Okay, everybody, here's chapter three.
Chapter Four—The Test
Jing hid behind Po as Master Shifu approached, sucking in his breath sharply as he did. Somehow, despite Shifu's noticeable lack of height, the master was remarkably frightening. Po seemed undisturbed, but Jing could tell that Shifu was far from pleased.
"Panda, who is this?" Shifu demanded.
"This is Jing, a Kung Fu student and he's pretty good," Po replied.
"Why is he here in the Hall?" Shifu questioned.
"Well," Po said with a chuckle, "I thought I'd show him the awesomeness of the Jade Palace. Not everybody gets to see the amazing Jade Palace," he added with a wink to Jing. "He actually asked if he could train here."
"What?" Shifu gasped.
"Yeah, he wants to be a student of the legendary Dragon Warrior," Po explained, apparently oblivious to Shifu's growing annoyance. "Can't blame him."
"Po," Jing whispered warningly.
"I thought that, yeah, I'd teach him what I know," Po continued. "Got to pass the knowledge, right, Shifu?"
"No," Shifu snapped and with such finality that Po flinched. "You are not ready to teach, Panda."
"Then why don't you train him?" Po offered.
"No. As flattered as I'm sure you are by this youth, he simply cannot—"
"If you're wondering about his skill, Tigress and Monkey can vouch for that," Po continued. "After all, he practically beat them on his own."
"Did he now?" Shifu murmured in disbelief.
"Yeah, you can test him yourself," Po said. "In the training hall."
Shifu looked over Jing, who had started to unintentionally hold his breath. "Fine. Tigress will be his opponent. If he loses, he will be turned away."
"And if he wins?" Po asked, unable to hear Jing exhale.
Shifu frowned. "We will discuss it."
"This seems like a bad idea," Jing said to Po as they approached the training hall. "What if I lose?"
"You won't. Just be confident," Po answered, "and try not to get beat too badly if all else fails. Tigress can be a handful if you make her really mad."
"Oh," Jing sighed, looking at his feet as Shifu opened the door to the training hall. They stepped inside and Jing gasped. He had heard how the training hall was the proverbial gauntlet for only the best masters, but this exceeded his expectations. He saw the Furious Five training, Crane and Viper training against each other as Monkey and Tigress beat on the spiked dummies near the back. For a brief moment, Jing wondered where Mantis was, but he soon felt something on his shoulder and let out a shocked shout.
"Who's this, Master?" Mantis asked, landing gently on the floor.
"This is Jing, and he has asked permission to train here at the Jade Palace," Shifu answered.
"Another panda?" Viper wondered, slithering over.
"Yes, but if he is to train here, he must be tested," Shifu explained, "and I've reached the decision that Tigress will spar with him. Should he manage to defeat her"—she scoffed at the idea—"then we will discuss the possibility of his training here."
"No worries," Po told them. "I bet he could do it blindfolded."
"No," Jing hissed at him, but Shifu hummed with consideration.
"Very well, if that's the case," Shifu replied, "you shall battle her blindfolded on the tortoise shell."
"Wait, that's a—"
It was too late for a reply; Mantis had jumped onto the back of his head and tightened a dark piece of cloth onto his head. Jing stumbled forward and Po stopped him from falling into the actual field of training equipment. Very carefully, Po led him over to the tortoise and lifted him upward, practically throwing him onto the tortoise shell. Unable to keep his balance on the edge, Jing slid into the shell, screaming in surprise.
"Guys, I really think this—"
A loud growl made Jing jump out of the shell, landing carefully on the rim. The tortoise shell shook and Jing hesitated, barely able to keep his balance when he heard Tigress land beside him. He danced back carefully, dodging blows that he could not see, yet knew where happening. He felt a blow skim his cheek and he ducked into the tortoise shell, sliding down into it before sliding back out. How was he supposed to fight what he couldn't see?
Another loud growl sounded and Jing carefully moved to the side, but he felt the tortoise shell tilt slightly. An idea struck him. The tilt shifted and Jing made a move. He struck forward, and felt the slight tickling of fur that told him that he had almost landed a blow on Tigress. The tilt evened itself a little more, telling Jing that Tigress had moved to the other side.
That's how he'd do this. The tortoise shell moved based on the weight... The weight shifted again and the shell teetered. Jing wheeled around, ready to try once more, but the weight shifted once more, causing Jing's balance to lessen. He nearly fell off the tortoise, but he forced himself forward, sliding once more on the inside of the tortoise and landing on the other side. He exhaled sharply. This wasn't easy, to be sure, but it wasn't impossible.
Tigress made another lunge, inaudible this time, but Jing could adjust to the weight distribution. He moved to his left, and Tigress missed, but just barely. Her fist caught the cloth covering Jing's eyes and nearly pulled it off. She managed to stop herself, but her fist was caught in the cloth and Jing seized his chance. He struck, hitting Tigress's shoulder. Right as he had planned, Tigress's arm went limp and he pulled back.
Apparently, the nerve attack had made her angry. She let out an even louder growl than before and Jing skipped around the edge of the tortoise shell. Her aim seemed to have gotten better and Jing's balance disappeared. He felt his feet leave the tortoise shell and he fell backward, landing on the floor painfully. Then, another growl told him that Tigress was coming after him. He flinched, but someone cleared their throat, just as Tigress began to jump from the tortoise.
"That's enough!" Shifu called. "That will be enough."
Tigress turned back to him and bowed. Po came over and Jing sat upright. Po took off the blindfold from Jing's face. Jing looked back at him and took a deep breath. "What happened? Did I pass?"
"I think so," Po answered. "Not many people could actually stand up to Tigress and not get hit."
"I got lucky."
"Nope, not luck. Something like that takes real skill."
Shifu strode over to them, his face an emotionless mask. "You do appear to have some skill in Kung Fu. In the morning, we can discuss the possibility"—he stressed the word—"of your training at the Jade Palace."
Alright, everybody, here's Chapter 3. Enjoy.