ZAN
Don't own Kung Fu Panda
I will tell you this as I beginning this story. This story may not end in the way you like it. In fact, this story does not have a HAPPY ending. But bear with me, friend, as I tell you a story pleasant to the ear and illustrious to the mind. But keep in mind it does not end in a HAPPY ending, but it does end in an interesting way.
On the top of the steps of the Jade Palace sat a lonely sad duckling. His head was in his hands and he was depressed to no end. This was a prince. Why was he in such a down and sour mood? Well, his parents' kingdom, the emperor and empress, was in a civil war and they had to split. He went alone to the Jade Palace to be in the care of the Palace Warriors so he would be safe. This was Zan. The little duck hadn't been back to the Jade Palace in about five years. Now nine and prematurely growing up in result of this unrest, it seemed that he was in a dark place. You would think that being in the Jade Palace with his, what he called, Aunty Tigress, he would be happy. That wasn't the case.
In fact, the whole palace was in internal turmoil. Zan stood up. He had to go to Master Shifu to study for his emperor duties. Shifu was probably the only one not affected by the chaos. It made Zan feel a bit better, but Shifu wasn't there all the time. There would be times that the servant Zeng would be of help to the little duck. Zan walked into the Hall of Heroes where Master Shifu was waiting for him with a smile. "Ah, there you are Prince Zan," Shifu greeted. Zan saw a heap of scrolls on the floor. "Today, we have court cases that you need to study." Zan sighed.
"So much to learn, so much to know," Zan sighed. As he sat down on the glazed floor, he heard a ruckus from the next door. Shifu grimaced.
"Here we go again," He muttered. In popped Monkey and Mantis in a fit of rage. They argued and argued. "Enough!" Shifu shouted hushing the two to an erect attention. "Can't you two bicker somewhere else? I'm trying to teach Zan how to be an emperor here!" The two, eyeing each other suspiciously, went out of the Hall of Heroes.
"Not them, too," Zan grieved. Shifu sighed.
"I'm afraid so."
"Why are THEY fighting," Zan asked.
"What Mantis says happened was Monkey was flirting with his girlfriend and Mantis was flirting with Monkey's. I'm just wondering when they'll figure out that the girl played them both," Shifu muttered the last part to himself. "Anyways, it's better than Po and Tigress's fight." Suddenly they heard a lot of noise. "Which should be coming in right about...now."
"I don't know why you're so upset about it. It was a mistake, but I guess you always look at everyone's flaws," Po shouted.
"You are the Dragon Warrior. You can't make mistakes like that. Especially ones that get me burned," She shot back as she presented a singed tail.
"Oh dear," Zan said. Tigress and Po had been arguing for a while. The two used-to-be friends were now bitter enemies that lived in the same house. It all started a while ago when Both of them had a relationship...with other people. First, Po decided to hitch up with Song. Then Tigress found an wolf named Qiang that was Monkey's old friend. They started going out. However, between you, me, Song, and Qiang, many will agree that the two did it because they were jealous of each other. Because of the awkward tension between the two, Song and Qiang decided to leave them, which is why Po was so sad and irritable and Tigress was less patient. Just another reason why Zan saw this as a dark place.
"Would you go away? Nobody wants to hear your quarrel," Shifu said. The two were a little shocked that their master would be so blunt. The two did just that and went away. "Good thing Crane and Viper aren't here, or I would blow like fireworks." Zan sighed as he looked at the ground. Viper and Crane were a whole different story. Crane and Viper both had relationship problems with their parents. Crane's mother was remarried and Crane wasn't okay with it. Viper's parents were deciding on separating. The usually cheery snake was now more depressed than ever, and the level-headed Crane was just like Mantis. The whole palace was in a mess. Shifu locked all the doors to the Hall of Heroes. "Okay, now that there are no distractions, let's get back to our lesson," Shifu huffed.
"Master Shifu," Zan wondered, "Do you think that all of this will change? That all of this fighting will stop?" Shifu sighed sadly.
"I don't know little duckling. We can just hope and pray for something good to happen," he replied. "Now, let's say there's a man that lends another man money and doesn't pay it back?" Zan thought for a moment.
"I would...send the other man in jail." Shifu winced a little at the answer.
"No, Zan," He said in a laughing manner, "The law in your kingdom states that the man must bring the exact amount of what the person lends."
"Oh," Zan said embarrassed. "Of course."
"Now, let's say a man has died and his wife is left."
"Then the widow must marry his eldest brother."
"Good," Shifu said as his eyes lit up. "But what if he refuses." Zan paused to think about it. He laid his stomach on the floor looking straight ahead with a tired look.
"So much to learn," He muttered. "So much to know."
In the village was a little fox child that came up to about Zan's height. This was while Zan was with Master Shifu. The little girl fox snuck around the shops and houses. Her dark maroon robe with her pink waist sash was dirty and well worn. Her eyes peered around as the causal citizens passed her by. The fox strolled up to a dumpling shop and looked at the vendor with the most adorable sad eyes ever. "Aw, are you hungry," Said the vendor. The little fox nodded. "Here, have some dumplings." the fox grabbed the dumplings and respectfully bowed, then she went away with a smirk on her face.
"Like candy from a baby," she smiled. Just then, she was pulled into a siding. She buckled and struggled against the person.
"Easy Ruby it's just me," Whispered the person. Ruby snatched herself out of the clutches of the perpetrator. "Well, did you get it?"
"Yes, I got it, O," O was a little ox. Well, little in comparison to other oxen. His brown pants were worn like Ruby's robe. That's all he wore. He had one missing front tooth. Ruby gave the dumpling to the ox. "You know, you're lucky I look after you."
"Yeah, I know," O said as he began to eat.
"You wouldn't have to do this if you had just listen to me," said a little wolf boy. His bright blue vest and black pants complemented his gray fur.
"Hello, Vick," Ruby muttered as she dusted her makeup dust off her robe. Vick had come with two near identical bunny boy kids and a girl crane. "There's a reason why we don't steal like you keep suggesting."
"Why's that," Vick asked.
"Because we have more dignity and honor than that," Ruby replied.
"You just used your cute trick to get food for O. That's stealing, right Aang," said smartly the bunny in the red robe.
"That's right Zang," replied smartly the bunny in the blue robe.
"Would you two stop it," the small crane argued. She was in a lovely white robe with a blue sash around her waist. "Ruby was just doing it for O. You know how bad it's been lately for him." Truth be told O was the only one that actually was a street urchin. All the rest were kids that lived with their parents.
"Thank you, Ai," Ruby said thankfully, "Anyways, it's better than what you've been contributing. You only make us do what you want us to do." Vick rolled his eyes.
"And have we ever gotten caught yet," he asked.
"Well, there was that one time that-"
"Shut it Aang," Vick hushed. "Listen, I don't like some of the stuff we do either, but O needs someone." Ruby considered this. She sighed.
"It better not be anything bad," she muttered.
"Not at all. We just need to find a prince," Vick said excitedly. Everyone looked at him with confused faces. "He's suppose to be at the Jade Palace. We find the prince, we get enough money to get O a place of his own." Keep in mind that this makes sense in the minds of children from 8-11.
"Or we could just get him to an orphanage," Ruby suggested.
"You know he doesn't like it there," Vick said.
"We just need enough money so people will buy him and keep him," Ai replied. Ruby rolled her eyes.
"This plan wreaks of failure," the little fox said. Boy was she right.
to be continued