Out of all the New Legend's members, Toka was probably the most sadly affected by the fact that he had to leave his best friends. Sure, he was going to see his old master again and Po and Tigress were accompanying him, but he was still going to miss his beetle pal, Koji, his, hum...interest, Alena, his favorite snowy owl, Suya, and of course, the brainiac hedgehog, Neyo.
The three companions traveled through China for a full day as Master Yoshi's dojo was pretty close to the Valley of Peace. A familiar feeling got Toka as he remembered all the good time he and his friends had in this country, during the twelve past years.
"We're arrived!" Toka happily said as they reached the good old dojo where the New Legend trained together since the very start. In fact, they didn't left that place so long ago: barely a year.
"This is where you trained with all your friends?" Po asked in surprise.
"Yup, where we learned Kung Fu and became super strong warriors before joining the Jade Palace." Toka nodded before knocking at the dojo's entrance door.
Soon, a familiar bear opened the door and came out. Toka immediately recognized his nut-colored fur with white spots and his black nose. He was still dressed in his yellow robe and looked down at Toka with his turquoise and gentle eyes before smiling.
"By the seven gods, I though this day would never come." He said, clearly trying to contain his joy.
Toka simply bowed to him. "Greetings, Master. I'm very happy to see you again-" He didn't get to finish his sentence as his master got him into a big hug, unable to hold himself back anymore.
"I missed you so much, young Toka!" After almost choking his student to death, he broke the hug and turned his attention to his two comrades.
"Master, these are my friends, Master Tigress and the Dragon Warrior, Po."
"Yes, I know them. I'm not just an old bear who spend his time into his cavern you know." The master said before laughing of good heart. "But it is still an honnor to meet you, masters." He said and exchanged bows with them.
"I suppose Master Shifu warned you of our arrival?" Tigress said.
"Indeed, my friend. He said I needed to train you all in view of an upcoming threat coming from the Spirit Realm."
"Yes: they are called the Spirit Realm Army and they are some of the most powerful guys ever known." Toka nodded before looking down. "We got the chance to face them, back at the Power Struggle Tournament, and we all got our butt kicked without even having the chance to damage them."
Master Yoshi putted his paw on his student's shoulder. "Do not put some much weight on yourself because you became the Phoenix Warrior, my friend. No matter how good you are, there's always room to become better. Now how about we go inside so you can tell me exactly all the things that happened to you and your friends since the last time I saw you."
Master Yoshi made everyone get inside the dojo, which didn't changed at all, much to Toka's joy, and lead them to his chamber where he made tea for everyone before they sat down to talk. Toka told his master everything that happened since they left the dojo: their first training fight against the Furious Five, their fight against Plokho at the Elemental Five's village, how they learned to control the Chi, Neyo's encounter with Xhi Zhen, their participation in both Power Struggle Tournaments, their training with the Tao Gao in the other world, and how they left to get stronger in view of the fight against the Spirit Realm Army.
"By the seven gods," Yoshi said with rubbing the top of his large head. "you kids did so much in less than a year. And me who though I did a lot for you in twelve years."
"Come on, Master, you taught us Kung Fu, that's not nothing." Toka assured. "So, hum, not that I hate reunions, but shouldn't we start our training soon?"
Master Yoshi nodded and got up. "Indeed, Toka. I will ask you and your friends to follow me, if you want." The old bear led them to a secret room located underneath the dojo which seemed like an endless space (think the time and space room of Dragon Ball Z).
"Woah! What's this place?!" Po asked, looking as amazed as his two friends.
"This is the Unlimited Space Room." Toka answered. "This place have unlimited space so that we can train as much as we want and, since it's located underneath the dojo, we can train without getting disturbed. I had the chance to use it a few times."
"Coooool!" Po said with excitation. "So, what training are we gonna do?"
Soon afterward, Toka and Po found themselves doing probably the one and only training they really hated: sitting down and focusing. The Dragon and Phoenix Warrior preferred when training was about doing something physically. Not just sitting down and doing nothing. Master Yoshi affirmed that concentration was one of the best weapons to unlock many of their hidden abilities.
Strangely, he took Master Tigress away instead of letting her participate to the training - not that she needed to train her concentration, but still. "Why am I not participating to the training, Master?" She asked.
"Because I'm gonna need you to accomplish a side quest given to me by Master Oogway from the Spirit Realm." The bear answered and showed a scroll exactly like Toka and his friends received before leaving. He unrolled it and Tigress started reading her old master's message before suddenly widening her eyes in shock.
"Impossible..."
Master Yoshi nodded before turning the scroll and reveal a strange circle drawing around which there also were drawings of a dragon, a phoenix, a leviathan, a pixiu, a denglong, and a longma.
"There are not one, ot two, but SIX warriors destined to defend China..."
Huge twist! Six warriors to defend China!
For those of you who don't know, pixiu, denglong, and longma are Chinese mythological creatures. Pixiu are a type of ancient mythological, guardian animal species that have feathered wings, a head like a dragon and a body like a lion (sometimes described as a body like a horse). The Denglong has ten characteristics that resembles animals: horns like a deer, head like a camel, ears like a cat, eyes like a shrimp, mouth like a donkey, hair like a lion, neck like a snake, belly like a Shen, scales like a koi, front paws like an eagle, and rear paws like a tiger. And the longma is a fabled winged horse with dragon scales in Chinese mythology. Seeing a longma was an omen of a legendary sage-ruler, particularly one of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors.
So, which member of the New Legend do you think have the most interesting story so far?
