Kung Fu Panda is not of my property, (it's owned by DreamWorks SKG) and i'm making this story just for entertainment.
THE HOPELESS PANDA
(sorry about my English)
A quiet afternoon, after several invitations, Po managed to convince his friends, The Furious Five, to accompany him to eat to his father's restaurant. They are sitting on the table, they look impatient. The food is slow to arrive.
The kitchen door suddenly opens. It's Po who opens with a kick. He has trouble to balance about a dozen of plates in both arms and head. His friends look surprised.
PO: -I'll be with you in a minute guys! – He says while he walks with difficulty, handing the noodle orders to the costumers. PO: -My father wanted me to help him at the kitchen… wow!- He manages to avoid some kid that crosses his way. The impatient face of his friends is more evident, and he realizes.
PO: -Mm… I must not make my friends wait. It's time to the Dragon Warrior uses his food server skills- Thinks Po.
PO: -Very well…! It's time- And with a dramatic look on his face, he starts running between the tables, successfully delivering each order to his place. The plates fly in the air, landing in front of the clients. Some clients applaud to see their food land in front of them. Po looks confident. He spins style kung fu and throws in the air the rest of the plates, each one of them lands in the correct place with the clients. Everyone at the restaurant applaud him. Po smiles and makes a reverence to thank. Po has only now six plates with him, the corresponding to him, and his friends. The Five look at him outlining a big smile on their faces, except for Tigress. Po walks very confident to the table with his friends, but he doesn't notice a banana peel lying on the floor. He slips with it and the six plates he was carrying fly on the air right to the Furious Five. They take a fast look at the food, and each one nimbly manages to catch their plates before it touches the table, and without dropping a single drop of broth. Po is amazed with the ability of his friends, and looks up. The last plate falls directly over him. He raises his both hands and catches it, but the content in the plate spills over his head. He caught it upside down. The Five, each one with their plates in hand, look at Po covered in noodles. They stay quiet for a moment, and then they start laughing of him, except for Tigress. Po doesn't looks so happy. He lowers his arms, puts the plate over his head, and Pour over noodles from his head to the plate.
PO: -It's not funny- He climbs the plate to his mouth after saying that.
Mr. Ping he walks out the kitchen somewhat altered looking for Po.
PING: -Po? Po!- He looks his son, sitting and eating and goes to him upset. PING: -Po!- He pats on his back, interrupting him while he is eating. Po chokes a little.
PO: -What's wrong dad?- He says with discontent. PING: -Po! You promised to help me at the kitchen if I let you invite your friends to eat free!-. PO: -Ah…! In a minute, yes dad? Now I just want to eat with my friends-. PING: -Po! You made a promise!-
VIPER: -He's right Po. You have to help your father-. Po gets a little more upset. PING: -If you want food, you have to work for it. Money does not grow in threes-
Po turns right to his father with an anger expression. PO: -"You have to work…" (He says, imitating him) "Money does not grow in th…"- A loud belch of Po interrupts that show of disrespect to his father, right in the face of Mr. Ping.
Ping, Po and the Five are suddenly quiet in an awkward silence. Po is scarred of what his father might do to him. He looks at his son, stabbing him a killer look. After a few seconds, Ping starts laughing. Po it's confused. The Five starts laughing too. The atmosphere had a very radical change. Suddenly, it hears a very peculiar sound, the sound of a contained laugh. All of them are surprised and stop laughing, and then they turn to see Tigress, who is covering her mouth with her hand obviously trying not to laugh. It is amazing. No one can believe that she is laughing, and from a childish joke.
MONKEY: -Tigress? Are you… laughing?-. She cannot talk. She just denies with her head while she covers with her hand. Po leans on the table and look closely Tigress. She looks the panda; she's still trying not to laugh. Po outlines a smile on his face.
PO: -Yes, you laughed!- Exclaims excitedly. Tigress frowns, she contains herself and discovers her mouth.
TIGRESS: -I was not…- Po burps again, interrupting her. Tigress loses control letting hear some of her laughter, and quickly she takes both hand to her mouth. Mantis, Monkey and Viper start smiling.
MANTIS: -I cannot believe it. Tigress, you laughed!-
VIPER: -Yes! It's the first time we see it!-
Tigress tries to look angry, but she is losing against the laugh. Suddenly, outside the restaurant, some villagers are running terrified, something is happening. That moment of joy is interrupted, Po and The Five stands from the table and run outside to see what's going on.
Outside, at the end of the Valley, a Mole is chasing the citizens. He is carrying with him a pitcher that he is holding with his hand like if it were a weapon. The Mole runs over the street chasing a goose, until he finds himself in front of the Five and Po. That poor goose runs away while they are blocking the way of that Mole. He stops abruptly, looking at them with defiant eyes.
MOLE: -So… you must be The Furious Five-. They watch him carefully without saying anything. –And you must be The Dragon Warrior- Po smiles. PO: -Its right… and you must have bad luck. Because no one interrupts a meal with my friends!-. MOLE: -Oh, I'm sorry. I hope my presence does not ruin your appetite!-. When he says that, the Mole lashes against The Five. While he's running, he raises his pitcher and opens it. Crane looks that move of the estranger.
CRANE: -Watch out with that thing! react and realize about that movement. The Mole gets close to them and jumps nimbly jumps over their heads. While he's flying on the air, some water begins to leave the pitcher like dew, and it's falling over The Five and Po.
TIGRESS: -Move!-. They all with an agile maneuver avoid the liquid that the enemy poured over them. The Mole lands on his feet at the other side. Mantis runs to get him. With his tiny size he is almost invisible to the Mole, but, he manages to avoid his flying kick. Crane and Viper flank him on the both sides, the Mole watch them getting close and again he opens his mysterious pitcher, spinning himself and creating that way a trail of dew of that liquid around him. Crane notices this and quickly changes his direction dodging that dew. Viper's reaction on the other hand is not as effective and in her jump, she crosses that trail of liquid and manages to connect a blow on the Mole, he takes the hit and flies because of the impact, a few meters behind. Tigress sees an opportunity.
TIGRESS: -Now!-. She, Monkey and Po lash against the adversary while he is distracted. He reacts slowly after that Vipers hit, but when he realizes they're attacking him he only sees Monkey flying to him with a kick, that smashes against his chest. Tigress continues the attack, rolling on the floor she is positioned right under the Mole while he flies on the air, and impacts him with a tiger beat on his back. The Mole flies upward. TIGRESS: -Your turn Po!-. Po jumps several meters on the air and prepares to finish him with one of his stomach hits. The Mole manages to take his pitcher smash it on Po's face at the same time he hits him with his stomach. Po gets soaks his face.
Both, Po and the Mole fall on the ground, with the difference that Po is on his feet. Tigress and Monkey get close to the fallen enemy. He looks at them from the ground showing serious pain. TIGRESS: -Tell us! What did you come to get here?!-. The Mole turns to see Po, and starts to agonizingly laugh. Without no one notice, he takes from his clothes a little package and take it to his mouth. TIGRESS: -No!-. She, Po and Monkey try to stop him, they try to take it from his hand, but it's too late, the Mole already drank it. Monkey observes closely the package on his hand, while the Mole continues laughing. A few seconds later, it stops hearing. Everyone look at him with surprise. The Mole is dead.
Po is confused, and he wipes his face with his hand from that liquid that is still over him. It hears Crane distressed.
CRANE: -No! Viper!-. Everyone turns to see. Viper is unconscious. It doesn't make sense to Po. She didn't get any attack. Tigress manages to deduce what is going on, and turns to see Po with anguish. Po starts feeling dizzy, his vision gets blurred, and he looks at his hand with which he wiped before. PO: -What is this?-. After saying that, the panda faints. It can still hear his friends yelling at him. MONKEY: -Po!-. TIGRESS: -It's that liquid!-. Everything gets dark for Po.
Po open his eyes. He is in his room at The Jade Palace. Everything seems confusing. He turns to his left and sitting in lotus posture there is the Master Shifu meditating next to his bed.
PO: -Master Shifu?-. Shifu open his eyes and quickly gets up getting close with Po.
SHIFU: -Po!-. Po moves somewhat lethargic and sits on the bed.
PO: -What happened Master?-. Shifu sighs. SHIFU: -You've been unconscious for six days Po-. Po rubs his head with both hands.
PO: -Really?-. SHIFU: -Yes. The liquid that Mole was carrying with was a very strong kind of poison. You and Viper suffered the effects just for the contact-. Po yawns while stretches his arms, and react really worried immediately. PO: -Viper! Is she alright?!-. Shifu rises his hands trying to reassure him.
SHIFU: -Viper's ok. For being a snake she had some natural immunity to the poison. PO: -That is awesome!-. SHIFU: -But…-. The concern in Shifu's expression is evident. SHIFU: -You didn't have the same luck Po-. PO: -What do you mean? Master?-. SHIFU: -Although the small amount of poison that fell into Viper and her natural immunity to it, she was on the edge of dead-
Po is even more confused. SHIFU: -During this last six days, I had to request the support to all the herbologists, medics and experts that I found in the Valley and other villages around… we did what we could. The Five were personally to consult the experts in remote regions. But…-. The concern of Po is becoming slowly in fear. –It doesn't seem to be a cure to the poison that infected you…-. The inside pain of Shifu is now very noticeable. PO: -But I'm cured-
SHIFU: -Po, the poison…- Shifu gives up with the explanations and evasions. –There is no hope… you are going to die Po-
Po is stunned. There is no expression, but a small surprise in his face. Now everything is clear for the Dragon Warrior. There is no thought that crosses his mind, just the uncertainty. What is going to happen now? How much time does he have in this world? Shifu interrupts his ideas with that raspy voice, that one when it's hard to pronounce right the words.
SHIFU: -I haven't told The Five yet… it seems fair to me that it were your decision and not mine if they should know-. A mournful air blows now across the room.
That same afternoon, Po and Shifu talk sitting under The Peach.
SHIFU: -There's so much you will not learn Po, and that's why I want you to ask me anything. Any secret of Kung Fu that is in my knowledge, I will reveal it for you without any delay-. Po cannot think in Kung Fu anymore, his entire life as The Dragon Warrior was too short. What could he do with that knowledge now?
Po is about to tell his master that there is nothing to ask, that he prefers to end his life with the knowledge's he already has, but seeing his face, he notice melancholy and shame in Shifu's expression, something that he hasn't seen before. This makes him to reconsider.
PO: -Thank you Master Shifu. There are a few secrets that I would like to know-. Shifu shows a little more relaxed about his answer.
Climbing up the stairs, The Five are talking about Po.
MONKEY: -I can't stop thinking about him. I'm really worried-
VIPER: -Me too. But, if I did it, Po will resist that poison too. Po is very strong-. Tigress seems absorbed on her thoughts. Crane, confused, look at her. CRANE: -Yeah, after all, he is The Dragon Warrior-. Tigress reacts after this last comment.
MANTIS: -Yes! And a warrior never gives up on any battle. I'm sure he is fighting against this right now-. The Five arrive at the Palace esplanade. At distance it can be seen Po and Shifu sitting under the Peach, talking. TIGRESS: -Po?-. Everyone turns exited to see. Indeed, is him. MANTIS: -Po!-. At the Peach, Po can hear his name and turns to see his friends from his place, interrupting his talk with Shifu. He greets them from afar with his hand. VIPER: -He's OK!-. The four of them run exited to the Peach, Tigress just walks. Po stands and receives his friends that give him an emotional hug.
MANTIS: - I knew you'd make it-. CRANE: -You always find the way to scare us Po-. Tigress reaches calmly walking to the Peach and stops in front of Po, looking at him with a smile.
TIGRESS: -I'm very glad you are ok-. Po tries to smile, but it's hard for him. How will he tell his friends, it's not what they think? Tigress notice Shifu, that is still sitting in the ground with a very deep and serious expression that tells her something is wrong.
By the afternoon, The Five have already taken up the usual pace. They are training in front of the Palace. Po walks in front the Hall of Training and observes his friends in action. He outlines a little smile on his face. Monkey, who is practicing with his combat cane, notice Po observing them and stops his training.
MOPNKEY: -Hey Po! Don't you want to practice a little? You must want some exercise after all that time in bed don't you?-. Po smiles.
PO: -No, thanks Monkey-. But I must go see my father-
MONKEY: -I understand-. And with a smile on his face, Monkey goes back to his training. Po walks out the Palace to the long stairs. Tigress, who is practicing with Crane, looks in a strange way, at Po leaving the Palace. CRANE: -What's going on?-. He turns to see Po too.
CRANE: -You think it's something wrong with Po?-. Tigress continues focused in her thoughts, but keeping them inside or her.
TIGRESS: -No… let's continue-. She and Crane continue with their practice.
In the Valley, Po goes to his father's restaurant, to see it, it makes him melancholy, and walks inside of the place placing his hand on the wall.
In kitchen, Ping is stirring the soup cauldron. He looks sad and decentralized. Hi sighs deeply, when in the reflection of the soup appears Po's face. PING: -Po!-. Ping turns and hugs strongly his son. Po does the same. PING: -I'm so glad you are alright!-. PO: -Yes dad, I'm glad too-. He says with not much joy. Ping notice something weird on Po. PING: -Are you alright son?-
PO: -Yes dad. I was just too much in bed these last days-. PING: -Ah… sure! And that's why I'm going to cook something special for you. I want to consent my son no he is recovered-. Po looks with a melancholy smile to his father that starts slicing vegetables for him.
PO: -Thanks dad-
It's getting late. Shifu is inside the Hall of Heroes contemplating the water mirror, deep in his thoughts. Tigress walks into the Hall and notice that he is restless.
TIGRESS: -Master Shifu?-. SHIFU: -What's wrong Tigress?- Says without moving a little. Tigress gets close to his master showing confused. TIGRESS: -I would like to know if there is something wrong with Po-. Shifu reacts with this last thing she said and turns to her.
SHIFU: -Why do you ask? Did he say something to you?-. These estranges questions arise only make further. TIGRESS: -No. But he's been acting weird all day-. SHIFU: -That's normal for him. Just wait until tomorrow and you'll see the same Po of always-. Tigress is still confused, and makes a reverence to her master. TIGRESS: -I will master. Thank you-. After saying that, she turns over and leaves the Hall, leaving a very serious Shifu.
At the next day, Po gets up earlier than usual. He walks down the aisle next to the rooms of his friends, observing the doors like if they bring him memories. Then he looks at the hole that is already repaired on the wood floor, by which he crossed the staves that time, and smiles.
Po goes out to the garden of the Palace. There is Tigress, training at dawn as always. He stops to observe the master.
TIGRESS: -What's wrong Po? You don't usually get up this early at morning- She says without looking at him, while she's balanced on one foot un a Yoga position. Po smiles and gets close to her a couple of steps.
PO: -You still impress me Tigress. Since I met you, I've never seen so much Kung Fu skills in one only warrior-. Tigress doesn't really get's this last comment, but, she's still doing her Yoga. Po turns over and walks away from there. PO: -Yes… I was hoping someday I would be that skillful-. By saying that, Tigress completely breaks her concentration, standing in a static way.
A few hours later, Po crosses the Valley looking everything around him. Everything causes him tranquility, and inspire him peace. Suddenly, a noise interrupts him. He turns to see, and from the way of the Valley, a Jaguar frantically runs right toward him. At the end of the Valley, The Furious Five are trying to chase this Jaguar.
VIPER: -Get him Po!-. TIGRESS: -Is a bandit!-. Po gets in position and intercepts the Jaguar who crashes with Po. His breathing is panting. Po looks at him for a moment, and his friends, that are approaching. The Jaguar tries to escape, but Po is holding him. Then the Jaguar looks at Po in a supplicant way.
JAGUAR: -Please. Let me go-. Po looks at the bandit, and his loot, that consist only in a few pieces of bread and some vegetables.
JAGUAR: -Please…-. Po reconsiders about this bandit. After all, it's just some food. A few meters of the Five to arrive, Po let him go. Before start running, the Jaguar smiles to Po. JAGUAR: -Thanks-. And he leaves running in a very high speed. The Five arrive with Po. They're all panting from chasing that bandit, and also they're confused. CRANE: -Why did you let him go?!-. Po gets nervous before the accusing looks of his friends. TIGRESS: -What's wrong with you Po?!-. PO: -It's alright guys, it was only a little food-.
MANTIS: -Do you have any idea of where did he stole it?-. Po, naive, denies with his head. VIPER: -From your father's restaurant-. This scares Po, who immediately starts running to the Ping's restaurant.
He gets there quickly, followed by the Five. Inside, everything is a mess. Chairs and tables are scattered and broken all over the place. Mr. Ping walks out the kitchen, he has a really serious black eye, and Po is impressed to see him. Ping gets close to Po and stand in front of him with a saddening look. PING: -Po, what happened? Did you catch him?-. Po stays static. The Five are looking at him with disapproval. PO: -No dad… I let him go-. PING: -Why Po? Why did you do such a thing?-. PO: -I… I…-. Po, nervous, takes a look to his friends and his father. –I have to tell you something to all of you-. That strange comment makes everyone confused. Po walks a few steps back standing in front of all.
PO: -Guys… dad… I didn't tell you about what happened to me the other day with the poison-. Everyone is a little anxious. –When I woke up, Master Shifu told me what was going on, and well… I'm going to die soon-. The surprise is immediate, that notice was too sudden. –And there is nothing to do about it-. There is a very deep silence. Nobody dares to say a thing, until suddenly, Tigress changes her expression, from surprise, to anger. TIGRESS: -Really? Don't you have any shame?-. PO: -What?-. TIGRESS: -You let go that bandit that hurt your father, and now you expect to get rid of your guilt with that childish excuse?-. Po is confused. PO: -No, Tigress, it's true! Ask Master Shifu-. VIPER: -Please Po, stop. Don't continue with that-. PO: -But it's true!-. Everyone looks at him with displeasure. Crane walks to Mr. Ping and put his wing around his back. CRANE: -Come on Mr. Ping, you have to check on that eye-. Ping accompanies Crane, and the rest of the Five follow them behind. Before go out or the restaurant, Ping turns his head, seeing Po one last time in a sadly way, until he loses sight behind the wall. Po is alone now at the restaurant. Nobody seemed to believe him when he told them the saddest notice in his life… his death.
It's night. In the dining room of the Furious Five, they are having dinner. Po is not there. VIPER: -Do you guys think we were too hard with Po? I mean… yes, that bandit punched his father, and… yes, he let him go. Buy nothing else happened-. CRANE: -May be that would be true, if he didn't come out with that lie about his dead-. MANTIS: -Yes, not even Po should joke about that stuff-. MONKEY: -Hey guys… and how about if he was serious?-. Everyone at the dining room stops moving and keep silence for a moment. –Should not we consider what happens if Po was not lying?-. Tigress, anger, pushes her plate and stand up. TIGRESS: -That's impossible. Po is not dying; he is just a childish panda with too much imagination-. VIPER: -Calm down Tigress-. Tigress, still mad, sits again, takes her plate, and vents her anger on the food, with strong bites. Monkey is still thinking about it.
MONKEY: -May be we should ask Master Shifu-. This last comment makes even Tigress past her anger, making her stop eating.
It's midnight. Outside the Valley, Po is meditating while making Yoga. He wants to clear his mind, but he can't stop thinking about what happened that afternoon. In the reaction of his friends when he told them that terrible new. In his father, that is hurt because of him, and not just physically. And in all that stuff that he didn't had the time to do, or to say in his life. Po is standing in one leg, raising it over his head, and he leans forward stretching both arms, adopting a position of perfect balance. Everything shines at the moonlight. Suddenly, Po's vision is turning blurred. The ground turns dark before his eyes. He stops with the Yoga and look up the sky. The flashes of the stars begin to distort. Will this be the moment? The moon is the only thing he can see now, and slowly it begins to fade, like it was melting on his eyes. The night takes over everything.
At the morning, Shifu is looking at the water mirror. His meditations are not working this morning for some reason. Tigress interrupts him again by walking into the Hall. TIGRESS: -Master-
SHIFU: -What's wrong?-. TIGRESS: -I have another question… it's about something Po told us-. Shifu warns what she is about to ask him and turns to see her. –He told us… well, that he is about to die-. Shifu puts his arms behind his back and looks at his student. SHIFU: - By the way you are asking me, I can see that, or you don't really understand it, or you can't accept it-. TIGRESS: -So it's true?-. Shifu sighs deeply. SHIFU: -I'm afraid it is-. The expression of surprise and bewilderment on Tigress face says it all. SHIFU: -It seems you have problems to believe it… that's denial, and this is not moment for that. You should be with him, you must support him. His time of life in uncertain, but, that's not why it must have less sense-. Tigress turns around, giving her back disrespectfully to her master, something she has never done before. She walks directly to the Hall doors. Shifu notice the pain inside of her. Tigress expression is still surprised. With open mouth an open eyes, she walks outside the Hall.
In stairs in front the Hall of Heroes, the Four are outside waiting for her. Monkey raises his hand in a greeting gesture. Tigress stays in front the stairs with that look of fear on her eyes.
VIPER: -What did Master Shifu tell you?-. Tigress notices her friends standing there, waiting for her answer. She shudders. All her emotions split without she can contain herself, something to which she is accustomed. A tear springs from her eyes down her check, and she realizes of it. Quickly she takes her forearm to the face, hiding it from the others, and runs to a side jumping over one of the Palace walls, avoiding the contact with her friends.
Monkey, Viper, Crane and Mantis, confused, observe her escaping from them. They are all surprised; they have never seen her act like this before.
Tigress runs down the Valley hiding her face from everyone. She passes Ping's restaurant, who is sweeping the place and he looks at her passing, confused.
She's still running, escaping from everyone and everything, even from her own thoughts. At the distance, outside the Valley, she sees a familiar shape. A chill runs down her back. It's Po, lying on a rock, resting or apparently sleeping. She runs right to him, to the encounter that she has been avoiding and surely would have continued avoiding if not because of that situation. Even against her all fears and nervousness, Tigress reaches to where is Po. She is standing in front of him, she observes him lying, at the shade of a tree that sways in the wind, with his eyes close, he seems to be waiting for her. He looks calm, he looks peaceful.
Tigress stares him. She leans forward to him, but the nerves make her stop just a couple of inches from his face. She looks away and blushes.
But, something is not right… where is the breathing? Why she can't feel it? Quickly, Tigress puts her ear over panda's chest. There is no noise. She panics, and with both hands holds Po's face softly.
TIGRESS: -Po…? Po!-. All her fears become true when she let go Po's face and his head droops slightly to a side. Tigress breaks into tears, and without saying a word, she lies over him, hugging him while she's sobbing.
TIGRESS: -Po…-
That same afternoon, there is a funeral on the top of a hill. A large coffin is placed on a hole of the same size. All the people are present. The Furious Five and Master Shifu are standing in front the hole. They show serious, but inconsolable, honoring their partner and friend. Dozens of warriors from all Chinas lands are present to present their respects to The Dragon Warrior, the fallen warrior.
(continue)