A/N: Hollyberry29! Go check her stuff out people, she is a genius! She gave me the courage and inspiration for this fic. Love her!
Also to another author (who I don't remember the name of) , for a wonderful Tai Lung/Po fic. It was amazing! Well, on to the story!
Now…on to the story!
Birthday
~Riley Crest~
Po sighed heavily as he lounged about the grounds of the Sacred Peach Tree of Wisdom. Big name for a little tree. Then again, if he had named it, the tree would be called "that plant that always seems to have blossoms even though the pink things fly away by the thousands. That's magical."
But he didn't name it. He never named anything.
He was the Dragon Warrior! He fell from the sky in a great Ball of Fire! And he also got his ass kicked by a praying mantis and he set the record for suckiest sucker in the history of sucking. But in the end, all was good. He defeated Tai Lung, he got to do Kung Fu! He even managed to fall in love along the way. Perhaps this was his problem-he had fallen in love. Usually it wouldn't have mattered. He would just give it his all, because that's what he did best.
This wasn't even a girl! Maybe (in some reality where he was loved by the Gods) he could have fallen in love with Viper. Sure, she was way too beautiful and would never return his feelings past friendship, but she was a female, and she wouldn't mock him. She would be his friend, and that would be enough.
Tigress was different. Po didn't know how she'd react, but at least she was still female.
No, he had fallen for a guy-and an old one, at that-who would never be his friend or return his love. He had picked the unattainable one. Po thought and realized, he always wanted what he couldn't have, and this time was no different. He had stupidly thought once-which led him to think of how long exactly he had been in this predicament- that he had a chance with his great love. He had gone from noodle boy to Kung Fu master-he had to have the favor of some high divinity. And yet, as he should have known, he thought wrong.
It just had to be master Shifu.
Back to the sucking.
Po made his way down the path back to his room in the palace. He was upset, but he didn't even want anything to eat. Love, he decided, is an unhealthy thing. It was his birthday, for Heaven's sake! Didn't he get at least one day out of the year to be happy? No, this was the fault of Tigress, Po knew it. She had aimed to make his life miserable since the moment Po had landed in front of her and stolen her dreams.
Ew.
When you put it that way, she kinda seemed…justified.
Which she most certainly was not!
She had been very pleasant this morning, suggesting a field trip for the children. All the five had gone, and it was going to be just Shifu and Po. In all honesty, Po had wanted to go to- but Tigress had insisted he stay because they were going to The Birthplace of Kung Fu! and Po had a bad back. He didn't mind too much, they were leaving him all alone with master Shifu, after all.
Until Shifu learned of the trips whereabouts, and decided he had to go to protect his master's spot from the damnation of those vile, nasty little…er, kids.
And so, off they went into the yonder abyss! Looking so happy, leaving poor Po behind on his birthday. The bear made it to the kitchen before he decided to sit down and really pity himself. Tigress couldn't really have been trying to be mean, she couldn't have known today was his birthday, right?
27. Hooray!
…
…
…
Or not.
His father wasn't even here! Po couldn't have been less happy. He was spending his birthday alone, his love didn't like him, his idol thought he was the worst thing that had happened to Kung Fu since forever, and his dad wasn't even around to tell him, "Cheer up, Po! We are Noodle Folk, broth runs through our veins."
Half the time, Po didn't even know what his dad was talking about, especially when he started talking about broth running through his body. Last time Po had checked, blood was under all this fat, not noodle broth.
"Po, are you listening to me? I said, cheer up!"
There his father was again, trying to make him feel better. Well, pretend dad, I can't feel better. It's my birthday and I'm lonely. I wish master Shifu was here…
Po was brought out of his reverie by a slap to the face. "Po!" His father shouted, "Wake up!"
Po blinked and looked up at his dad, standing above him with a worried look on his face.
"Are you alright, son?"
Po stood and shook his head. When did his dad get here?
"Dad, what are you doing here? " Po was confused, his dad should be in the noodle shop.
"You think that I would forget my own son's birthday? We are noodle folk, Po-"
"I know, I know, broth runs through our veins."
"No! We never forget anything! Now, come along, I've arranged a small party down at the shop. Let's go, Po."
Po ambled along after his dad and out to the front of the palace. They made their way down the steps in a hurried fashion that never ceased to kill Po's back. On they went as they came to the town, down streets and alleys that arrived at the shop. It was empty; Po's dad had closed it for the birthday. The bear sighed, being with his father was better than being alone. They came through the side door of the kitchen and ascended the stairs leading to the house above. It was dark, which was unusual. Po lit a lantern as he entered the living space after his father.
"SURPRISE! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"
Familiar voices shouted all around Po, who effectively dropped the lantern and shrouded the room in darkness once again. It didn't matter, because each of the five (except Mantis) had lit their own lights. Po gaped in shock and bewilderment.
"What are you guys all doing here?" He asked, taking in the smiling faces of his friends and mentor. About a thousand kids hugged his feet at the same time; Po hadn't even seen them!
"Whoa, guys! What's up?"
"It's your birthday, Po! Happy birthday!"
Po laughed. There he had been all morning, complaining about his miserable existence and how no body remembered his birthday. And here they all were! Waiting on him, throwing a party. Po felt like crying…
"Don't cry."
Po knew that voice, it was master Shifu. Po remembered the first time Shifu had told him not to cry. It had been the day Po had accepted Shifu as his master. Looking back, Po decided it must have been that exact moment the bear had fallen in love with his master.
"Okay," Po said in between sniffles. He couldn't stop the stupid grin that spread across his face.
The party went on and Po chatted and played. The cake came and went, he even got presents. But master Shifu just sat there, sometimes conversing with his father. Soon the children were ushered away to the palace by Viper and Tigress, and Po's father retired to bed. The remainder of the five, Po, and Shifu started back up to the palace slowly. Mantis, Monkey and Crane went to bed just after arrival, leaving the two panda's in the palace kitchen by themselves.
"I don't believe I've told you happy birthday yet, Po. So…happy birthday."
Po felt like he'd tear up again, then squashed the feeling down.
"Thank you, master."
Biting into a cookie, Po snuck glances out of the corner of his eyes at Shifu. The red panda was just sitting there, his eyes closed and a small smile on his face.
"The road to happiness is usually the one we try not to turn down."
Po thought that Shifu sounded old and wise, but he couldn't have figured out the meaning of his master's words even if he'd wanted to. Some things were better left unknown.
"I know what would make you happy, Po. But you have to find the courage to grasp it."
Po just smiled and nodded, then returned to his cookie, occasionally stealing glances of his master.
Shifu's eye twitched.
"Po?"
"Po…"
"Po!"
Po snapped to attention. "What?" He asked, looking around. "What's wrong?"
Shifu shook his head. "I said, I know what will make you happy, but you have to find the courage within yourself to grasp it."
Po just blinked at his master in confusion. How could Shifu know what would make him happy? Was it that obvious?
The giant panda saw the knowing look in Shifu's eyes and suddenly felt very small.
"I..I-I don't know what you're talking about." Po lied, looking anywhere but at Shifu.
"Just do it, panda. Say what you need to."
Po gulped and looked down, fiddling with the half-eaten cookie on the table in front of him.
"Um…I…maybekindalikeyoualittle?"
Shifu just shook his head. "Slow down, I can't understand all that babble, Po."
The bear nearly melted at the sound of his name coming from his master's mouth.
"I uh, well, you see, that is, I kin-"
"Spit it out!" Shifu yelled, slamming his fist down on the table.
"I love you!" Po shouted, then clamped his hand over his mouth. "Uh, I mean…"
Shifu just smiled and reached his small hand out to Po's, intertwining their fingers.
"Good," his master said, "I love you too."
Po beamed.
Happy birthday indeed.
_______________________
There it is, people, my first Pofu fic. Tell me what you think! Should there be more? If you like/have ideas then say something in a review.
Remember to go check out Hollyberry29, if you haven't already! Toodles!
~Riley