"Hey!" A harsh call of his friend disturbed him from the peaceful sleep. "Wake up, Artur!"
Rubbing his eyes gently, he dozed off, "Whaaat happened? Why so early?"
"Early?!" Fulvio burst out. Mild sweaty, he was out of breath. "It's not… early, you idiot! I've just… come from all those… thousands of steps… just now!"
"WHAT?! Is it that late?! Where's Po?"
"Everyone's… in the training hall…waiting for you!" He gulped then. "Get your butt up now!"
"Okay, okay! I'm coming!"
Both rushed to their daily training then. There, Artur found everyone standing in the front, facing the gate. Po looked over his shoulder, finding the two gasping boys.
"You two, you're late!" He tried to stiffen both his face and his behavior as a teacher but that would make him even cuter and squishier. "Try not to do it next time!"
"Sorry, Master!" Artur said. "Won't happen next time!" and stood among his fellow warriors, hands joined to the back, chest outwards.
"Hey!" Fulvio got annoyed. "You sent me to bring Artur, Po!"
"Oh! Oops! Sorry!" Po apologized with giggle, and then the face turned squishier-rigid again. As he started giving the lecture before the training, Daniel, standing beside Artur, whispered, "Hey, wanna play Mahjong again tonight?"
A solemn side-glare replied to the question.
Dan nervously giggled. "I'll take that as a 'No'!"
Artur had his ears towards the words of the master panda that Dan whispered again, face straight at the teacher. "But it was fun last night how I beat you 20 times in a row!"
"And that's why I'm this late today!" Artur whispered, voice angry at his friend.
"C'mon! Just 5 matches tonight!"
"No!"
"Please…!"
"NO!"
"Please, please, please…!"
"I said—"
"I can hear some whispers! ~" The panda teacher suddenly spoke. "Hope, people today are not willing to have a two-hour of riding stance."
"Master Blaster, it was Artur asking me to play Mahjong tonight!" Daniel suddenly spoke out.
"What?!" It was Artur, pretty annoyed now. "Master Po, he's lying!"
"Both of you," Master Panda ordered. "Riding stance for two hours now!"
Daniel was left wide-eyed, mouth hanging, while Artur gave a glare to Dan.
While the rest were training according to the instructions of the Dragon Teacher, the two were standing beside the door, in the riding stance, legs already trembling.
"Why is this part always the hardest one?!" Daniel asked, face telling the pain, but Artur was still angry so he kept quiet.
"C'mon! Say a thing! I apologized earlier, didn't I?"
"No you didn't!" Artur burst in anger, forehead glowing with sweat.
"Really? Okay. I'm sorry! Is it a'right now?"
"NO!"
"Who's making the noise again?" The panda teacher suddenly appeared. His face was curious, unlike usual, as he was in his Teacher Mode.
"Po, you're not doing fair with me." Artur spoke to his chum. "I want to train!"
"Yeah! We both want to train." Daniel suddenly spoke in the middle. "Artur even asked for an apology. And I sure forgave him."
"WHAT?!" Artur was shocked for that terrible lie. "He's—He's lying, Po!"
"Lil' one!" A cute, angry look from the panda to Dan that made Dan giggle in shame.
"Po," Artur called again, tone like a stubborn child. "I want to train!"
"Okay, okay!" Po came near, whispering in their faces. "But it's only for today! If you do this tomorrow, I'll make it sure to punish you two."
"Thanks, Big one!" Dan gently bumped his fist on the furry shoulder and went to start the training.
Artur hugged him instead. "Thank youuuuu!" and then went, leaving a giggle on that chubby face. Po looked around, mumbling with himself, "Sure, no one's watching." But he found Tigress training to a side, smirking at his action which got a returning nervous smirk from the panda.
In the afternoon, at the table, in the kitchen, everyone was there except Po, having their bowls and plates facing them. Everyone around was talking and the air was friendly as usual. But Artur—he was glaring at his reflection in the bowl of soup and noodles.
"Hey," Fulvio nudged his friend. Why aren't you eating anything?"
Distracted from the call, he answered, "Oh! I'm waiting for Po."
"You should start eating, "Master Viper said. "Or it will turn cold."
"No worries!" the boy replied. "He'll be here any minute now. He said that he was just gonna read a scroll and then come soon."
In the while, Po entered inside.
As Fulvio saw, he threw a joke, "Think of the devil and the devil is here!" Everyone giggled slightly.
"Good one!" Po said, pulling back his chair and sitting beside his little friend Artur. "Hey! What's up, lil' fella? You haven't started yet?"
"Uh… I was waiting for you, Po."
"I told you, you shouldn't wait, right?"
"Y'know? It just doesn't… feel good eating without you."
"Oh! Is that so? Fine then! Let's eat together!"
"'Kay!" and the two best buds started eating together.
"Hey, Po! Since we came here, I haven't seen you fight." Artur asked.
"Don't you remember my match against Dan?"
"Well, he kicked you right in the tenders but… I mean the real fight. The real butt-kicking of the bad guys! Like how you defeated Tai Lung, or blew up all of those ships in Gongmen city, or… how you defeated that spirit warrior Kai with the Dragon Warrior's power!"
"I guess we'll have to wait for another big, bad guy to appear then." Po giggled.
"UGH! I can't wait that much!" Artur said.
Now, everyone was done with eating. After staying a little more at the table, one by one, they started leaving, managing their own personal work and stuff. Having nothing to do for the time being, Fulvio and Artur left to the valley while the rest of the masters were busy in their own chores. There the two were in Mr. Ping's shop, sitting around one empty table, talking over different matters.
"Hey, Fulvio!" Artur asked. "Would you like to stay here or go back to that world?"
"Well, the choice is pretty difficult." Fulvio replied. "I want to stay here. Everyone's so good and nice. But to be honest, I miss my family, too. It's been like month since I haven't seen 'em. What about you? Do you miss 'em?"
"Well… Uh… I do! I sure do! But you know, in this world, in Jade Palace, I actually feel like home. It's as if they're all my brothers and sisters, especially Po. I just… just feel protected around him." The mild face turned a little gloomy while Artur mumbled under his breath. "I wish he could take me as his brother, too."
"Wha-What did ya say?"
"Uh… Nothing, nothing—"
"'Sup, dudes?" from inside the house came Dan and sat with them.
"What're you doing here?" Fulvio asked mildly.
"Well, I was helping dad with some cooking stuff, y'know."
"Dad?" Artur asked, with no idea who Dan was talking about.
"I'm talking about whom you guys call 'Mr. Ping', remember? Po and me, brothers forever."
"Oh! Uh… Yeah, yeah!" Unlike the cheerful Artur, he seemed low now, both in tone and in face. "He's…He's your father, of course."
Fulvio seemed to notice and read Artur expressions and his inner feelings. But Mr. Ping came out in the meantime, with a tray full of rich bowls and plates with different eating stuff. After serving a few tables, he stopped by the three humans.
"Oh! How good to see you two again!" The goose said cheerfully.
"Good to see you too!" The two chums said together.
"How are the days at the Jade Palace going? Is Po teaching well?"
"'Course!" Fulvio replied. "He's really good at that."
"I'm glad to hear it!" Ping said. "By the way, what do you want to eat?"
"N-Nothing!" Fulvio answered.
"What? Really? I can't let the two of you go on empty stomachs. Daniel has his stomach stuffed already with loads of dumplings so you two should eat something too."
"It's—It's fine, Mr. Ping," Artur said. "I just wanted to sit here. I feel happy being here around."
"How good of you!" Ping then turned to his human son, "Son, would you pick up those sacks from the stock below."
"Dad," Dan replied. "It's heavy. I can't pick them alone. Wait—" and then he turned to Fulvio. "Hey, come and gimme a hand. Your physique is like Po so, I guess, you'd be able to pick them with me."
"Sure!" Fulvio replied.
"Want me to come too?" Artur asked.
"It's fine." Ping replied. "The two of them are enough."
"Okay." A small grin on Artur's face as he saw them go inside.
A while passed and the two didn't return. Getting a little bored, Artur got up and went out, wandering on the roads and in the streets. He and his friends had grown pretty accustomed to the valley now for everyday they wandered doing fun.
While wandering, he reached a dead-end of high rocks around where he found the astonishing sight of two crocodile bandits robbing a poor male lamb. The two had sharp axe in their hands, edges pointed at the neck of the helpless guy giving those few coins with the trembling hands.
Artur was pretty shocked with the scene, not knowing what to do. The idea of escaping came to his mind but his legs just did not move and he stayed still until the two watched him.
"Look what do we have here!" the fat one said, voice croaky.
"A pathetic human! He's one of those newbies of the Jade Palace!" said the tall one in guttural voice.
"Let's finish him off then, brother."
"Sure!"
While the two croc robbers stepped forward, the helpless one got the chance and the lamb got away, leaving Artur mouth-hanged, alone to the two.
"Hey! D-Don't—Don't come near!" Artur warned, but his face was clearly showing how afraid he was. He had his fists strengthened to fight but was not ready to do so.
"Oh! You wanna put a fight, huh?" the fat one asked, skin darker than his brother.
"I… I'm warning you. I will do really, really bad beating to you." The solitary human tried to scare his enemies off but his voice was shaky; no effect at all.
"Ooo…! I'm scared!" said the light-skinned one. "Let's go!" And then the two brothers together suddenly rushed after the boy, swinging their blades roughly. Artur dodged every attack just by inches, all thanks to the Kung Fu learnt at the Jade Palace. But he could not deliver a blow. His main goal was to flee from the place somehow.
On finding the place from where he entered to that dead-end, he sprinted at once but the fat one hurried, closing the path with that gigantic body of his. There was no escape now for the only way was closed. From behind, the other one stood as well, having a devilish grin on the face.
The human boy was pretty afraid. His fists were trembling, face all pale. He gulped down many times but that surely was not going to help at all. He could feel his heart beat violently, rushing to come out of the chest.
"What am I gonna do?! What am I gonna do?! What am I supposed to do?!" Artur pondered, mind rushing with different thoughts of 'Doing' and 'Not doing'. "Like this, I'm totally gonna get killed here!"
At that moment filled with frights and fears, Artur shut his eyes, tension crawling all over the face. Only a few words could be mumbled by those quivering lips, "P-Please, help me, Po! Please…! Please, come here!" and as the frightened boy opened slowly his eyes, what he found really surprised him. He could not believe his eyes!
Po was already there, standing high and mighty over the bodies of the two. "'Sup, buddy?"
"P-Po!" Artur suddenly rushed and hugged his panda fella, tears to the brim of the eyes. Watching his friend frightened to death, Po, too, gave him a warm hug full of fur.
"I thought…I thought you'd never come and I'd die here!" Artur cried.
"'Sall fine, buddy! It's all fine!" Po ruffled his hair affectionately, trying to comfort his friend. "I'm here! I'll never let anything happen to you."
"You… You promise me?" His wide eyes let a few tears trickle down his glowing cheeks.
"Yes! I promise." Po whispered warmly as those chubby thumbs wiped off the glittering tears.
It was night now. After spending the whole day sharing the incident with the inhabitants of the Jade, and telling how the Dragon Warrior Po saved him from death, Artur sat beneath the Peach tree of Heavenly Wisdom, gazing far at the mountains covering the hazy moon.
As the breeze was cool and soothing, the young boy could easily sit, having his mind into different thought perhaps.
"Hey, bud!" Po appeared from behind the tree with that orange lamp glowing his cheeky face.
"Hey, it's you!"
"You fine now?" The panda sat beside, gazing at the same hazy moon.
"Never better!"
"That's good!" After a brief silence, Po spoke again, "I'm glad that I made it in time today."
"Y-Yeah." The human boy was gloomy a little about something. "But I'm sorry."
"Sorry? For what?"
"I… I was useless . . . completely useless."
"Hey, come on! You weren't. You know Kung Fu, too!"
"I know but I… I can't fight! And that makes me angry… makes me hate myself!" Artur glared at his clenched fist as if he wanted to crush something inside of it out of anger, out of self-loathing. "I wish I could fight like Dan. I wish I could be in his place! I wish I could… I could be like him!"
"Why bother being like him..." Po giggled that caught Artur's wide eyes at him. "…when you can be like YOU."
"Wh…What do you… mean?"
"Y'know? All these years at the Jade Palace, I've learnt that the only best person I can follow… is myself." Artur still did not understand. Po further explained. "You see, everyone has its own path to follow. You follow others; you'll end up getting lost in the end."
"I guess I understand to some extent." Po smirked faintly. Fulvio continued, "But Daniel is happy with you and Mr. Ping. He is confident, and has family that supports him." There were questions on the panda's mind. Artur slowly got up mumbling in an upset tone, "Just leave it. I am pathetic after all."
Those chubby claws stopped Artur from fleeing. "Hey, R! What's the matter?" His panda friend was suspicious about something. "You don't feel right?" Po asked mildly, yet a little suspicious.
"It's nothing, Po. Just let go of me!" The human boy tried to take back his hand but Po wouldn't return it to him.
"I'm not," The panda insisted, "Until you tell me what's wrong."
"I told you, Po! NOTHING IS WRONG!" Artur ranted, throwing Po's claw aside that really surprised the panda!
"C'mon, buddy!" His panda friend calmly whispered in his face. "Tell me. We're best buddies, right?"
Quiet for a couple of moments, poor guy then fell down to his knees, weeping. "I hate Daniel! I hate you! I hate everyone! I should… A pathetic and useless thing like me should just die!"
"Hey, hey!" Po, too, sat down, raising his chin, warmly saying, "You're not pathetic. I've seen you train really hard! You are really awesome!"
"You don't need to comfort me, Po." Artur sniveled consistently. "I really hate it to see Daniel having such a nice family—having such a nice brother. He is even confident in everything. And look at me! I'm a total failure!"
Those sad words dragged Po down into the river of sadness as well. "But you have a family, too, right? Aren't you happy with them?"
"No, I am not!" Poor boy sobbed. "I just… I am not a good son!" Po wondered out of curiosity why Artur said that. The boy continued, "I cannot do a single thing correctly! Every time mom asked something of me, I messed it up! EVERY SINGLE TIME! Everyone at the home, everyone at the campus, they call me idiot, stupid, pathetic, weak!
"I could not fight for myself!" Artur said. "Fulvio was there many times to do so! I tried… I tried to stay calm and smile but… but… I couldn't do more than keep hating and afraid of them! That's all I'm good at!"
"You know?" Po spoke sadly. "I had been through the same stuff." Artur suddenly startled, looking up at the furry face, his own face now completely drenched in tears. "I know how it feels… being taunted, being laughed upon, and being hated. It all happened when I newly came here. Everyone at the Jade Palace made fun of me in different ways. But—but look now! I'm the Dragon Warrior!"
"You are the chosen one," Artur said in his broken tone. "And I'm not!" Poor panda had nothing to answer. "Just leave it, Po. No matter how hard you try, I'll always be nothing."
"C'mon, buddy. Stop it, will you?" the quivering lips of the panda asked; tone solemn; head bowed down. A tear dripped that absorbed into the ground! The drenched face of the boy was now surprised to see that. The panda slowly then raised his head. His furry face was all wet with his own tears. "Why are you giving me the same pain again?!" and then hugged his human friend, both shedding bursting into tears, sobbing together.
After letting all the tears out, Po looked into his face, wiping his friend's tears, "I understand… I understand how you feel! But I promise you that I won't let such thing happen to you again! I will always stand by your side! I will protect you and become your confidence! I will make you what you want to be!"
"Thank you, Po! Thank you very much…! Thank you!" Artur whispered. Now both looked at each other and smiled.
"You can call me your big brother," Po said.
"Mm-hmm," Artur nodded. "But why do you call me 'R'?"
"Well, that's the nick name I gave to you. You don't like it."
"No. I like it. I really, really like it!"
Now, both the best friends were happy and contented!
Far behind the peach tree down there was Daniel who came there for some personal work with Po and had now overheard the whole conversation. A low smile appeared on his face, too. He as well was happy for both of his friends. With the same tender smile, he left.
Except the three presences, there was one more—the same dark patch one in the glow; Kay who was standing on a tree nearby invisible to their eyes, covered in the same dark and coarse cloth fluttering with the breeze.
"His time is near. . ."
