Chapter 2
An Indian Bug Village
When the light started to fade, it showed a whole background. The gangs have finally found themselves they were not only inside Mantis's memory, but his world.
"Argh, we're the size of a bug!" Po exclaimed.
"We're in his memory and his world, it's obvious." Tai Lung stated.
"Hey, I think...that's Mantis over there." Viper said as she saw a young Mantis with a small leaf hanged on his side head from a long distance.
The young Mantis has the same symbol as nowadays Mantis, except he was smaller than now. He was sitting beside a cocoon or sort of alike object, and hand-making something alone. He often spoke at it like it was his only friend.
While the others were staring at the young Mantis, they figured that someone has run through their bodies as they felt surprised, they have forgotten that they were in Mantis's memory, in spite of the background was so real for them. Three young bugs were flying and ran over to Mantis.
Mantis sensed there was something wrong as he stopped his work and stood up to face them, "So, Mantis. How's your friend been doing?" a beetle teased as a bully.
"Why don't you guys just leave us alone?" Mantis glared at them.
"What's the matter? Are you scared? Smally." A spider teased, which made Mantis's eyes widened.
"Oh, that's not good." Crane said, everyone knows that Mantis hates people talk about his small size.
"Who knows that he used to be bullied by his spices in childhood?" Lucy felt a pity for him.
"Shh, we're trying to watch the show here." Po and Monkey shushed them as the two masters watched it in excitement with popcorn and snacks from nowhere and the others were sweat-dropped. They continued the viewing.
"Take that back." Mantis has lowered his tone as a warning, his pincers started to shudder.
The beetle leaned his face close to Mantis and whispered, "Never." And that's it, Mantis has punched his face.
"Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!" cheering echoed around them as a bug fight. Younger bugs gathered around them to see the fighting. Three bugs against one, sounds unfair, but for Mantis, it was fair for him well. The Dragonfly attacked first as he used his tail in a high speed, but Mantis was faster than him as he defended himself by his pincers, and pushed the Dragonfly with a great strength into the grass field.
The gang was all surprised by the scene, never thought of Mantis was born with great strength. "This is getting better and better." Tai Lung said and Crane nodded in agreement.
"Why do men always love fighting?" Angie and Lucy sighed in unison, and Tigress and Viper patted the two stars' shoulder as they felt the same way too.
After Mantis had finished with the two bullies, it was left beetle and him. Before they could fight, a shout stopped them. "STOPP!!" they were stunned from that moment as they turned their heads, an elderly unicorn-beetle with a staff which supported him stood majestically between the crowds.
"Leader." They quickly bowed at him in respect and the unicorn-beetle nodded slightly.
"Now, will you please, one of you tell me what's going on here?" he then asked.
"Buster started it! He was teasing Sapphire and keeps calling me 'Samlly'." Mantis furiously said.
"Did not! And I'm telling the truth!" Buster rejected.
"Did so!"
"Did not!"
"Did so!"
"Did not!"
"That's enough!!" the boys have silenced.
"Now, I don't care who started the fight, but I will give each of you a lesson." He stared at Buster, "First, Buster, you mustn't judge bugs or people about their nature change and the appearances of the others that is not the true meaning of an Indian Warrior." He stated and Buster bowed him back.
Then, he turned to Mantis, "Now, Mantis. I understand how much you want to protect your friend, but not everything had to use fighting, you need to control your anger. In the meantime, I think it's time for Sapphire right now." He grinned at the cocoon as it appeared a small crack there, which surprised everyone, especially Mantis.
The crack grew bigger and bigger until it revealed a beautiful butterfly in it who is slept softly. She even yawned gracefully, and then finally when she tried get out of the cocoon, Mantis quickly ran beside her to help her out of the shell.
"Yawn…" at first, the butterfly's eyes opened and they were blue as sapphire, were still fuzzy, and then everything started become clear as she first saw a familiar face, "Ma…Mantis?" she spoke.
"Hey, Sapphire." He greeted with a smile.
"It's been a while, isn't it?" Sapphire the butterfly said.
"Well, actually, is been 3 weeks and four days I recommend. But you don't know how much I miss you during these times. No one plays with me except you, you know that." He then nuzzled her antennas.
Sapphire giggled and nuzzled back his, "Ya right." She said as she tried to open her wings, they were huge and the pattern of them was light blue with sparkling shines on it. Villagers felt astounded and surprised of this beauty, even the Warriors.
"Oh wow! That was amazing!" Lucy exclaimed and Angie yelped of it.
"Mantis does sure have a predestined relationship with this butterfly." Monkey teased.
Suddenly, Sapphire has hit Crane's mind, "Hey, isn't that the same butterfly that we met her at that place?" he surprised asked.
The smile on Monkey has faded quickly, "Now that you mention, she is. She has the same eyes, same pattern wings and the same voice, it's definitely her." Monkey stated firmly.
"What happened between Mantis and Sapphire anyway? I mean, their relationship seems is more complex than we imagined." Viper said.
"Only one way to find out." Tigress replied as they continued.
When every villager backed to their own position and left Mantis and Sapphire alone, they decided to go to near the River of Flows, where their sources of water came from. Sapphire tried to fly but she never done it before when she was young (you know what they were before they transform into a butterfly, I just forgot the name) and she got fell on the ground.
Mantis was holding his laughing and Sapphire could see that in his face, "Go on, laugh on me because I don't care." She groaned and Mantis laughed hysterically.
"Bufff-hahahaha, seriously, Sapphire. That was not the true way of flying!!" Mantis wiped his tears of joy and Sapphire rolled her eyes.
"He's got that right." Crane agreed as he is a flying type.
"Come on." Mantis said as he leaned his pincer to Sapphire.
Sapphire stared at his pincer a moment, and then she smiled as she reached the pincer, "Okay, teach me then." She said.
"Okay, first…" after 5 minutes of explanation of flying, Sapphire known the secrets quickly as she has already flown, "I'm flying…" she gasped.
"I'M FLYING!! WHOO HOO!" she was overjoyed as she swirled a huge circle in the mid-air.
"Hey, don't get yourself too exciting!!" Mantis warned as he flew with her, too, as they flew together towards to the River of Flows.
However, it has surprised the gang, "Ma…Mantis is…is. Okay, am I blinding or did I just saw that Mantis was actually flying!?" Tai Lung asked to the rest of the Furious Seven and Shifu in disbelief.
"Don't look at me like that! We've had never seen him flying before, even he did, just only the height of Monkey's shoulder." Po defended.
And then, Tai Lung's eyes slipped on Shifu, "Don't you dare stare at me." Shifu warned.
"Whatever." He humped.
"What's the big deal anyway? I mean, not every praying mantis can actually fly?" Seth asked.
"Every except for Mantis, he never flew in front of us ever since he first steps in the Jade Palace." Viper explained. "Even we don't know why." Crane then added sadly.
"By the way, are you sure by leaving the children outside would be okay?" Angie asked.
"Don't worry, they're an expert of it." Po said without any worries.
"Why's that?" Dustin curiously asked.
"Well, ah you know, kids like to do pranks, blocking people's way and making troubles stuff thingy…" Po explained.
"You think you can leave the kids guarding Mantis without any worries?" Ian asked, sounds to him it looked like irresponsible parents to him.
"Of course not, but we believe that they could take care of it." Crane said with confidence.
"I just hope you're right…" Lucy said with worried, and neither Jackie.
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Next Chapter: Happy and Exciting Memories
Preview:
"Here, I made it while you were sleeping in the cocoon." Mantis shyly said as he gave her a key necklace.
"A key?" Sapphire asked.
"No, it's not 'a' key, is 'the' key." Mantis proudly said as he showed a music box behind his pincers.