Ohayho Tokyo! Konnichi wa New York! Konban wa London! The name's CJzilla and I come here today to bring you something ! I saw Kung Fu Panda less than twelve hours ago and this is what formed in the dark side of my brain.
What if Master Oogway trained another as Master Shifu was training Tai Lung? Over twenty years later the wayward student reappeares. At finding Master Shifu in Oogway's place, she is outraged. She travels to Chroh-Gom Prison and sets Tai Lung free once more. The Valley of Peace will never be the same again.
As I tear down this city, alls CJzilla has to roar is this: R&R! Fluff on me, hate on me... I don't care.
Disclaimer: CJzilla owns nothing of Dream Works'. I do own your reviews and your sanity
Family Affair
The Valley of Peace was slowly returning to normal from the dramatic events that had taken place a little less than two weeks ago.
First, the Dragon Warrior had been found. The supremely skilled martial artist expected to be chosen for this honor wasn't really a martial artist or skilled supremely in any way. The person chosen was an uncoordinated, chubby mess of a panda, named Po. As the shock of the new (and under-qualified) Dragon Warrior rippled through the Valley, another show-stopper gripped the land. The vengeful menace Tai Lung, had escaped from the impenetrable Chorh-Gom Prison. When problems were at their worst another blow hit. Master Oogway, greatest of the Jade Mountain's Masters had passed away.
But in the bleakest hour, Po rose to the occasion and Tai Lung was defeated in a most astonishing way. This victory over the formidable villain sealed Po's name in the Hall of Heroes as the Dragon Warrior.
Despite Po's skill and Dragon Warrior title the overweight panda still had much to learn, which explained why he was balancing a cookie on his nose in the middle of the Jade Palace. The panda's expressive green eyes were crossed, intently focused on the fortune cookie perched seductively on his short nose. The challenge of this exercise was to cultivate self restraint and focus. Po was failing at both of those things which granted him a painful slap on the back of the knee with a long bamboo rod.
"Po! No!" Master Shifu scolded. "Your eyes are to remain closed throughout this task."
Po groaned, the smell of the fortune cookie making his mouth water.
"But Master Shifu!" The panda whined, bouncing up and down. "I'm so hungry! And this cookie looks so good!"
Another punishing slap of the bamboo rod.
"Don't focus on the cookie!" The Red Panda Kung Fu Master returned. "The cookie serves as a distraction. You must look beyond your nose and grip far grander things-"
But his philosophical lesson was cut off by a loud crunching noise and Po stuffing his face with the cookie. Shifu rolled his eyes and face-palmed.
"Hey," the panda remarked.
Master Shifu opened his eyes to see a tiny, drool-covered tidbit of the training cookie held out to him.
"-oo want f-ome?" Po questioned through the cookie in his mouth, making his cheeks bulge.
The wise Kung Fu Master pursed his lips and looked Po in the eye. Without saying a word Shifu swatted the portion of cookie out of the panda's hand and gave him an equally quick whack with his bamboo staff. Po yelped in pain at his smarting wrist and danced in a circle.
"Po, you have to focus," Shifu disciplined. "Being the Dragon Warrior means nothing if you cannot focus on things beyond your own nose!"
Po groaned as he shook the sting from his wrist.
"Well sorr-E if I have a short attention span," the panda stuck his nose in the air, folding his arms. "Maybe you should have chosen a less distracting training implement. Like a… a… a pebble! Yeah, a pebble. That way I won't be tempted to eat it."
Shifu outstretched his staff and gave Po a strong stroke across the ankles. The panda fell like an old table leg. Po barely had time to process the pain when his Kung Fu Master hopped on his big belly and pointed the tip of his staff between his eyes.
"Distractions come in all different sizes," Shifu voiced. "Like pebbles some may be easy to ignore, but others like your cookie, will be much harder to avoid. You must learn to dismiss disruption and you can't do that without learning focus first!"
Po made a face.
"Well, I rock the simple life, you know, being the Dragon Warrior and all," the panda took the tip of Shifu's staff off of his forehead. "I haven't met a distraction that I haven't conquered."
Shifu gave his student an unimpressed stare before he looked up.
"Hey look! There's Tigress!" The martial art master pointed.
Po was immediately on his feet.
"Where?!" He cried, nearly crushing Shifu under his foot.
When he didn't see his favorite member of the Furious Five, Po sunk.
"You see Po?" Shifu voiced from the ground. "Life's full of distractions. I just used your fascination with Tigress against you. And so will your enemy if you allow it."
With that the Red Panda Kung Fu Master began limping toward the Hall of Heroes.
"Yeah, well," Po followed his master, "I'll never look a cookie the same way again, thanks to you. And hey? Can I-… can I take a snack break? I'm gonna die!"
Shifu chuckled and flicked his wrist, dismissing his student. Po gleefully ran off, thinking about what he could eat.
Master Shifu found himself sitting next to the calming water of the Hall of Heroes. Standing in Oogway's place was far less stressful than he once thought. When the Red Panda was under the wisest Kung Fu Master of all time, Shifu felt like his nose was always stuck to the grindstone. But now that he was at peace with himself, just as he promised to Oogway, he felt relaxed and rejuvenated.
He felt as if the world could throw any curveball it wanted, because he'd be able to rise above it!
Then Shifu heard the door creak open.
"Excuse me Master Shifu," it was Zeng, the Jade Mountain's messenger goose.
The Red Panda opened his blue eyes.
"Yes?" He motioned for the goose to come closer. "Do you have something for me?"
Zeng chuckled nervously, twiddling his "fingers".
"Not a something per say," the goose returned. "There is someone lingering in the training yard, asking to see you."
Shifu made a puzzled face.
"Well, who let this person in?" He asked, confused.
Zeng gave a frightened chuckle.
"That's the thing, sir," the goose grinned sheepishly, "no one did."
Shifu's eyes widened slightly.
"Throw the intruder out," the Red Panda grew angry, his tail flicking back and forth impatiently. "If this person would rather sneak in than use the front door, they are not worthy to see me!"
Just then the doors simultaneously opened. Outside light distorted the outline of a person was cast through the dark hall. Standing there for a long second, Shifu was about to reprimand the intruder.
"Not even for an old friend?" A calm and velvety smooth woman's voice cut through the silence.
Shifu recognized the husky, seductive voice and it took him a mere second to place it, though he couldn't believe it. The figure chuckled and moved deeper into the Hall of Heroes. By the dim candle light, Shifu then saw her face.
Before him was a silvery vulpine female as old as Tai Lung, with an easy smile and yellow eyes that shot right through him and caressed his soul.
"Long time no see, Master Shifu," the vixen smiled. "And for the record, I did use the front door."
The Red Panda Master found himself to be staring. He shook off his disbelief.
"Layla?!" The Martial Arts Master gasped as he got to his feet. "Little Layla? Is that you?"
The vixen gave a silent chuckle.
"Yes, Master Shifu," she knelt to her knees and bowed. "But as you can see, I'm not so little anymore."
No indeed. Oogway's last pupil had grown into her ears and developed curves in all the right places.
"Good to see you again, Layla," was all Shifu could say before he looked at the goose. "Zeng that will be all."
Zeng bowed and ran out the door, shutting it behind him. The gray fox looked up and grinned.
"It's good to be back at Jade Mountain once again," Layla voiced, and then her face fell into a serious expression. "I came as soon as I heard the rumors. Tell me, Master Shifu… Is...? Has-? Has Master Oogway's path on this earth drawn to a close?"
Shifu's face fell, a stab of morning in his chest when he thought of his closest friend. Dropping his eyes to the floor, the Red Panda sighed.
"Yes," he answered. "I'm sorry Layla."
A quiet but sharp gasp could be heard from the vixen followed by an enormous silence. Shifu couldn't bring his head up for fear the tears brimming his eye lids would escape.
"Master Oogway's death is… bitter, Master Shifu," Layla then said, her voice cracking with a suppressed sob. "I know how close you two were. I'm sorry for your… l-loss."
Shifu looked up at Oogway's wayward student.
"And I understand how hard this must be for you, Layla," the Red Panda voiced. "You were his last and closest pupil."
The silvery vulpine had her eyes closed.
"I am pleased he finished his earthy course," Layla spoke softly. "B-but… but he… left… too soon."
Shifu disagreed. Oogway himself said that his time had come. The old turtle had spent many lifetimes learning the secrets to balance and the universe. And after discovering those secrets, he trained two students after him; Shifu and the much younger Layla.
"He was… very old," the Kung Fu Master returned. "It was-"
Layla snapped her eyes to his. Shifu once again saw the anger that drove her away from the Jade Temple over twenty years ago.
"No," she cut him off. "He left too soon. I'll never get to show him my new skills and my self improvement. I'll never be able to... apologize."
R&R! LONG LIVE ROCK!