to her. "And through proper discipline, we can master ourselves, just as you say." He threw a few swift, practiced punches into the air. He whipped his hand up, then, and a shower of golden light arced up, the sun momentarily shining brighter in the clearing as the leaves seemed to part for it. "What do you think about that?"

"Well, that is certainly impressive. Maybe I can show you what we have learned while we were away from your lands. Oh, Honorable Mayor Aura? That keg next to you, could you bring it over, please?"

Aura's eyebrows shot up when she was suddenly made the center of attention, some of the crowd apparently not noticing she had been watching. She looked down and saw a small wooden barrel, holding about a gallon of fluid, fashioned with Mogu script on it and a tap in place. She picked it up and slowly brought it over to Miyuki.

"Thank you, dear!" She accepted it with a bow, and then popped open the tap and up-ended it, draining its contents into her mouth, some of the liquid dribbling out onto her chin, cheeks, and chest.

Aura's eyes steadily widened. "Miyuki!" she urgently hissed under her breath, trying to make it so only the pandaren could hear, "What do you think you're doing?"

Miyuki discarded the empty keg, issuing a thundering, highly unladylike belch. The dwarf commented, "Wow, now _that's_a woman I'd like to have a drink with!"

"Don't worry, Aura," she slurred a little, "It's an Ancient Pandaren Secret!" She giggled, winking at her, and stumbled passed the exasperated worgen.

Aura was torn, unsure if she should say anything more, and stunned at what Miyuki had just done, but when she inhaled, ready to speak, she smelled the air. There was no yeast, no hops, no grain, only...fruit and tea, what Miyuki had eaten for breakfast a couple hours earlier. She picked up the keg and sniffed again, quickly maintaining her poker face when she realized what trick Miyuki was playing.

The pandaren looked up at the blood elf, a little wobbly on her feet. She blinked her eyes and squinted at him, trying to bring him into focus. "Oh, there you are!" She hiccupped. "Are you ready?"

He shook his head. "Ten thousand years away from Azeroth, and the Pandaren learned how to get drunk. What a disappointment."

"Hey...now, hang on..." she said, one finger droopily raised. She trailed off, and squatted a little for a moment, one hand on her hip the other on her belly. She groaned, "Oh, that...that might have been a bit...umm..." She hiccupped again. "A lot." She unsteadily stood again. "Okay...I think I'm good now... Come at me!" She giggled.

He adjusted his wrist wraps a little and put up his guard, cautiously approaching the swaying monk. He was a couple yards away from her when he lowered his guard. "How is this even a challenge? If I wanted to fight drunkards, I'd go down the inn. I was expecting a challenge."

"Well, if you think I-hic-can't fight," she started sloppily walking towards him, "You could always-" she tripped suddenly, arms flailing forward to catch her fall. The heel of her outstretched hand slammed directly into the nose of the unsuspecting elf, a sickening snap echoing through the woods. The pandaren continued stumbling a couple more paces as she finally caught her balance with a lighthearted, "Oops!"

Simultaneously, he recoiled back in pain, clutching his nose as blood began to dribble down his face. "You clumsy wretch!" he shouted.

She shrugged and slurred out an apology. "Sorry, but I-hic-thought we were fighting!"

"Yes, you're damn right we are!" he roared, balling his hands into fists and charging to attack.

Miyuki turned on her heel to face him, but with her legs crossed when she tried to dodge out of the way she stumbled over her own feet and fell backwards. She quickly reached up as she fell and snagged his outstretched hand, pulling him down with her. She kicked her feet up and flipped him over her, tumbling him gracelessly onto his back. Meanwhile Miyuki, for her part, kept tumbling and rolling, also landing in a heap on her back a few yards away.

The crowd watched excitedly, wondering what would happen next as the elf quickly rose to his feet, recovered and ready to continue. They heard a loud snore. The elf hesitated as he looked down at Miyuki, eyes closed and tongue hanging from her mouth, fast asleep.

"Do...do I wake her up? Are we done?" he asked aloud, confusion conquering his anger for a moment.

The crowd murmured with uncertainty. With some irritation still in her voice, Aura said, "She didn't call the fight, keep going." Whether she was snarling or grinning was anyone's guess.

He slowly approached the sleeping bear, still snoring away, afraid that this was a trick. He stopped, uncertain how to approach the problem. He went to circle around to her head but froze when she yawned and rolled onto her side, her back now to him. Some of his caution faded, his frustration beginning to seep back into him.

He took two quick steps forward and went to kick her. As his foot fell her arm shot up and grabbed his ankle, pulling down and extending her elbow upwards. He gritted his teeth and tried to fall forward, deciding losing his footing would be far better than an elbow to the groin. He tumbled on top of her, face slamming into the ground. He yelped in pain as his already-broken nose suffered more punishment.

"Oh, looky here!" Miyuki said. She grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back, wrapping an arm around his neck.

"Wait, yield!" he shouted, terrified of the bear hug that would certainly follow.

She gave him a hug, vigorously rubbing her knuckles on his head. "Not a wrestler, eh?" she asked, the slur gone. She deftly flipped to her feet and offered a hand to help him stand.

"Wait..." he said, looking up at her with disbelief, "You...you're not drunk!"

"Nope!" she said with a grin, "All I drank was water."

The priest shakily stood to his own feet, cheeks rapidly turning red with embarrassment. "You made a fool of me."

"It happens to the best of us, what matters is that we learn." She turned away and went to retrieve her staff, missing the face of seething hatred glaring at her.

The priest held up his hands and began focusing the Light into them. "Miyuki!" the mayor gasped. She only had time to quickly cast out a wave of verdant energy, surrounding her lover in a swirl of emerald power, as he cast down his holy wrath on the monk. Miyuki casually threw up her hand, a dusting of glittering green light flowing over her. The lash of golden power cracked out and whipped across the elf's chest, the dust around the monk flashing bright for a moment, and he doubled over with a shout, clutching the searing wound on his chest.

"You'll have to try a little harder than that," Miyuki said, gently placing her armor on the ground and pulling her staff from the ground. "And it's quite rude to attack someone who is not your enemy from behind." She began to return and shivered, fur standing on end as it was blown about by the healing power. "I'm still not used to the feel of druidic magic..." she added with a gentle sigh.

Glad to see Miyuki would be fine, Aura turned and glared at the blood elf. She seemed intent on him, wanting to give a piece of her mind, but the pandaren got to him first. Miyuki looked down at the elf. He was breathing rapidly, trying to nurse the burn that stretched across his exposed chest. She bent over and put her face directly into his. "You will never do something like that again, do you understand?"

"Y-yes," he nodded feverishly.

"You will not heal that wound," she added.

His eyes widened. "But-"

"I will handle it; for now you will sit and suffer. You will learn nothing if you call upon your Light to help you out of your own mess."

He gulped. "Yes, teacher."

"Miyuki," she corrected, "I have accepted none of you as my students yet. Now, move to the side and sit, I must continue."

He nodded again and gingerly walked off to lean back against a tree. He cast a wary glance at the mayor, still staring daggers at him, but she seemed content to stay put, arms crossed disapprovingly. He quickly averted his gaze back to Miyuki, trying to focus on the lesson rather than the worgen who, he felt, was far more frightening at the moment than the monk.

Miyuki planted the staff in the ground in front of the group, not as deeply as she had previously, and took several steps back from it. "Anyone else? You may arm yourself if you think it will help you."

This time, there were no takers. The prospective students glanced at each other nervously, a couple teens in the back trying to dare each other to fight the large pandaren. Miyuki looked at Yrinel. "You were so eager to begin earlier, why don't you fight me?" she asked gently.

"I...don't think I should," she answered, but her hooves were already carrying her toward the staff, pulling it from the ground.

"I think you will do fine," she encouraged. "Now, quickly as you can, try to strike me."

Yrinel felt the weight of the staff in her hands. "I'm sorry, Miyuki, I don't think I could hit a pregnant woman."

Miyuki considered her, deciding to take a chance and try pressing one of her buttons to make her attack. "If you think you're so slow that you cannot hit a fat, pregnant pandaren, how do you think you're going to help your people against the Eredar?"

That did it. Anger flared into her as she gripped the staff tightly and ran forward. Miyuki side-stepped her, but Yrinel had, clearly, been paying attention. She dug her hoof into the ground to stop her movement and swung the staff around at Miyuki, much as the monk had done to the guard earlier. She easily ducked underneath it and delivered a punch to her midsection, driving her back. Yrinel planted the staff on the ground to keep her from falling and went to attack again. She attacked from the side, her inexperience apparent from the extent she telegraphed her blows. Miyuki gently weaved side to side, taking a step back each time, with her hands folded behind her back, expression placid. The draenei lunged with it, like a spear. The pandaren deflected it off with her forearm, making it sail under her arm, and she quickly brought her other hand into a point, jabbing several spots along the girl's torso. She froze suddenly, shaking like she was in intense pain, but didn't move or speak. Miyuki waved a hand in front of her face and the crowd gasped. Miyuki struck two more pressure points and Yrinel fell to the ground, gasping for breath as she curled into a ball, cradling her sore body.

She slowly looked up at Miyuki, eyes watering. "What did you do to me?"

"I blocked your body's Chi. For a brief moment, your mind, body, and spirit were so disconnected from each other one could not command the others to act." She lowered a hand to her. "You did quite well. I knew you would!"

Yrinel looked like she was trying to consider if the monk actually meant harm or not, but then took her hand. "Thank you, Miyuki."

She smiled. "You are most welcome."

Miyuki looked out at the others. "Do I have any more takers?" Silence. "No?"

Aura took off her suit jacket, lightly folding it and laying it across a low-hanging branch. "Well dear, if you really wanted to show them a challenge, you could try testing someone with more experience."

Miyuki looked pleased. She quickly donned her arm guards and said, "I think that will do quite nicely! Tell me when you are ready." She tossed the staff off to the side, tumbling end over end, until it neatly landed in the slot in the ground where she had been meditating earlier.

The guard, seated a few yards off, groggily shouted, "Give her hell, ma'am!"

Aura took a brief moment to stretch, adjusting her slate gray undershirt a little. She flattened out her skirt and nodded. "I'm ready."

Miyuki bowed. "Don't hold back, now!"

The worgen sprinted forward with incredible speed, paws churning up loose clods of earth. Miyuki quickly sprang into a defensive stance and dodged a flurry of blows, many by only a fraction of an inch. She spotted an opening where Aura overcommitted and quickly swung her leg around, planting her shin in the worgen's flank. The druid stumbled a little from the force of the blow, clutching her side more in surprise at just how much power was behind it than from pain. She looked back up at her, mouth slightly agape.

"Come now, Honorable Mayor, I said don't hold back! Come, come, give me everything you have!"

Aura narrowed her eyes, the fire of challenge in them, as she grinned and replied, "Okay, dear, you asked for it!" She stomped a foot on the ground and roared, the sound most certainly not lupine in nature. Her body began to gain mass as her muscles bulked, her ears and muzzle shortened, her claws sharpened, and a long, feline tail sprouted from the base of her spine. She looked back at Miyuki, excited for the fight ahead, having taken on the aspect of the Lion.

"Well, now, how long have you been holding onto that little secret?" She quickly snapped up a bottle from her belt, tore off the top of it with her teeth, and drained it, throwing the empty bottle to the side. "Then let us begin!" Miyuki shouted as she charged.

Miyuki quickly threw a hook to the same flank she had kicked earlier, but the heightened speed of the druid allowed her to jump back. Not losing momentum, Miyuki continued her relentless assault, leaving no room for the worgen to strike back. While none managed to cause much harm, many of them dodged entirely, the unending barrage against her forearms started to hurt, and Aura could feel a lump swelling under each of them. She had certainly suffered worse blows, and even suspected Miyuki was still holding back, but the tenacity with which she could keep up the attack was astounding. Apparently hitting her own breaking point, Miyuki went for one final strike, low on her gut.

There was her opening. Miyuki, indeed, must have finally started getting tired, as it was slower than the others. Aura was able to deflect it and pressed the advantage, striking out with her claws at Miyuki's face, not truly intending them to connect but merely a feint to make her back off and break the momentum of the attack. Miyuki quickly leaned back and kept going, doing a flip to increase the distance between them. It looked like she genuinely thought that might be enough to catch her breath for a moment, but with the ferocity of a lioness Aura pounced, closing the gap faster than Miyuki had created it. She found it difficult to decide where to strike. She was repulsed by the idea of raking her claws against Miyuki's face, and certainly didn't want to risk going for her chest or, even worse, the belly that held her own cubs. As much as it may give her a disadvantage, she may need to go for her much-faster limbs. In the back of her mind, she remembered Miyuki had put her arm guards back on, was this why?

Aura made another feint for Miyuki's face trying to make her go off balance. She did dodge it, but struck a blow across her leonine muzzle as repayment. She yowled reflexively, lip cracked and bleeding from the impact. She clawed down at the still-outstretched arm, but Miyuki slammed her shoulder into Aura's, throwing her off. Miyuki quickly jabbed forward, striking pressure points, but Aura would not allow her to finish. She kicked forward, forcing the monk back. She panted heavily, feeling pain radiating across her body from the points. Her right leg started to cramp and seize. She leaned back and called upon the earth to mend her, another wind rising around her. The pain ebbed away, but her leg still refused to budge. Aura looked up in time to see Miyuki strike a bird-like pose, her foot suddenly soared upwards in a backflip and connect with her jaw. Her vision dimmed for a moment as she was launched off her own feet, jaw clacking shut. It was followed immediately by a roundhouse that sent her reeling. Miyuki took the opportunity to spring back, taking a moment to catch her breath and drink from another flask on her belt. Aura just managed to keep herself steady, winding her magic like the searching roots of a tree deep into her leg to unbind the muscle. Finally, with a snap of painful tension, it released and she could walk again. Deciding to repay the cheap shot in kind, she reached deep into the earth and called upon the plant life living under Miyuki's feet. Their roots jumped to life, erupting from the soil and wrapping around the monk's legs and hips, holding her fast. Her eyes widened as she struggled to escape them. Here and there a root would snap, but it felt for every one that broke, two more would rise out of the ground and grab her.

The druid grinned with satisfaction and charged. Miyuki nodded, understanding the fight was over, and extended her arm forward, eyes closed. A wave of static filled the air and a shock of lightning sprang from her hand, smelling like fresh dew and petrichor. The jade electricity licked and arced around Aura's body, singeing hair and leaving burns where it danced across her flesh. She reached the monk and swiped a claw at the outstretched arm guard, fulfilling her challenge. Just as she made contact, a web of emerald energy shot out from Miyuki's entire body, down her arm, and slammed into Aura, releasing a small clap of thunder and driving the worgen back. She dropped low, digging claws from her hands and feet into the ground, leaving deep ruts in the soil. Aura stood again, fur blackened and smouldering in several places. With a dismissive wave of her hand, the roots receded back into the earth. She stretched, bones cracking, and she shrank again back into her normal shape.

Miyuki bowed deeply to her. "Congratulations! You have struck me. Now...I think we need to find you some new clothes."

Aura looked down. Her skirt had torn from the lunging strides she had made, revealing her thigh and hip on the left side. Her shirt had several small holes burned into it from the electricity that had shot into her. "You're paying for that."

Miyuki laughed. "Of course!" She walked off to address the students, unaware of the silvery orb manifesting some ten feet above her head. A shimmering echo rang as a beam of white light shot down and hit the ground just behind Miyuki, making her yelp in instinct. She whipped around, clutching her tail, some of the strands of hair turning to dust and falling away.

"My fur!" she cried. She looked up at Aura, knowing only she could see her face, and stuck her tongue out at her. She grinned and turned back, shaking her head. "Oh, you people, always attacking people when their back is turned..." She and Aura both laughed.

A couple people in the back muttered among themselves, Miyuki now able to hear them. "Alright, she got her, cough up your silver." She found the gamble oddly heartwarming.

The pandaren looked out over them all. "You have seen some incredible things today. But you must remember that none of this came from brute force, or any god or spirit or power of the land. All of what you saw was borne of my soul, my will, harnessed through focus and discipline. It is not the way of a monk to simply fight. What we do is bare our souls to the world, hope that they will share with us. We may fight, yes, but we must remember why we fight. And for me, it is to bring hope!"

Miyuki put her right foot back, bringing her arms low, than traced a serpentine arc with them up above her head, as though she was guiding a snake up her body with them. A blue-hued white dragon sang out from her raised hand and burst into a cloud of silvery mist that fell over the clearing. The wounds everyone had endured rapidly closed, their pain washed away, and the tiredness of their limbs was soothed. Even those that had not fought felt refreshed and rejuvenated, as though waking from a restful slumber. Those who had been sitting to nurse their injuries rose again.

"I have been practicing the Ways of the Monk for longer than many of you have been alive, indeed longer than some of you may ever live. Make no mistake that this is a grueling, difficult path to follow, one that will require your full commitment with hours and hours of work every day, but you see what it can bring, what strength of spirit and purity of being. I want you to spend the rest of today considering what sacrifices you will need to make in order to follow this path, and decide if that is something you are willing to spend. Find a quiet, isolated place to consider this."

The blood elf shrugged and slid back down the tree to where he had been sitting.

"Not here. I already found this place, find someplace yourself," Miyuki scolded.

He slowly stood again, looking embarrassed.

"If you decide it is too much, I will not hold it against you. Many of you I recognize as long-term residents of Riversong, and I will gladly continue to live alongside you whichever you choose. It is not a life for everyone. If you decide this is the way for you, I will see you again tomorrow at noon, when your real training as my students will begin." She bowed. "I thank you all, regardless of your choice, for coming to see me today. Farewell!"

Aura listened intently. The adrenaline from the skirmish they had earlier was still running through her veins, but it was slowly wearing off, and as it did it was being replaced by worry. That mock battle had been a good idea, but it just served to heighten the problems Aura had been thinking about beforehand.

Yrinel bowed to Miyuki in turn before filing out with the rest, clearly far more excited and happy than the others. She quickly dashed off into Duskwood to fulfill Miyuki's instructions. Aura walked up beside Miyuki, letting out a soft sigh.

"I think she certainly has the strength of spirit necessary," Miyuki beamed before turning to Aura. Her smile fell when she saw Aura's tense posture, arms crossed and frowning. "Is something the matter?"

"Yes dear, I think something is," Aura said. She looked into the panda's eyes. "You are very skilled, and I know most of this is basically daily training and all but..." She trailed off and took Miyuki's hands into her own, "But you are not only thinking of yourself anymore. Are you sure they are okay?" Aura took one of her hands and placed it onto Miyuki's belly. "You are not going to get any smaller after all."

Miyuki looked down at the hand on her gently rounded midsection, placing one of her own over it. She smiled and said, "I know they'll be fine." She looked back up, "You know I would never do anything to harm them. They are safe with me!"

Aura sighed. "Look, Miyuki, you have told me things about the Wandering Isle, but not about this, not about how your people train when they are pregnant." She smiled at her. "I know that you would never intend any harm to them, and I know you think you are fine, maybe you are, but think about this." Aura took a deep breath before continuing. "How much of this high physical activity is going to affect them? How much will jumping and leaping and dodging around affect them?" She looked away into the clearing behind Miyuki and said softly, "You are well trained, you are one with your body, but you are getting larger, how soon till you make a mistake due to that?"

Miyuki took a breath, her shoulders drooping a little. She turned and began slowly walking at a casual pace to where her staff waited for her. "Maybe...maybe I got a little carried away in our match. It's been over a year since I've really been in a fight. I missed that rush." She looked back to Aura, getting ready to add a thought but she closed her mouth and looked down and stopped. She bent forward slightly, trying to see her feet. She sighed, "Actually...I can already feel it. My center of balance is not where I'm used to. Normally I'd be lighter on my feet." She continued walking again, a little slower. The monk looked back up at Aura and smiled, "How about I keep the acrobatics to a minimum?"

"That would probably be for the best, and I want you to know that I understand how you feel, I have been there, too." Aura smiled at Miyuki, "I try to get time to train as well when I can. It is not easy, but I do. And you can do the same. You just need to watch how far you take it. I am sure there are many parts of your training you can still do, despite the changes to your body.

"And make sure you students know to be careful as well, and I do not just mean around you either..." Aura's voice trailed off. "Like that elf..." Aura's face turned into a snarl. "If he tries anything like that again, I will have him thrown out of the city, literally."

Miyuki nodded, reaching out to the staff and pulling it out of the hole. She rested it on the ground again and leaned on it, using to help support her weight. "I suppose so. I still can, and need, to work on balance and flexibility, but," she shrugged, "I guess simply...walking seems boring to me. To keep in good shape, I think I need to move this much. Even after I was no longer a student, I would still walk for miles or climb a mountain each day simply for the joy of it." She shook her head, looking tired. "And as for the elf, I am not worried. I doubt he will try anything that foolish again. It has been proven to him I have something I can teach him, he will at least be respectful until such time as he thinks there's nothing left to learn."

"But you do not have to stop the things you enjoy; you can still do them, just not so excessively." Aura took a moment and added, "Well 'excessively' to me might be standard fare for you." She smiled at the panda again and dropped into a crouch, placing both hands on Miyuki's belly. The pandaren's eyes followed her as she lowered. She beamed and averted her gaze as she felt the worgen's paws on her, tail flicking back and forth nervously in self-consciousness. "I worry about them and I worry about you. I am sure at least some of it is unfounded, but you cannot fault a mother for caring about such things."

Aura stood again. "Maybe use this as a chance to better understand yourself? A Monk may pride themselves on mastering their own body, but eventually things will change about it, and surely overcoming those changes is something worthy of working on."

Miyuki's free hand wandered to her midsection and began slowly rubbing her belly, answering quietly, "Maybe 'overcome' isn't the right sentiment..." Head still lowered, her eyes darted back to Aura's for a moment before looking away again.

Aura frowned. "Okay, maybe I used the wrong word there, maybe 'adapt to it' would be better," she offered, trying to rectify what she thought she had said wrong. She took one hand and placed it on Miyuki's face. "I am sorry if I said something wrong, I certainly did not intend to. But we all have to handle things changing. It is a part of life. Nature is always changing. I know monks are not the same, of course, and that you do things very differently." Aura took her other hand and gestured around them, at the clearing they were in, and the stream running beside it. "Look around you, look at where we are. This place is filled with life. Life changes, it is never the same. It can be hard to handle that constant change, but as a druid handling that change is a part of the fun of it, always changing and adapting to what is sent your way."

Miyuki nodded, wiping at her eyes. "I know." She took a deep breath. "I'm just...still getting used to the idea that the thing that's changing is me." She looked around at the clearing. "Monks are taught the importance and inevitability of change, certainly, but I'm used to things moving along at a slower pace than this." She gazed into Aura's eyes, taking a hand in hers. "It's the most I've ever changed in such a short time. I think I'm just...hanging on to the way things used to be for me a little too much."

"I get what you mean. As a longer-lived race it cannot be easy to face such rapid change. I hear the elves talking about that all the time, having to handle the kind of rapid change that humans and orcs take for granted." She looked away into the clearing, her eyes losing focus for a moment. "I am used to this rate of change, so that is something I cannot say I will ever understand the way you do, but I do understand some of the problems that come from living a longer life..."

Aura trailed off and looked back to Miyuki, smiling. She crouched back down, taking Miyuki's hand in her own. "I know it must be hard and I know it must be frustrating, but we can do this." She looked up at the pandaren. "We can work through this together, for us and..." Aura pushed her hands and Miyuki's back so they once again lay on her belly. She smiled up at her love again. "And for them."

Miyuki's smile widened, tears coming to her eyes again. She moved her hand under Aura's jaw, tilting her head up, and bent down to kiss her. "Thank you, dear. With your help, I know we will."

Aura stood again and Miyuki wrapped her arm around her, nuzzling into her shoulder for a moment. She took a deep breath, inhaling the now-familiar scent. Aura sighed, enjoying the calm of the moment, and leaned forward, kissing her on the forehead. The warmth of the worgen's closeness and the comfort of her presence soothed the pandaren, and she quickly regained her composure.

Miyuki pulled back, drying her tears. "All right, let me get my things; then we can go home." Her stride had lightened. She wasn't putting as much weight on the staff now, though she did still seem drained. She scooped up the shoulder pads resting only a couple feet away and made for the empty keg.

Aura smiled at Miyuki, watching her walk away, while gathering her own thoughts. It occurred to her she had not put her coat back on and went to collect it. She picked it up and draped it over her forearm. A sudden memory came back to her and she turned back to see Miyuki stretching down to pick up the keg. She quickly made for her.

"Hey!" she said rather loudly as she approached, "Do not think I forgot what you did there with that keg. Pull that sort of stunt again without telling me and you might just have another fight on your hands!" Her voice was incredibly stern, but her demeanor broke almost instantly and she started laughing at the moment. "That was a pretty good trick you pulled. You made me believe you for a moment there, and the elf definitely believed you! You certainly got under his skin with that performance."

Miyuki grinned as she tied the keg's rope around her staff. "Like I said, it's an Ancient Pandaren Secret!" She slid her free arm around Aura's, resting her head on her shoulder again for a moment before standing upright. "Lead the way, dear."