Disclaimer: I don't own Kung Fu Panda, and that's it.
This is a story that pops into my head at night. Well, its a first try to mess around with the plot. Especially the way it is being told.
*
His head ached painfully, lying on the wooden floor as he woke up from no connection. His vision was blurred, seeing everything stained in light yellow. Po rubbed his eyes to make sure no dirt was there. Then again, it didn't change a thing.
Bending his head around he saw a knife placed beside him, stained with red; soon registered it as blood. He was lying on the kitchen floor, no doubt. The ground extended itself far beyond the room, with all those table and chairs towering beside him.
What happened? Po checked himself. No, he was fine, yet the image of him accidentally stabbing himself was there.
The kitchen was covered in complete twilight, a scene which often seen at sunset. Some of the cupboard mirrors reflected the yellow lights, but half of the room was still covered in darkness.
The panda slowly got on his feet, picking the knife as he did. He took a short scan on it, before washing the red liquid off with pipe water. The item was dried and put back to the shelf. Done, no one got hurt. Not him at least, probably just tomato or chili sauce. The moment he entered the corridor, Po nearly bumped into Shifu, the old master.
"Oh jeeezzz sorry." Po jumped out of his way. "I didn't see you coming, Shifu."
"I think I will take a walk in the mountain trail," Shifu mumbled in a low tone. "At least something to help clear the thoughts."
"Ahh… okay."
The red panda continued to move along the corridor, hands behind his back, mumbling something to himself endlessly until he was out of the view.
Suddenly, he remembered something and chased after his master. "Wait! Master Shifu, you haven't state your order for tonight's dinner yet!"
Po lost him at a corner. "Wow, that's fast."
*
Po exits the building, and found himself engulfed by blinding sun light. Far across the horizon, the sun was there, blazing brightly above the line separating the sky and land. Everything was in deep yellow. It's like he was looking at an aged brown paper, but more real and touchable instead. He stared at the ground as he move along the marbled path, couldn't stop worrying about possible eye problems. Maybe if he surfaced it to Shifu, he might get the right answer, or probably treatment.
The training hall's door was open, and he saw Tigress training by herself - with the Seven Swinging Clubs of Instant Oblivion again. Apparently, the feline didn't notice him, but that's okay, he got nothing to say to her.
The sun is starting to set, and soon darkness will fall. Po hastened his paces as he walked down the thousands steps, hoping that he still manage to get some ingredients for dinner.
*
He reached his destination soon, standing in the middle of the market alley. Sadly, the store wasn't open, along with the others stores he checked. Was it Labor Day? No way, but there doesn't seem to be any store opening now. Nevertheless, he could just make a good old soup noodle again; having all the food packed for months to come.
"Hello, Dragon Warrior!"
He turned around, only to see a bunny kid running by. To his devastation, she was referring to the fake Dragon Warrior.
Another boy came passed him, posing some of Po's awesome acts before running off. Ever since he became the dragon warrior, some kids started naming themselves too. It was disturbing, but then again, believing in yourself was one of the point of being a Dragon Warrior.
Until he finally snapped out of his day dreaming, he called the bunny girl, "Hey, is there any store open-"
How silly was he to find himself talking alone, when the kids were no longer there? In fact, he was alone in the whole market alley.
The sun was now halved across the horizon - a signal for everyone to start shutting themselves up. Street torches had lit without his notice, lighting up the roads that were carved by hundreds of houses. His cooking time had passed, and he needs to get back, pronto. So he ran, past the alley, past the market place and through the housing.
It was then to his surprise when an old folk suddenly came out from a corner. Po couldn't stop himself from ramming into him.
"Oops, I am so …… Huh!?"
His was stunned when he realized he just ran through the old man. No, not over or tumbling on him, but completely through him. Despite this completely bizarre accident, the old man continued to walk as if nothing happened. Still numbed, Po watches the old folk walked himself slowly to the distance. It came to him when he realized that person's image was blurring, until the point he was completely mixed into the air.
"What the heck?!" Po couldn't stop himself yelping for that.
Probably just some magic trick an old master would have, yet it still flooded his mind as he rarely seen this. He couldn't do anything, except hurried back into the palace.
*
When Po was a few steps from the kitchen, he was a bit surprised to find the furious five coming out of the room.
"Guys, sorry for the dinner. I will make it quick!" Po apologized hastily. But they seem to ignore him.
"Nice cooking," praised Mantis. "But I think it needed some more salt on the meat."
"Huh?" Po muttered. They had dinner without him?! Who did the cooking?!
The five obviously don't pay much attention to him, they only walked pass him.
"Okay guys, I know I passed my cooking period, but I am sorry!" Po apologized desperately, feeling awfully guilty for skipping his cooking duty. It hits him like a brick.
"If only Po volunteered to cook today it wouldn't had been me," said Viper in a low tone.
"Yeah, so why won't he?" The gang laughed as they continued to ignore Po.
"Guys, come on!" called him again, but they didn't respond. He chased after them to the entrance, hoping to get their attention. Yet, puzzled he was, when their figures started to blur out, and vanished before he could touch them.
Po stood there, obviously freaked out. He stupidly looked up and down to search for the tricks. No, not a clue he could think of, nothing at all; it was exactly the same he seen for the old man.
"Po," called Shifu from behind. "Don't forget to lock the kitchen door."
"Master, do you see that!?" Po turned back to look at Shifu, but no one was there.
Okay, that was something.
"You have the key with you right?" came the master's voice again behind him. This time, Po instantly turned his head, but only to see the red panda vanished in front of him.
*
Po was sitting alone at the Jade Palace's entrance, wondering his night time off as he tried to clear his thought. He didn't eat since he just lost his appetite; feeling nothing more than a man who seemed to meet his doom. Everyone vanished, what else could he do?
Most important thing was… What happened next?
Everything else was a little dull and yellow, and he was sick of seeing them. He could see the housing lit up dully below the mountain. The moon has a darker yellow than usual, and the front yard marbles was yellow instead of grey. The sky and land was darker than usual, and he thought he started seeing ghosts at the dark corners.
"Something is definitely not right over here," mumbled him as he sunk his jaw under his crossed arms. Maybe he will go home, and take a nice little break. Hopefully it will wear off by tomorrow.
That might help. He thought to himself.
Suddenly, the air turned cold and freezing. He felt himself chilling almost instantly by it. Okay, maybe it's just his imagination. But if his senses were not playing tricks on him, there was someone right behind him, or something.
The wooden floor's cracking sound marked its exact location for him. He didn't turned, but he could feel the presence of it, very, very close. It was moving in a slow pace, passing him. Obviously the thing doesn't plan to disturb him, but he shouldn't take his chances. He was panic, but managed to stay quiet. His spine was frozen, his muscle was intensely stressed.
Then it came, weak and dreadful, the sounds of a mere whisper.
"Stars… brilliant they were."
His hairs stood up. Carefully not to make a huge movement, he peaked through his shoulder.
White… as in white long gown… hair… nope… it was…. It was…
"Tigress?" said Po, and the she stopped her track. To say the least, the feline's figure was a bit blur under the moonlight. "What are you doing in that thing?"
*
In his room, cramped by pots and bowls, Po was shivering under his blanket. He trembled as he cornered himself beside his bed. The air around gripped him like solid rock. The midnight whispers haunted his hearing. He was too scared to move, too scared to sleep. He couldn't clear his thought for what he had seen. The image had eaten his brain. His emotion was lost. In fact, he completely lost himself.
He remembered running his way down to the valley, screaming. Everything around him seemed to be watching him, amused by his panic. Heads popping out from random corners as he ran along the Valley of Peace, laughing in a way that he had to shut his ears to stop hearing them.
There was something else chasing him. Whether or not his senses were playing tricks again, he couldn't care anymore. All he did was run. He clumsily trembled over a few things along his way, but he didn't stop there.
Soon, he reached his own house. There wasn't a light in it, but that didn't matter. He hastily burst through the main door, and jammed it shut with a stick.
"Dad!" called him as he continued to shut all the windows. There was no respond.
He quickly reached for the goose's room, bursting the door open. "Dad!?"
No, he is not in.
"Oh come on dad, where are you!?"
The things were now everywhere, circling all over his house. He could sense them starting to get in, as the air begun to freeze again. He hurried over to his room, slamming the door behind him.
And for all he cares, he pulled his bed sheet and covered himself, waiting for the moment to pass.
*
Everyone was gone....
He is all alone, and so afraid....
For what he saw, was a faceless white puppet...