55.i Nebula's Parting

~ Sun Ritsu ~

Sun Ritsu knew that he should have been focusing more on building his qi, but that was really hard with Sun Zhaoling going through his trial in front of him.

The Barefoot Sun took his galaxy staff and planted it in the center of the arena lawn. He used both hands to drive it down in the earth about halfway before turning it as one would a key in a lock. Then he let go of the staff and backed up fast, tugging his crewneck off in the process, revealing a body that was lean, darkened by the sun, and built well enough. In seconds the sweater was knotted about his waist so that it wouldn’t get lost.

“Oh, ho ho. Someone’s out here getting serious. Would you just look at that, Chow!”

“I am, Dan. Respectfully even.”

“Now that’s a body trained and molded by Sheer Will Academy if I’m not mistaken.”

“Absolutely, Dan. One forgets how deceptively strong Sun Zhaoling is in his everyday attire.”

“I’ll say!”

While Zhaoling was backing up, something was happening at the opening in the ground where his staff, Nebula’s Parting, slightly trembled. Roots bubble up from the grassy turf. Little sprouts popped their heads out.

Zhaoling, not only barefoot, but shirtless too, was preparing to leap toward the growing little geyser. Ritsu could see him thinking about where to plant his feet as he shuffled into a wider stance. It was all about timing it seemed. The sun clone was determined to make it work. Ritsu’s heart raced as Zhaoling warmed up his body.

Then it happened, Dear Traveler. Roots whipped out, striking parallel to the ground in Zhaoling’s general direction. The monkey saved himself with a backflip — one that was slow and mesmerizing until time rushed forward again, the rest of Zhaoling’s movements registering as explosive feats of athleticism.

The roots swept and swelled about themselves, forming a wondrous braided cork. Sun Zhaoling managed to liberate his staff from the source and used it to pole vault himself vertically up the muscular, winding trunk.

“Sweet immortal peaches, I didn’t know he was going to go this all out,” Sparkplug whistled under his breath. He folded his arms and leaned back in his seat. “But I’m here for it. Go get ’em, Senpai! Teach that tree a thing or two!”

He’s doing all of this without any immortal peaches. Ritsu smiled to himself. And to think, Zhaoling prefers it this way.

“Chow, am I going nuts or is Sun Zhaoling using his feet to tame the dangerous branches of what appears to be a… a bonsai tree?”

“Prunus serrulata, as the species is known, can be grown ornamentally or in the wild. And yes, it seems that Zhaoling is carving a silhouette out of the more rebellious growth media. This is difficult enough when the tree is not moving and one is working with tools and their hands.”

“Exactly! The dexterity one would need to pull something off like this, am I right? Pst. Hey. Did I use that word correctly, by the way, Chow? Dexterity?”

“Yes. So much so that I couldn’t have said it better myself.”

The tree kept growing. Sun Zhaoling dodged and parried the berserk vines with sweeps of his galaxy staff. He dug the end of it in the various armpits of the branch network, anchoring himself right before pulling off another gymnastic stunt.

Ritsu felt as if he could watch his competitor go on for hours.

Zhaoling landed on yet another wild, snaking root. It swelled in protest before sinking inward with a rubbery splitting crack.

The force of his landing caused the root to give, splinter, and eventually break off as Zhaoling launched himself forward. The sun clone flew over the tree’s tumultuous growth point, snatching his staff out from its deathgrip and turning it into a makeshift helicopter to avoid the wild growth.

Zhaoling came at the tree at the oddest of angles, digging and twisting his heels into the bark, coaching it in the shape that he saw fit. Not only did Zhaoling train a gigantic bonsai from infancy before the crowd. He also made it bloom.

Finally, the bonsai had worn itself out. The roots and branches snaked into place more easily. Blooming tips erupted with every branch that had gone still. The perfect blossom barely crept through the open hatch at the top of the stadium.

Then Zhaoling began his descent.

Ritsu had to shield his eyes from the sun. He wished he could have seen the whole thing — Zhaoling coolly skating down the warped, smooth entanglement of trunk, vine and branch.

He landed hard and confidently, the gently falling blossoms a sharp contrast to his unpolished exit.

Ritsu noticed the shocking state of Zhaoling’s feet before Sun Xiao Dan pointed it out.

“Look there, he’s bleeding, Chow. Oh wow. He’s bleeding a lot actually. That tree really put up a fight.”

“I could be wrong, but I believe a couple of his toes are broken too. We have seen displays like this from the Barefoot Sun before. It should be a surprise to no one that this monkey does not hold back.”

Sun Zhaoling’s medical team of sheep were ready to flood the lawn as soon as he was finished, but the sun clone waved them to stand back.

Even though he didn’t have to, it was evident that Zhaoling wanted to complete his performance with a deep bow before the judges. It was quite the sight, Dear Traveler. What with those blossoms still falling and catching in the wind. Sun Zhaoling could barely stand on his feet, which, despite having won the battle against the bonsai, definitely took a beating.

The judges inclined their heads respectively and clapped. The eldest, Laozhi, took the longest in his acknowledgement. He closed his eyes and nodded sagely, as if in deep approval.

“Wow wow wow. What a show, Chow. Beautiful work on behalf of Sun Zhaoling. Just beautiful.”

“I would agree, Dan. It appears that our contestant is finally satisfied with his work.”

Chow Jia Hui’s observation was correct. As soon as he had received acknowledgement from the judges, Zhaoling allowed his medical team to tend to him. The spirits all dressed in wool business suits gathered the athlete onto their shoulders and carried him off the field.

It was clear by the shy manner in which he waved to his adoring fans that Zhaoling thought this all was a bit much. But he let his team do their job. Funnily enough, as soon as Sun Zhaoling was carried back through the concrete tunnel, the bonsai tree unceremoniously unraveled itself and retreated back into the earth like a Kraken sinking down into the ocean deep.