Ten Acts Of Kindness, A Techo Story: Part Nine

Today was the Mystery Island Training School’s annual tournament, and the school was buzzing with activity. Posters and sign-up sheets littered the walls, and everyone was either stretching their muscles to keep them limber, swinging their weapons through the air, or quietly meditating on their mats. Everyone was busy preparing for the tournament the best way they saw fit, and the air was electric with excitement and thrill.

     The tournament was an open invitation for Neopets from all over Neopia to challenge the students of the Training School. Folks from all over the land were dusting off their old weapons, polishing their shields, and exercising in preparation for the event. One of the highlights of the tournament was the competition between the Mystery Island team of fighters and their lifelong rivals, the Swashbuckling Academy team. The rivalry between the two schools was as old as time itself, and everyone always looked forward to watching the competition.

     There was only one problem. The Swashbuckling Academy team was much wealthier than the Mystery Island team, showing up in matching uniforms and toting an amazing array of matching weapons. The Mystery Island team, armed with a confusing mix of different weapons with different abilities, didn’t have a cohesive plan of action and often had a difficult time battling each other during practice bouts, as one Neopet always outclassed the other in weapons and weapon abilities. So they were always justifiably nervous as the day of the big tournament arrived, for they only had a few truly spectacular weapons to pass between them.

     The Techo Master thought about this dilemma as he meditated alone in his room. Although he was a big proponent of hand-to-hand combat, he often felt sad over the lack of matching weapons for the Training School to train and compete with. He would do anything for his students, but the day of the tournament was today, far too late to scrape together the funds for a set of matching weapons. He sighed and closed his eyes.

     Later, he strolled into the Training School gym, where the tournament was to be held. The floor was covered in thick blue mats, ready to cushion the fall of any Neopet who fell in ignominious defeat. The tables along the edges of the room were stocked with fluffy red and gold towels, the official colors of the Mystery Island Training School. Next to the towels stood tall, glistening bottles of sports drinks and massive plates brimming with snacks and refreshments. The Training School might not have much money, the Techo thought with satisfaction, but it certainly knew how to host an event.

     The Techo Master glanced at the table set up for the Swashbuckling Academy team. Still empty; the team hadn’t arrived yet. Then he glanced at the table set up for the Mystery Island team. And gasped.

     Lying there on a white damask tablecloth were ten Brilliant Blades of Brightvale, their golden blades sparkling and flashing underneath the artificial gym lighting. The white porcelain on their hilts shone with a lustrous gloss, and the green enamel on their handles radiated with the purest of emerald light. “What on earth? Where did these come from?” choked the overwhelmed Techo. He heard stifled laughter behind him, and spun around.

     A crowd of Neopets had gathered behind him, the parents of the Mystery Island Training School students. They broke into applause, and each of them hugged the bewildered Techo in turn.

     “We knew you were short on weapons, so we banded together to buy you ten of the finest blades ever to enter the school,” said one merry Usul. “We each have a story to tell, and we each have thanks to give for the excellent work you’ve done training our sons and daughters at this school of yours.”

     An Uni stepped forth. “My daughter was once a vain Neopet who thought of nothing but her clothing, her accessories, and her many suitors. She would spend all day in front of her mirror, languishing about the pretty new fashions she could never afford and the accessories she longed to have. But after she started coming to the Mystery Island Training School, her priorities seemed to change. She seemed to grow taller in her own right, and began to forget the silly fripperies of her past. She trained hard, worked diligently for every level, and became a mature and thoroughly grown-up Uni. I have you to thank for her newfound confidence and self-worth. Thank you, Techo Master!”

     A Buzz floated forth. “My daughter was painted Zombie, a color that she heartily disliked, and her self-esteem suffered as a result. She would spend all day pining about her old self in her room, and barely came out to speak to anyone or take part in the daily activities she used to love. But ever since she started coming to the Training School, she began to learn that what was in her heart was more important than what was on the outside. She studied every night, practiced her physical exercises whenever she had the time, and now she is a great warrior who loves herself for the person she is inside. Thank you, Techo Master!”

     A Yurble stepped forth. “My son was inexperienced in the ways of combat, and I feared for his safety in the Battledome. He had always been timid as a child, and his timidity seemed to grow even greater as he grew up. His mother and I feared that he would never overcome his old fears and insecurities, and began to despair of his ever growing strong enough to rank equally with his peers. But when he started coming to the Mystery Island Training School, his independence and self-assurance seemed to grow. He spent more and more time doing the things he was afraid of, and he learned that taking the first step was always the hardest but the most rewarding. Thank you, Techo Master!”

     An Eyrie stepped forth. “My daughter loved to fly. She would spend all her days soaring through the clouds, looking down on the lands below and sweeping the air with her magnificent wingspan. But the day came when her owner saved up enough money to buy a Baby Paint Brush, and my daughter was transformed into a tiny Baby Eyrie. She barely had the energy to reach the clouds, and she sorely missed the epic treks she used to make across unknown lands. But when she started coming to the Training School, she learned that her small stature could be an asset rather than a drawback, and that few opponents expected cleverness and skill from a Baby of her size. She learned that her heart was large even though her wings were tiny. Thank you, Techo Master!”

     And so, one at a time, the parents stepped forth and thanked the Techo Master for his act of kindness in having taught the students not only how to fight, but also how to see inside their own hearts and to celebrate the worthy souls they found inside. The parents thanked the Techo Master for showing their children his infinite kindness and understanding, and for training the Neopets to be not only great warriors of the Battledome, but also conquerors of their own fears and insecurities.

     “Knowing that the school was always underfunded, we put together a collection plate for the weapons that might be most useful to you during the tournament,” said a smiling Ogrin. “All the parents contributed what they could, and we searched for the most beautiful weapons we could find. They’ll be useful to you even after the tournament is over, for they’re sturdy as well as beautiful, and we hope our investment was wise.”

     “Thank you, kind and generous people, for your wonderful act of faith!” exclaimed the Techo Master. “This will be the first year where the entire Mystery Island team will have matching weapons! I have no words -- just know that I am eternally grateful to you all!”

     And without further ado, the tournament began.

     Whether the Mystery Island team won or lost does not matter. What really mattered that day was the atmosphere of charity and benevolence that permeated the air, and the pride of the parents who watched their children compete in the annual tournament. What really mattered was the graciousness with which thanks were given and received that day, and the mutual love and respect that was exchanged between the parents of the students and the humble Techo Master. For thanks is the richest reward for any teacher or instructor, my dear readers, and this the Techo Master enjoyed in great supply.

     Some weeks later, after the excitement of the tournament had dissipated, the ten Brilliant Blades of Brightvale were collected and stored in a corner of the gym, where anyone who wished to use them could do so freely. Few wished to handle such beautiful blades, however, fearing to damage them. And so they collected dust, standing upright and forgotten in their corner, until one day, someone noticed that one was missing...

To be continued...