Return of a Warrior
As promised, well maybe not promised, here is the sequel to Leaving without a Goodbye. I kinda had hard time writing this since my mind was still focused on two stories, Teen Times and Betraying Traitors. Anyways, on to the story!
A few years passed after Tigress gave birth to the Panger cub, Mei. Now Mei was training along with the Furious Five and was now like 12 years old or something.
In the training hall, Mei was busy in the gauntlet of wooden warriors when her mother came in.
"Mei, it's time for dinner." Tigress called out.
"Yes Mom, be there in a second." Mei said as she kicked one wooden warrior one last time before jumping out of the course.
Tigress led her to the barracks kitchen and they met the rest of the Five, all seating on their seats waiting for their food to be served.
"Hello Mei." Viper greeted when the Panger came in.
"Hello too Aunt Viper." Mei greeted back and took her seat next to her mother, where Po used to sit. Even after a few years, Mei wondered why her seat was a little broken and it felt like it could collapse at any minute, but she just doesn't ask anybody to repair it.
"So Mei, how's your day?" Crane asked.
"Oh it was fine Uncle Crane." Mei replied, then her seat creaked making her a little annoyed.
"Why is this seat too worn out?" Mei asked, "Did someone sit here a bunch of times?"
The Five just froze, Viper spoke up first.
"Oh, well, you see, that chair was already worn out and none of us sat there since it might collapse at any minute. I was also wondering why it is still now you ask about this." Viper said.
"Well, I didn't mind before." Mei simply said.
"So Mei, what are you going to do tomorrow? Shifu gave all of us a day off training." Mantis asked.
"I don't know, maybe meditate by the Peach Tree or just rest in my room." Mei replied.
"Oh, well, me and Monkey have to go since we have plans to do today." Mantis said as he finished his food along with Monkey and both of them went out.
After dinner, Mei went back to her room which was beside her mother's room. She always noticed a vacant room across from her mother's room and wondered why was she not allowed on sleep there.
She got to curious about the room that she peeked inside to see who owns it. When she looked in, she saw a bed that was oddly shaped since it curved down, and some empty bowls around.
'Who sleeps in this room?' Mei wondered, then suddenly a voice called her name.
"Mei?" The voice said.
Mei turned around and saw her mother standing on the doorway of her room.
"Oh hi mom, I was just uh..." Mei tried looking for an excuse.
"Peeking inside that room?" Tigress added it in for her. Mei sighed in defeat and nodded.
"I told you that you're not allowed to even peek in that room." Tigress started.
"Yeah I know, but why am I not allowed? And who slept in that room anyways?" Mei asked.
'Alright, Tigress, I think it's time of tell her.' Tigress thought. For the past years, Tigress nor the Five and Shifu never told Mei about Po. She thought that Mei couldn't handled what happen so she waited for the right time which was right now.
"Mei, I think it's time I told you something." Tigress said making Mei raise and eye brow.
"The one who use to sleep there was actually... your father." Tigress said trying her best to not shed a single tear.
"My father? I was kinda wondering who he was actually." Mei replied.
"Well, your father was actually the Dragon Warrior, and truth be told, he was a panda." Tigress said as she entered Po's room.
"So that explains the black patches on my fur." Mei said as she examined her fur.
"Before him and I used to date, we were both partners when it comes to fighting." Tigress said as he looked around her room, now a tear escaped from her eye. "But something tragic happened." She added.
Mei froze at this and looked at her mother, "Tragic? What happened?" Mei asked.
"Well, Master Shifu sent him on a task to collect some herbs on a village nearby, when he was going to get back here, he stumbled upon a couple of bandits trying out rob a pig. He fought off the bandits but soon the fight came out a bridge. A bandit cut off the ropes and sent the bridge falling to a mist below, along with you father." Tigress said, now tears ran down her cheeks.
"So my father's dead?" Mei said as she was in total shock. 'I had a father but he died before I knew?' Mei thought.
"Yes, and that was the time I was gonna tell him that I was carrying you." Tigress replied.
"Wait, so he died before I was born?" Mei asked. Tigress simply nodded back.
"Why didn't you tell me during the last few years?" Mei asked now on the verge of tears.
"I didn't think you can handle to know that your father died without you being born yet." Tigress replied.
"I can handle it! I'm a warrior!" Mei said.
"Yes, you may be a warrior, but if I told you before, you might even not be what you are now." Tigress said. "Come on, let's get to bed, we can talk about this tomorrow morning." Tigress said as she placed a paw on the Panger'same shoulder.
"Alright." Mei said as she went to her room, Tigress also went to her room and laid on the mat. She was weeping softly on her bed remembering about Po. Soon she fell asleep.
The next morning, the gong rang and the Five went out of their rooms to greet their Master. Mei was still sleeping her room.
"Good morning Master Shifu." The Five said in unison.
"Good morning to you all as well. Their won't be any training today since I gave everyone a day off training, you are all free to do as you wish." Shifu said as he went out to meditate. He was about to leave when Zeng came in.
"Master Shifu, can I tell you something?" Zeng asked.
"What is it Zeng? It better be important." Shifu asked. Then Zeng whispered into Shifu's ear that no one else can hear him.
"What's Zeng talking with Shifu?" Monkey asked Mantis who just shrugged.
After Zeng told Shifu the news, Shifu's eyes widened.
"It can't be..." Shifu stated then ran off out of the barracks. The Five watched him leave and soon followed him.
Shifu ran to the palace gates and saw a figure standing there, he was wearing a cook and a straw hat. He went nearer to the figure and stood before him. The Five followed and soon noticed the figure as well.
"Who are you?" Mantis spoke up.
"I see someone doesn't recognize a fellow friend." The figure said in a voice everyone was familiar of. The Five gasped when they thought of who could he be.
"I see you've come back panda." Shifu said with a smile.
"Hey, who wouldn't miss his home?" The figure said as he took off the hat. "Miss me?" He added.
"Po!" The Five tackled him to the ground making him chuckle.
"Where have you've been all his years?" Viper asked.
"Yeah, we thought you were dead." Mantis added.
"If you guys could get off me I could tell you." Po replied making the Five get up. Crane helped Po up.
"Good to see you again buddy." Crane said.
"So, Po, where have you've been all this years?" Shifu asked.
"Well, it starts when I fell down the cliff along with the bridge..." Po started.
Flashback...
Po was at the bottom of the cliff and was under some planks from the bridge. He groaned as he lifted the planks and got out of it. His body was full with cuts and bruises plus he had some broken bones. He was literally unconscious for a month when he saw the sun was high in the sky although he thought it was the day after the accident.
"Man, how did I even survive that fall?" Po said to himself as he sat up. He noticed that he was on top of something, he looked under him and saw the ox he fought. He quickly got off him and backed away.
"That explains how." Po said a he looked around him. He tried to get up but pain from his foot forced him back down. He groaned again as he he got up and tied his best to walk. He ignored the pain and limped across the bottom of the cliff.
A week passed and Po managed to survive and reach a bamboo forest. He stopped for some rest and food once in a while.
While he was walking, or better, limping. He came across an old farmhouse.
"Any...body...home!" Po yelled as he knocked on the door. He waited for a few minutes but then began to loose consciousness. He then fainted on the ground.
When he woke up, he found himself in a house. He looked around and saw an old goat by the fire place. Po groaned as he got up from the mat.
The goat noticed him and went near him.
"You should stay down, have some rest. You look beaten up already." The goat said.
"No, I have to get back to the Jade Palace!" Po said as he tried to get up again but the goat held him down.
"No, I insist you stay, you should rest ad let your wounds heal." The old goat.
Po looked at the goat and knowing he can't win the conversation, he nodded.
"Alright, I might stay for a couple of weeks." Po said.
"I don't think it would be a couple of weeks panda, but it might be months or even years given the current state you are in, your wounds would heal like in a month or so. You have deep cuts and several broken bones which means you need a lot of rest. And also, the herbs needed to help heal your wound would take me time to find." The goat said.
"You sure?" Po asked.
"Yes I'm sure, I was a doctor once but now I retired. Plus, it would take at least a month to get back to the Jade Palace since you have to climb up some mountains and cliffs." The goat said.
"Alright, and by the way, my name's Po." Po said.
"My name is Dao." The goat said.
"Nice meeting you here Dao, so now you're a farmer right?" Po asked.
"Yes I am, after retiring as a doctor, I became a farmer." Dao said. "Now get some rest, tomorrow, I'm gonna go out and find you some herbs to treat your wounds." He added. Po nodded and relaxed on the mat.
The next day, just as Dao promised, he went out to go find Po some herbs. He came back last that night with a couple of herbs.
"Here you go Po, I'm gonna use these herbs to heal you wounds. But these herbs aren't enough and I had a hard time finding these, and by tomorrow, I would go out to find more herbs." The goat said as he made the herbs into a paste while some into some drink.
A few weeks passed and the goat always went out to find the right herbs plus it took him long since he lives like in the middle of nowhere and it's hard to come by some herbs.
After a month or two, Po's small cuts were now fully healed, he only has some large deep cuts and some broken bones now.
After a few more months since the goat needs a lot of herbs or the large wounds, the only thing left to heal was the broken bones.
Po had some broken ribs and had a cracked spine plus his knee bone was broken into pieces. It took like a year and a quarter to heal his ribs and spine, another month for the knee bone.
It took a year and a half for Po to completely heal his wounds, but he still needs rest. After another month, Po bid goodbye to the old goat and then sets off to get back to the Jade Palace.
While he walked, he heard a scream behind him.
"Dao!" Po yelled as he went back to see what's going on. When he came back, he saw a bunch of crocodile bandits and saw Dao's house on fire.
The croc bandits saw Po and began to charge at him. Po managed to knock them out but he received a couple of blows to the chest, back and head. And what's worst was that the newly healed ribs were one the edge of breaking again. Po knocked out all of the crocs and tried to look for the old goat.
"Dao!" Po yelled. "Dao!" He yelled again.
"Po!" Po heard someone coughing. "In...the house!" The voice said.
"Dao? Dao!" Po said as he entered the burning building. "Dao?" Po asked.
"Here... Po." Dao said while coughing. Po saw the old goat under a wooden beam.
"Dao!" Po said as he went near and tried to lift up the beam. "Come on! Move!" Po said as he struggled to lift up the beam. Then he lifted up the beam making Dao crawl out.
"Thanks Po." Dao said as he coughed.
"No problem, now let's get out of here!" Po said as both of them ran to the door. The roof began to collapse and managed to hit Po.
"Po!" Dao said as he went near and helped the panda up.
"Dumplings spinning around..." Po said as he wobbled out, clearly dizzy.
"Come on Po!" Dao said pulling the panda.
By the time they got out, the entire house crumbled.
"That was close." Po said when he stopped the throbbing in his head.
"Yeah." Dao said, "Now where would I stay?" Dao asked.
"I think I can help you find a new home." Po stated, "Besides, I think I could head back to the Jade Palace after helping you."
"Thanks Po, you're too kind." The goat replied.
"Hey what are friends for?" Po replied.
Po and Dao set off to find a new home for Dao. They took a few months to find three villages yet no home was given for Dao. After another years of finding a home, Po went back to the Jade Palace (I mean seriously, who does this for eight or nine years?).
End of Flashback...
"And that's how I came back and I brought Dao with me since he had no home." Po said as he stepped aside and an old goat stood there.
"Greetings Masters." Dao greeted.
"Greetings too Dao, I heard you have no home, am I right?" Shifu asked. Dao nodded back.
"Well then Dao you are free to stay in the palace, in the meantime, we will try to find a home for you." Shifu said.
"Oh thank you master." Dao said as he bowed.
"And Po," Shifu started, "I want you to meet..."
"Hey who's the new guy?" A voice called out.
The group turned to see a Panger walking towards them.
"Who is she?" Po asked Master Shifu.
"Po this is Mei." Shifu said but Po spoke up interrupting him.
"Oh hi Mei, good to see you. So are you new here?" Po said.
"I lived here after I was born." Mei started, "So mom, who is he?" Mei said facing at Tigress.
Po froze at this, 'Mom? Tigress a mother? I must be dreaming. Tigress can't be a mother.' Po thought.
"Oh Mei, this is Po." Tigress replied. Mei's eyes widened and looked at the group then at Po and had the expression saying 'You're kidding, right?'.
"Uh...what's wrong?" Po asked Mei. Suddenly, Mei tackled him to the ground with a hug.
"Oh dad you returned!" Mei said as she hugged the panda.
"Wait what?!" Po said as Mei got off him.
"What? Who? Me? Dad?!" Po said. The Five and Shifu looked at Tigress who smiled sheepishly at them.
"Po, can I talk with you privately?" Tigress said.
"Uh, sure." Po said as he followed Tigress to the training hall.
"Mei, go have breakfast with the Five." Tigress said as he walked.
"Yes mom." Mei said.
At the training hall...
"So what the heck's going on here?!" Po started.
"Po..." Tigress tried to explain but Po interrupted.
"I mean, why did she call me dad and you mom?" Po said.
"Po!" Tigress yelled getting Po's attention, "You're Mei's father."
"I don't get it." Po said.
"She's our child." Tigress said.
"But how... You... When did you..." Po spoke up.
"I was suppose to tell you about the news on the day you went on the task Shifu gave you." Tigress said.
"Oh." Po said. Some silence fell between them.
"Po I really missed you." Tigress started as she hugged Po.
"I missed you too." Po replied as he hugged back. "And to make up for lost time, can this make up for it?" Po added as he kissed Tigress on the lips. Both of them kissed for a couple of minutes and finally they broke away.
"Oh yeah I have something to give Shifu, see ya Tigress." Po said as he gave another kiss this time on the cheek.
"See you Po." Tigress said as she watched the panda walk away.
With Po...
Po found Shifu meditating near the Peach Tree. Master Shifu's ear twitched when he heard the panda come near.
"What is it Po?" Shifu asked. Without an answer, a pouch fell beside Shifu. He looked at the pouch and at the panda then began to look in, inside were some herbs.
"You thought I would forget?" Po said as he walked away. Shifu smiled as he watched the panda walk away.
'You may not be the perfect warrior, panda, but you do a task no matter what.' Shifu thought, 'Well, if it involves cleaning, you won't.'
•~~•~~•THE END•~~•~~•
Done, and i know it's kinda... I... don't know, but it's a little exaggerated about how long Po took to get back to the valley. But hey, i didn't think thris through enough. Anyways, I'm busy with a lot of stories! And i love multitasking.
Later, FanFictioners