Hey everyone! Hope you've enjoyed this little series that I've done. I know that you guys have waited and waited for it all to lead up to this, so I won't delay you from reading the chapter. Warning, there will be sadness in here. Lots of it. Very tragic and suspenseful story, with humor spread out through it. Without further ado, here's the first chapter…
*With Kiro, Po, and Crane, in the village jewelry shop, four years later*
"Dude, aren't you taking this a bit fast? I mean, you've only dated Mei Ling for three and a half years!" Crane exclaimed.
"Well, aren't YOU, Crane? After all, it has been like seven years since you've started dating Viper." Kiro replied. "Besides, as much as we love to hang around each other, I think she'll agree."
"Hey, it's been SIX years, thank you very much. Besides, that's plenty of time to get to know each other. You don't know a thing about relationships and how long one should wait. After all, it is my call to make." The avian responded.
"Whatever. Well, panda, there're two ways Ti will react when she finds out. She'll either hug you so hard your ribs will be turned into dust, or she'll kick you so hard that you'll fly down the palace stairs and leave a crater in the ground." The tiger stated.
"I honestly hope that it's neither. I like my ribs the way they are and being mega-kicked off of the palace mountain doesn't sound like fun. However, I think she'll agree to it." The Dragon Warrior said.
"Nice!" Crane replied.
They were all quiet for a little while as they roamed around the store a little. The jewelry shop was small, however it contained many nice and valuable materials for sale. A consequence for this, however, was that it was always being robbed. The owner was a very kind, small, old lady bunny who was nice enough to give each of the heroes a 50% discount on everything in the store.
"So, who's nervous?" Kiro broke in.
Crane and Po raised their arms in the air as well as Kiro.
"Well, I guess that's normal. I mean, there's something wrong with us if we aren't." The tiger added.
"Yeah, the idea of proposing is frightening. You never know what they'll say." Crane responded.
"What if they say 'no'?"
"What if they don't want to tie the knot?"
"What if they don't feel like settling down?"
The three heroes sighed nervously.
"We're the greatest kung-fu masters in all of China, and we're afraid of something like this?" Po asked.
"Yup."
"Sure are."
The panda sighed again. "Well, let's pick out a nice ring and head back up to the palace."
After a little while of searching and choosing, Po picked out a gold and silver band with a yin and yang symbol on it, Kiro picked out a gold ring with different symbols of love and togetherness engraved in it, and Crane picked one that was silver with Jade laced throughout it.
They purchased the rings and were heading out of the shop when they spotted their girlfriends walking through the village.
"Po?" Tigress called.
"Kiro, where are you?" Mei Ling said.
"Crane? Where could they be?" Viper asked.
The three guys slammed back against the wall in terror.
"Their gonna find out if we don't hide these!" Crane hissed.
Kiro and Po shoved their rings into their pockets and Crane put his in his hat.
"Okay, so the rings are hidden, but we're gonna look very suspicious if we come out of a WEDDING RING store!" Po whispered.
The girls were getting closer to the shop where the heroes were hiding.
"I've got an idea! Stealth mode…" The panda said quietly.
"Po! You know how that worked out in Gongmen City! Don't!" Crane hissed.
"Hey, what other choice do we have?" Kiro whispered.
Crane sighed and then nodded. The boys went out the back door of the shop and tiptoed behind the girls quietly. Someone was about to shout out to the Dragon Warrior, but Po quickly silenced them by making a cut-throat motion. The villager nodded and went on with what he was doing. They reached Mr. Ping's noodle shop and entered through the kitchen back door.
The goose turned in surprise, but was relieved when he saw his son with his two friends creep in.
"Dad, we need you to pretend like we were here all along." Po explained. "Ya see, we were buying engagement rings for the girls, but they showed up, so we had to slip away!"
"Oh, Po! I'm so happy for you! My son is popping the question!" Mr. Ping exclaimed as he hugged his son.
Just then, the girls from the palace walked in.
"Hey, we thought we might find you guys here!" Mei Ling said.
"Yeah, what're you guys doing here anyway? It's past the lunch rush. Why does Mr. Ping look so excited?" Tigress questioned.
Po opened his mouth to say something, but Kiro stepped in and cut him off. "What? You've never seen a father excited to see his kid?"
"True, but that still doesn't explain why you're here." Viper replied.
"Well, you know Po. He's always getting hungry!" The white tiger lied.
"He just had lunch an hour ago! He said he was full until dinner! Why're you really here?" Tigress snarled.
"Heh heh, don't get mad! Honey, you wouldn't want her to damage your guy, would you?" Kiro asked with a nervous smile, looking at Mei Ling.
"Answer her question, Kiro." She responded.
The tiger's knees began to shake and his feline ears sank down in fear. Just when he was about to give, Crane stepped in.
"Uh, Po just made his first batch of noodles." The bird replied.
The panda face palmed back in the kitchen at his friend's remark.
"He always makes noodles, though. Why is this a big deal?" Viper asked, narrowing her eyes.
"Well, uh, ya see, Po always needs his notes on how to make his super tasty recipe, and this is the first time he's done it without the notes! He's memorized the recipe now!" Crane explained. He was starting to sweat.
The two female cats folded their arms and Viper continued to have her eyes narrowed.
"Yay…" The avian added nervously, waving his wings around lightly.
"Well, congratulations Po!" Mei Ling exclaimed, cheering up.
"You had me fooled all this time. Well, you can be sure that this is the first and will be the last time you keep something from me." Tigress stated, walking over to Po and poking him in the chest.
Just then, the gong up at the Jade Palace sounded, and the heores heads all shot over in the direction of the sound.
"That's the emergency gong." Viper stated.
"Come on, let's go!" Mei Ling added.
The six heroes ran across the valley and started up the steps.
"Nice save back there, Crane. Where did you learn to lie like that?" Po asked.
"I hang around you guys too much." He muttered.
Everyone heard a rumbling from behind them and scrambled out of the way as Kiro shot up the steps in his rocket cart.
"WHOOOOOOO! YEAH! THIS NEVER GET'S OLD!" He shouted. Kiro looked on and saw that he was rapidly approaching Mei Ling. "GET IN, GORGEOUS!"
Kiro leaned over and grabbed the lioness' arm and pulled her in.
"What about the others?" She asked.
"Ah, you gotta be my girlfriend to get a ride on the Kiro Cart!" He replied.
*With Po*
Once everyone had reached the palace, they ran inside to see what was wrong. Monkey stood in the main hall waiting for them.
"Monkey, what is it? What's wrong?" Po huffed as he stumbled in.
Geez, ya think that after so many times, one would get used to climbing those stairs. But nooooooo.
"It's Master Shifu. He says…He says that he wants to meet with us." The terrified chimp stated.
"Where?" Tigress demanded.
"By the peach tree! Mantis is already there!" Monkey explained.
The group rushed over by the peach tree and found Master Shifu standing by the tree, holding Oogway's repaired wooden staff. A light breeze sifted through the air and the smell of flowers and fruit danced on each hero's nose.
"Master, what's wrong?" Viper asked worriedly.
"Nothing is wrong, my students. However, something important is about to happen." The old panda responded.
"Huh? Master, what do you mean?" A confused Kiro asked.
"What I mean, Kiro, is that my time has come. I'm afraid that I can't be with you all anymore to accompany you on your journeys. I'm too old, and it's time for me to join my master." Shifu explained.
"Master, that's nonsense! You can stay here! You don't have to go!" Mantis cut in.
"Mantis, one must know when they must stay and when they must go. Now is my time to go." The master replied.
"But, who's going to be the new master?" Viper asked.
"The Dragon Warrior." Master Shifu stated, turning to Po. "Panda, even though I've been hard on you ever since you've gotten here, you were always like a son to me. You were better than Tai Lung, Lord Shen, and I even believe that you're better than me, now. Continue your training, Po. I want you to read and master the rest of the scrolls of kung-fu. Start on number seventy-two immediately. Here, take this." The red panda explained, then held out Oogway's staff and placed it in the panda's hands.
Po was shaking and tears were streaming down his face. The others were taught to contain their emotions as best they could, but they were all crying as well, except for Tigress and Kiro. They stood in shock at what Shifu had just said.
"I've been proud to accompany all of you and teach you what I know. I'm happy to have been your master." Shifu said, smiling a little as he turned back to his grieving students. "I'll accompany all of you from afar in your journey. Be warned, though, your final challenge will be here soon. Do NOT take to it with light hearts, or China will fall."
"M-master, I—"
Tigress was cut off when Shifu raised his hand for silence.
"I'm proud to have had you as my daughter, Tigress. Do not forget that. Po, I know that you'll make an excellent master. Take care of my Tigress" The red panda stated, then winked at the panda.
He knows about the rings...
Shifu walked towards the edge of the grassy cliff and lilies began to circle around him and lift him into the air.
"A hero crushed and another's wings clipped is only the beginning of your trip. Tiger versus tiger and friend against friend, but love versus love is how it will end." Shifu stated before being completely consumed by the flowers, and when they separated, he was gone.
Kiro, who was standing in the back of the group, blacked out and collapsed on the ground.
Their master, who had brought them together, taught them all that they knew, and raised them as great warriors, was gone forever.
They were on their own from now on.
No guidance.
No teachings.
No advice.
No Shifu.
That's the end of this chapter. Happy, then sad, I know. Anyway, leave a review of what you thought of the chapter and where you think this story is going!
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I'll write the next chapter here and post it in a few days.
More to come…