KFP
Destiny
An old friend of Shifu's comes back to the Jade Palace, and brings something that will changes everyone's lives.
Early Summer
The Valley of Peace, the Stairs to the Jade Palace…
Tigress was ordered by Shifu to being the Dragon Warrior back to the Jade Palace to train, the tiger master stay in a even pace with Po as they were going up the stairs.
"You know that you don't have to stay with me Tigress, I'm just slowly you down" Po said. Though Po became the legendary Dragon Warrior and found Inner Peace, the panda still feels inferior to the hardcore feline.
"No you're not Po, we're actually making good timing." Tigress slightly smiled at him. "Your training is really paying off." She added.
Po couldn't help but to smile and blush a little at the tiger he idol so much, then the two warriors notice someone was sitting on the steps ahead of them. This person is wearing a long dark brown robe with a hood covering the face, the traveler is holding a little bundle and looking down at it.
"Excuse me, do you need any help?" The Dragon Warrior asked, the traveler look up at the warriors and to their surprise, this person is a elderly male tiger, and judging by his size, a Siberian tiger.
"Tigress? My how you've grown." The old tiger spoke with a deep profound voice. Tigress stared into his sky blue eyes then her eyes widen and she bow at the tiger.
"Master Lan Hu, what an honor to see you again, its been so long." Tigress said respectfully, the old tiger got up and bow back.
"Not to sound rude or any, but who is Master Lan Hu?" Po whispered to Tigress, Lan Hu chuckled a little.
"I'm a old friend of Shifu, we trained together in our younger years at the Jade Palace." Lan Hu replied, surprising Po that he heard him.
Suddenly there was crying sound coming from the bundle, this alarm Po and Tigress.
"Shh little one, its okay." Lan Hu said softly to the bundle and the crying stop, "My granddaughter is a little fussy today." He stated with a smile.
"Granddaughter? Shan has a daughter?" Tigress is astonished, the old tiger nodded and sat back down, there is bowl of white liquid next to him. Lan Hu dab a cloth in it letting it absorb some of the liquid and then he gave it to the cub to suckle it.
Po and Tigress stood there watching Lan Hu feeding the cub, but could not see her with the blanket on. Once the old tiger was done he put everything away in his pack and started coughing.
"Here let me carry that for you, sir." Po said politely, Lan Hu cleared his throat and smiled at the panda then gave him the pack.
"Thank you….um"
"Oh, its Po." Lan Hu bow "Thank you Po." The old tiger turn around and look at the stairs.
"I swear that these stairs get longer every time I see them." Lan Hu chuckled to myself, the old tiger nestled the cub between his neck and shoulder and started walking.
Po and Tigress followed the master, and in this angle they can see the little cub's pink nose.
"Master Lan Hu? If you don't mind me asking, where is her father?" Tigress asked, the old tiger stop and breathe in a heavy sigh.
"It's important that I talk with Shifu first." Lan Hu replied distantly and cough again, Tigress was concern but didn't question the master.
The small group continued their tread, later they made it to the courtyard, Shifu was standing there waiting for his students.
"You two are late." The Grandmaster said calmly, he then notice the third person with them. "And who is this?" The red panda pointed with his staff.
"Oh, Shifu still playing around with Oogway's staff I see." Lan Hu chuckled.
Shifu's eyes widen. "I know that chuckle anywhere, Lan Hu?" the old tiger pulled down his hood revealing his face to his friend.
Po was stunned to see that Lan Hu's fur is different then any other tigers, his fur is a faded slade color with a white underbelly and black stripes.
"Brother Lan, it's been so long." Shifu walked up to old friend and bow.
"To long brother Fu, much too long." Lan Hu bow back and is slightly emotional. "Um you're students are late because they were helping me to get here, lets face it Fu I'm not as young as used to be." both old warriors laugh.
"And who do you have there?" Shifu asked pointing at the blanket with his staff, Lan Hu bend down to red panda's level and gently unwrapped the blanket, Po and Tigress move in closely as they saw the little cub.
She is mostly white with a slade color on top of her head going down behind her neck and back, very few black stripes, and blue eyes but darker then Lan Hu's.
"This is my granddaughter." Lan Hu said proudly with a smile on his face.
"Your granddaughter is beautiful Lan, but where is your son, Shan Hu?" Shifu asked as he looked around, Lan Hu smile was gone and he look down at his granddaughter heartbroken.
"Brother Lan?" the Grandmaster is worried.
"He dead." Lan Hu said heavily as a tear fell from his eye and landed on the baby's forehead.
"What?" Shifu and Tigress gasped, "Please tell me what happen?" the Grandmaster asked.
"I will, but alone." Lan Hu said trying to keep himself together.
"Tigress look after the baby while Master Lan Hu and I talk, Po you can assist her." Shifu ordered, Tigress went to Lan Hu and offer her arms out, Lan Hu kissed the baby and gave her to the young tiger.
"What is her name?" Tigress asked as she gaze at the cub.
"Bai Lin." Lan Hu answered then took his pack from Po and pulled out a glass bottle then gave it to the panda.
"Make sure you use a clean bowl and cloth to feed her with." Lan Hu told them, then he strap his pack on his shoulder.
"Come Lan, we can talk privately in the Hall of Warriors." Shifu informed then both old friends went on their way.
Po and Tigress were quiet for a moment.
"Did you knew her father?" Po asked curiosity, Tigress look at the Dragon Warrior.
"Yes I did, but only for a little while." she simply answered, Po move closely to get a better look of Bai Lin.
"She very cute." Po said as he touch Bai Lin's tiny paw with his finger then the cub lightly squeezed it, Po had huge smile on his face.
"I think she likes you Po." Tigress smiled, then Bai Lin let go of Po and nestled closely to Tigress and started purring.
"She likes you too, Tigress." the panda stated with a grin.
Later, in the Hall of Warriors….
"Shan came to my house with his wife and Bai Lin, I went out fishing for dinner, then later I notice smoke in the sky where my home was, I turn the boat around and hurry back as fast as I could and found my house was on fire.
I went through the flames to get inside and look for Shan, only to discover that he and his wife were crush to death by the rubble. I just stared at their lifeless bodies, pain and grief enter my heart it was too much for me I wanted to give up and die, but then I heard Bai Lin crying she was nearby the bodies. I quickly grab her and got out before the house collapsed."
Shifu was leaning his forehead on his staff taking in everything Lan Hu told him.
"I'm truly sorry to what has happen to you, Lan, if there anything I can do for you let me know." the Grandmaster said.
Lan Hu look at his friend, "There is one thing you can do for me Shifu, I have no where else to go and-"
"You can stay here." Shifu interrupted, Lan Hu smiled at the Grandmaster's kindness then suddenly began to cough, the old tiger cover his mouth.
Shifu sense something was wrong. "Lan Hu are you alright?" Lan Hu stop coughing and gaze at his paw.
"No brother, I'm not." Lan Hu raised his paw and show Shifu the blood on it then he went down to his knees.
"Lan Hu!" Shifu dropped his staff and went by his friend's side, "I'll call for help." Shifu exclaimed but Lan Hu grab his shoulders to stop him from leaving.
"No Fu, it's too late for me." Lan Hu coughed again and lay down on his back, breathing heavily.
"I been sick for awhile Shifu, but I couldn't allow myself to die without knowing that my granddaughter is safe."
"Lan Hu stop talking like this, you're going be fine." Shifu pleaded, Lan Hu look at his friend right in his eyes.
"Please promise me brother Shifu, promise me that you'll take care of her." The red panda relive the last conversation he had with Oogway, Shifu sadly look down.
"I promise that she'll be care for." Shifu said accepting the fact that his friend is dying, Lan Hu smirked a little and handed Shifu his pack.
"There are scrolls in here I wrote about my son and his wife, give these to Bai Lin when she old enough to understand." Shifu nodded and took the pack from him, Lan Hu sigh.
"All I ever wanted was for my son to be happy, Shan risk everything to be with Shiro, his wife, whom I loved like my very own daughter. Bai Lin should be happy like her parents were."
Lan Hu slowly closed his eyes, Shifu didn't comprehend to what he meant.
"Thank you brother Shifu, you have always been a good friend and the only person I can trust, I feel very much at peace now."
A gentle breeze enter the Hall and blew out the candles in the room.
"Brother Lan?" Shifu called out quietly.
In the Kitchen (Lunchtime)…
"Aww… she so cute, just look at her little nose." Viper said sweetly.
"I think she looks more like Master Lan Hu then Shan." said Mantis.
Monkey was making baby sounds and Crane just watch with a smile.
Po is cooking while the others gather around Tigress at the table looking at Bai Lin, Tigress on the other paw was having a hard time feeding the cub with the others crowding her.
"Guys sit down and give Tigress some room to feed the baby." said Po but it sounded like an ordered which made everyone stared at him like 'what did he just say?'.
The panda notice this "What?" he said blankly and chop some vegetables.
"Nothing." the others replied and went to their seats, Mantis on the other hand went to his corner of the table. Tigress look at Po and mouthed 'thank you',
the panda gave a small smile and nod.
"So can anybody tell me a little bit about Master Lan Hu?" Po asked while cooking.
"Wait just a minute Po, you don't know anything about Master Lan Hu?" Mantis exclaimed, the panda shook his head, the bug was in total shock that the biggest Kung Fu Fanboy (literally) admits that he doesn't know a master.
Tigress dunk a cloth into the bowl of milk and give it to Bai Lin to suckle on and answered the Dragon Warrior's question.
"Shifu told us that many years ago when he was a boy that he and Master Lan Hu trained together; they were close like brothers. Master Lan Hu is the master of the Guan Dao and spear techniques, some say that he can make spears float around him."
"Okay now that's cool." Po interjected, Tigress continued.
"When Master Lan Hu turn twenty he left the Valley of Peace, wanting to find his place in the world, and he gave Shifu his Guan Dao.
Years later Shifu received a message from him, saying that he found a home at Okinawa and a wife, he became a teacher. But sadly later Master Lan Hu's wife die giving birth to their son Shan Hu."
Po felt sorry for Lan Hu. "Well that sucks." The panda said sadly.
"So how long ago was Master Lan Hu last visit?" Po asked, he remember when Tigress first address the master.
"It was nine.. No, ten years ago." Crane said as he scratch his chest with his talon.
"He and Shan Hu came here for the whole summer." Monkey added.
"Why?" Po asked
"Because Master Lan Hu wanted to train Shan here for awhile." Viper answered,
Mantis laugh a little.
"Or wanted to see if Shan and Tigress had 'something' between them." the bug slyly insinuated.
"What!" Po shouted and turn around knocking over the hot pot, he quickly grab it and burn his paws.
"Oow!" The panda put the pot back on the stove and didn't spill a drop of the soup.
Mantis was laughing at the poor panda then something slap him at the back of the head.
"What?" Mantis said looking at Viper, knowing her tail whips from anywhere, the snake and Tigress just glared at the bug.
"There was nothing between me and Shan." Tigress said sternly as she gently burp the baby.
Po soak his paws in a bucket of water and made a sigh of relief from both the pain and what Tigress just said.
"Are you okay Po?" asked Monkey.
"Huh? Who? Me pfffft….. I'm fine." Po acted like nothing happen and happily went back to the soup while waving his paws in the air to cool them down.
"Beside remember how Shan Hu was always talking about a girl he knew back at Okinawa." Viper said.
"Probably Bai Lin's mother." Crane stated.
At that moment Shifu enter the kitchen, all of his students stop talking, the red panda was holding on his staff for support, and looked very gloomy.
"Master? Is something wrong?" Tigress asked her adopted father.
The troubled Grandmaster took a deep breath. "Master Lan Hu has die."
"What?" The students exclaimed in shock.
Shifu begin telling his students about Lan Hu's illness and what happen to Bai Lin's parents.
Later around sunset, somewhere on the Jade Mountain…
Lan Hu's body was lay on a pile of wood, Shifu, Po and the Five were standing around it and paying their respect for the old tiger. Although there is only one body on the pile, Shifu and the Five visualized Shan Hu was there as well and gave him respect too.
Shifu then gave a gesture to the nearby geese with torches, they waddled to the pile and set it on fire. Everybody watches the funeral pyre with a heavy heart, though Po didn't even knew the master, seem like he was going to cry.
Shifu try to remain strong for his students, but a lone tear escaped his eye.
Viper started crying quietly, remembering how sweet and nice Lan Hu and Shan was, Crane noticed the gentle snake near him, the bird sat down by Viper and offer a shoulder to cry on.
Viper saw Crane open his wings to her and without hesitation begins to cry on his chest. Crane wrap one wing around her and use the other to lower his hat, covering his eyes so no one can see him cry too.
The silent was broken with Bai Lin's cries, Tigress was still holding the cub, she comforts Bai Lin in a very maternal way. The little cub stop crying and Tigress placed Bai Lin between her neck and shoulder.
The warriors continued to watch 'til Lan Hu's body burned to ash.
AN/ This is not like my past Fanfics, I spend the whole summer planning on this fic to the end, typing it is the hard part. Please review and tell me what you think.
.
.
.
Lan Hu (Blue Tiger)
Shan Hu (Mountain Tiger)
Bai Lin (White Beautiful Jade)
Shiro (Japanese for White)