Well guys, this is the last chapter. And I can only say... It just got longer. Still, I hope you enjoy!
Day 3
Part 2: The End Day
---
Citizen of the valley had lined themselves at both sides of the path, forming a huge runway in the middle for their visitors. They were at the entrance to the village, waiting to give their new guests the most welcoming receive they could get. Although the eclipse continued to shroud the daylight, their fears were no longer there to grip them. But despite of the downed atmosphere, Kuang was actually smiling.
Shifu didn't want to speak to him. After a restrained greeting, both of them had not through any conversation yet.
An half hour of standing proved boring and tiring. But at last, they spotted their visitors, reaching out from the tree lines in the line of four, carrying their golden flags as they marched. With rough estimation, there were only thirty of them. Visibly, they scanned the scourged village from side to side, seemed to be astonished by the condition of the valley was in.
Seeing the look on their faces, Shifu was wondering if he should had invited them in the first place. Of course, no one decides what the future would bring, and none could have predicted an outcome beyond an unexpected phenomenon.
Stupid eclipse, Shifu sighed. Stupid story.
The magistrate's smile widened more as the army came to a halt in front of them. The spearmen took their stands pridefully, poles facing up. The armors they wore were completely covered in golden steels, with a large painting of a red dragon at their chest. Their shoulder pats was pointy, like horns growing out from their sides. Their flags were shifting by the winds, a very epic felt of a visiting.
"Welcome to my humble Valley of Peace!" the magistrate exclaimed, spreading his arms in the air.
At first, Shifu was a bit agitated by the use of 'my', but he shrugged it off soon, because he never claimed it for his own.
An old dragon - completely covered in golden robe - stepped forth. He spoke with a slow, stabled tone. "Ah, Magistrate Kuang, if I may? It's an honor to meet you in person. Please, let me introduce myself." He lightly patted his own chest. "My name is Long, currently the second generation of master to the clan."
Scanning from the top to the bottom, Shifu quickly came around with a few details: he had a really long beard sprouting out from the tip of his snout, practically reaching the height of his sash. His eye lashes were long and white too. Other than that, his skins were all scaly and green.
How old is he? His dragon horns – which resembled the shape of branches - were longer than the rest of the clans. Maybe that could tell. Although his body was hunched due to age, yet he was undeniably taller than the magistrate, probably reaching the same height with Tigress.
"Ah, speaking of which," Long said. "I certainly looked forward to see the skills display by your greatest warrior."
"Yes, of course," Kuang answered. "You will not be disappointed. You will be faced with the toughest warrior my academy can offer. And certainly no woman as your opponent, I assure you."
The Heck!!
Much like Tigress, her master and comrades found the words incredibly irritating. First, he completely ignored the presence of The Furious Five. Second, Magistrate Kuang was actually one of the millions who discriminated the females.
How did he miss this little fact? Shifu wondered. Few months ago, Mr. Kuang had all the potentials to be a good magistrate, yet he had shown none of it once he grabbed the post. What did he miss? What the hell did he missed?
But Master Long only smiled, shaking his head. "Please, young one," he said. "Whom ever shall face my student, so long that the warrior has the strength and the heart. We will gladly, and honorly accept the duel."
"Oh," the magistrate muttered. "Okay."
Right, Shifu huffed quietly. He knew the word 'Okay'. He heard them every time he corrected him, and he certainly knew his skull was too thick for any changes.
Just then, Long dropped an eye over Shifu, and quickly raised an eyebrow when they locked gazes.
"Shifu!" he called merrily, almost sounded if they were old buddies.
"Huh..?!" the red panda stammered.
"Oh my, look at you!" The dragon walked past the magistrate, pacing towards him with open arms. "You certainly have grown a lot!" He chuckled. "My bad, OF course you did."
Shifu was dumbstruck when Long gave him a hug, warping him gently around his sleeved arms. He wanted to return the hug, but he was confused. Long let go after a while, crouching in front of him. "I see you have no much memory of me."
Embarrassed, Shifu can only cast his head down, murmuring in a low tone, "Sorry."
"No worries, no worries," Long said gleefully, patting his shoulder. "We had only met each other once anyway, just when you're five." He chuckled. When he did, his eyes formed into a thin line. "It's good to see you again, my old friend."
The phrase instantly struck the master and his students like a bolt.
They've met before? Really? Where?
"Urrh… Sorry to interrupt," the magistrate stepped between them. "Shall we begin the event?"
"Sure," Long said, straightening himself. "Of course."
*
Hundreds of people had gathered at the Jade Palace. But unlike the usual merriness, this one was a bit sorrow and demanding.
Mr. Ping was awfully down that day. His mind was so worked up that he decided to close his store. Although it was against his rule to not sell noodle for a day, but this day was the most exceptional day of his life. He didn't see it coming. All that ever so cheerful goose was no longer on the crowd's list.
Tigress wanted to talk to him, about her feelings for Po, but Viper advised her not to.
"Let's just… Leave him for now, okay?" Viper whispered. "Maybe tomorrow. I'll gladly accompany you, if you want?"
Tigress expressed a smile wryly. "Thanks. I will be fine by myself."
Viper returned the gesture. "Okay." She slithered off when Shifu called, ordering something about keeping watch over the children.
Tigress turned to Mr. Ping. He had been sitting there, unmoved and unspoken for hours, practically killing the time off by examining his wings.
She sighed. Clearly, that goose was oblivious to anything around him. Earlier on, Shifu did offer him a seat with them, but he refused by shaking his head, and walked off without looking at them. She felt sorry for him, and most of all, sorry for herself, because she missed him as much as he did.
Fire crackers were lighted at the middle of the arena, followed by a dance of the puppet dragons by a group of acrobats. Musicians lined themselves into two, playing the classic Chinese rhythms to pace up the atmosphere. The kids can be spotted running around with their toy windmills, chit chattering about who's spinning the fastest. For once, everybody seemed to have forgotten the eclipse.
Across the platform, the old master and his students were seating in a line, with the visitors on the other end. There was this empty seat between the two masters – the magistrate's seat, and Shifu felt uneasy for the separation between them. For some reason, he wanted to speak to Long so badly. Something he felt when he was around Oogway, because he was troubled, and Oogway usually had the answer or advice. What he can do was only peaking through his shoulder, occasionally spotting the old dragon talking to his students. Sometimes, Long seemed to bring back the sense of Oogway; an older master, a wiser sage.
Damn.
Normally, masters were put together to allow some conversation between them, but it seemed that Kuang had another plan for himself.
He stared at the magistrate, just in time to catch him starting the opening speech.
"Citizen of the Valley of Peace," Kuang exclaimed at the top of his lung. "It seems that it was just yesterday our little village was raid by an un-expecting foe. Yet, far from what we could mourn upon the dead, we should look ever forward to what we would find in the future."
Crane's eyes widened. "Wow."
"He doesn't care about a thing," Tigress snapped.
"Shh! Quiet!" Shifu hissed below his palm. But obviously, the dragon master on the other side overheard their little conversation. Long smiled at them, in which Shifu sheepishly returned with a forceful one.
"So, let us forget the past, and start anew. By the end of today, may the heaven bestow upon us with their blessing, and may our little town be once again rebirth with joy!"
Most of the crowd roared in return, while some of them didn't.
Monkey crossed his arms. "Sometimes, I wonder if he can do what he has said."
"Seventy percent goes to no," Viper added.
"No sweat." Mantis frowned. "I vote for ninety."
"Let the ceremony... Begin!" Magistrate Kuang shouted, and his assistance hit the gong with a drum.
The crowd wooed as a group of acrobats danced their way into the arena, practically showing off some of the dancing skills with red ribbons. Magistrate Kuang walked towards the masters, smiling.
He had to admit, it was disturbing.
Kuang slowly sunk himself onto his seat, slightly brushing his sleeves. Turning to Long, the magistrate smiled. "I hope you don't mind a little enjoyment before the tournament."
"Of course not," Long said. "We are certainly grateful for your hospitality."
What the heck. Tigress turned away. To say the least, she was not in the mood for this.
"Oh good, good," was all the magistrate answered.
The performance seemed to last for the next two hours under the black sun. Lanterns were lit across the palace; a rare occasion to observe during the afternoons. Foods were served while everyone enjoyed the show. However, they were tasteless with the pig dining beside him. He couldn't stop twitching his eyes every now and then, that is, everytime when the magistrate gulped down a chunk of meat. He swore he wanted his ears plugged for his eating habits, and he wondered if Master Long would want the same.
The fighters had their meal long before them, and they were off to get themselves prepared behind the stage. For the first time ever, Shifu and his students had a glimpse on their challenger: a female dragon, who wore a white plum blossom dress with a long black trouser. She was beautiful, and heaven knows how many males had hit on her. It was proven when Mantis and Monkey let out a "Wow" when she passed. Obviously dumbstruck, Tigress and Viper raised an eyebrow too, maybe because of the challenge they felt?
The dance finished with a stack up pose by the performers, and the crowd applauded like thunder, roaring and cheering merrily at them. The dancers waved as they maintained their postures, sending millions of smiles across the audience.
Once the arena was cleared, Magistrate Kuang passed his empty plate to the servant, stood up, and walked himself over the edge of the platform.
"And now, my people, the match will begin shortly."
Kuang turned to Master Long, smiling. "You can now go to attend your student before the fight, if you wish."
The dragon master nodded. "Of course." He stood up from his chair, and turned to the red panda.
"Shifu," he called.
"Uh-yes?" was an immediate reply.
"Can you take me to the backstage? I might have trouble finding my way around."
The question was sudden; quite sudden for him. He had no idea how to respond, but turning down his request would certainly be his last decision.
"Of course," he answered, standing up quick. Turning towards his students, he said, "Don't misbehave."
They nodded.
Shifu glanced across his students before taking off. Undeniably, everyone was breaking apart. Their spirits were gone.
He sighed. It might take a few days, or probably weeks to get over this.
As requested, he guided the master into the backstage. When they entered, the palace staffs were busy running here and there with left over plates.
But ignoring the crowds, they went into a room at the end of the hall, where they found Long's student busy wrapping her palms with bandages.
At the sight of the masters, she bowed with respect. "Master."
Shifu nodded in return, not knowing where to start.
But Long spoke for him. "May I introduce you to my best student?" he smiled gently. "Master Yun."
"Nice to meet you, Master Yun."
"Yes. Same here, Master Shifu," she returned the bow. "It is an honor to meet you."
She seemed to be nice, but Shifu couldn't help avoiding her look. There was something different about this girl. Well, maybe because she possessed razor teeth between her mouth; and a pair of red dragon eyes that burns in the dark. But despite her look, she was friendly; and maybe that make him uneasy over the combination.
Beautiful, friendly, but possessed the elements of a fearful predator. Yeah, not a single doubt, she is a monster.
"So you urm...." Shifu turned to Long. "Been through any countries before this?"
"Of course." Long grinned. "Accumulating the counts, I say that your valley was the thirty secondth."
Shifu said nothing but nodded. As calm as he was from the outside, he was actually rumbling in the inside.
Just then, a rabbit came by. "Sorry for the intrusion. I'm here to escort the warrior to the arena. If you may, please follow."
Well, that was fast, Shifu thought. They could have been giving more time.
Master Long nodded at his student, and took off after the rabbit. Shifu decided to keep a little distance between the two, but Long insisted that he follow. "Come along, my friend." He patted his shoulder, smiling. 'Don't shy your way out."
The words lifted him from his sorrow for once, but he could only respond with a stupidly un-phased "Oh." There was a silent between them, walking down the hallway they did. Maybe it was a gap of unfamiliarity, but somehow Long was a people person.
"What's wrong, Shifu?" He asked. "You seemed troubled from the start. Is there anything I could help?"
"No, thanks I…" But there is, this is your chance! He thought. Stop hitting around!
"Do you know the story about the eclipse?"
The dragon looked confused. Of course, Shifu thought. How would he know? He was far from the south. It was a story passed down through generation in their valley. No outsider would ever know, unless they were inherited from here.
Oddly, Long gestured a smile. "Of course," he said. "The eclipse that lasted for three days. It is what happening now, isn't it?"
Shifu's eyes widened, mouth gagging. On second thought, the eclipse was actually a worldwide phenomenon. "Yeah," he stammered. "Y-you know anything about the ehhhh…" he hesitated. "The Gate to Hell?"
Long stared at him, surprised. "I thought they called it the Hellgate. But funny how they actually named it that way."
"W-Wha-What do you mean? Wait, how do you-"
"Shifu," Long paused, clearing his throat. "The Hellgate, I mean, portal does not really bring passers directly into hell."
"What??"
Long's face turned serious. "It only brings them to the Spirit World, a realm that only co-existed in dreams and nightmares, a gap between life and death, a world where restless souls would dangle in between."
Seeing Shifu became so nervous, Long decided to change the subject.
"Of course." he smiled. "I wonder if Juan Gong actually finished his memoir." Long dragged a finger across his chin, not catching Shifu's expression. "Last time I heard, he said something about getting the dead back from hell. Of course, he was a good man who pursued his wildest curiosity."
Shifu dropped his jaw once more.
Ignoring the presence of the others, Long continued. "But many thought he was mad. I wonder if he actually succeeded in doing so. When asked, he only explained that he was going to mix a pile of mournful tears with the moon's water, to recreate another Hellgate while the eclipse lasted. Of course, that was his idea. I can't tell you much about the process. My other friend said it was better leaved untouched. You could have imagined how he was able to get those tears collected in time. I was really-"
Long paused when the red panda came to a halt, staring at him with eyes that resembled the size of a cup, close.
"You okay, Shifu?"
Shifu didn't answer immediately, but his lips began to close up, stretching into a smile, then a grin. Quick before he could reflex, Shifu had grabbed him by his hands, and shook it hard.
"THANK YOU!" he cried, before scowling off the hall, running as if he was caught on fire.
Long was rather confused. Turning to his student he asked, "Was it something I said?"
Yun only gave him a shrug.
*
Up on the stage, Viper thought she saw their master heading towards the Sacred Hall of Warriors.
"Is that Master Shifu?" she asked.
"Really?" Crane looked over the sky. "Where?"
*
Shifu kicked open the door, and dashed towards the end of the hall. When he reached the moon pool, he quickly held his face above the water, scanning the surface. Weirdly, the pool emitted no reflection. It was dark and blurry. He crashed his upper half into the pool, and cracked open his eyes under the water, only to see the bottomless abyss. After a few seconds, he pulled himself out, breathing hard to catch his breath.
Yes, he was planning to create another Hellgate, to break the laws of nature, to save his students from death.
Anyhow, the moon's water must be referring to the Moon Pool, and specifically, its water. So, that means mixing it up with mournful tears would create another Hellgate, as long as the eclipse lasted.
But he was missing the tears. How could he ever get so many in such a short time. And the requirement doubled when he remembered the panda, especially his big belly.
No doubt, he will need at least a full bottle of them. But how was he going to get it? Gather the villagers and made them cry over an onion? Well, for some crazy reason, it might just work, but he needed 'mournful' tears.
Wait a sec, Shifu turned around. Everyone was sad over the lost, right? He might just make it work. Picking himself up quickly, the old master made a dash towards the entrance.
No wait. Do you want to let the visitors see a whole group of people crying in front of them? No, darn it, that was crazy, stupid, and silly, not to even mention embarrassing.
His senses came back alive when he accidently knocked over the Legendary Urn of Whispering Warriors. Shifu scrambled to catch it, but the jar fell to the ground, and crashed into million pieces. The sounds echoed throughout the hall, and his ears continued to ring with it.
"Arghh!!" A scream came behind him. And it turned out to be Zheng, one of the staff assistants.
"I'm terribly sorry," Shifu apologized. Right then, he remembered an old fact, and his eyes quickly blinked with joy.
"That's it!" he shouted, startling the goose. "That very jar contained the mournful tears of the people!" Without further adieu, Shifu exit the hall in a rush. Zheng stood there, dumbstruck for a full three seconds, before shrugging it off to begin the 'fixing'.
*
"People! Now came the time which we all been waiting for! The friendly match between our chosen fighter, against the challenger, can now begin!"
The crowd roared with excitement, while the Furious Five quietly sat drown in their seats.
"Alright," Mantis started. "Let's see some actions!"
"Probably some embarrassment." Tigress snorted, supporting her chin with her paw. "Let's hope they don't point any lost to us."
Before long, Shifu came towards them, looking enthusiastically enough to have them wondering.
"Viper, Monkey, Mantis," called him hastily.
The three instantly straightened up in respond. "Yes, master?"
"Go find the weapon smith. And bring him to me at the Sacred Hall of Warriors," Shifu commanded. "And Crane, come with me." Upon finishing, the old master leaped off the platform, but Tigress stopped him before he took off running.
"Wait, master, what about me?!" she asked.
Shifu stared at her, switching to the magistrate, then back to her again.
"Make sure that pig doesn't do anything stupid."
Stupid? She smirked. You got it.
Everyone ran off separately, leaving the feline standing alone on the platform. She gazed over the arena, and saw the two fighters walking into the middle, with a judge standing between them.
"Ready?" the squirrel asked, holding a red flag in his hand. "You know the rules: win by striking your opponent as much as you can, while the time elapsed. One good assault will give you one point, while a successful block will give you the same. Complete evasion will earn you 2 points. Fighter that got knocked out of the ring will straight away lose the battle. The battle ends when the sand completely dropped to other side (sand clock), by then, no hitting below the belt, no weapons, no biting, no clawing, and no taunting. Other than that, anything goes. You're allowed to quit of cause, but you will lose the fight without further argument. Are we clear?"
The two contestants nodded their head.
"Good, you may start after the second gong." He raised the flag and showed it to the four judges. Slowly, he exit the ring and remained unmoved.
Facing the dragon was a masked wolf, who couldn't resist a temptation. "My," he chuckled. "What would you say, if you and me…" He tipped his moustache. "Go out and have a tea later?"
However, Yun's expression remained unchanged. "Sorry," she whispered. "No thanks."
The first gong sounded, and both of them simultaneously poised their fighting stance.
"Really?" the wolf said. "I am very disappointed."
This time, the dragon didn't answer.
The moment the second gong sounded, her opponent leaped at her with an incredible speed, almost striking her at the stomach. She blocked it at her palm, swiftly turned herself around his back, and sent an elbow at his waist.
"Urgh!" Her opponent yelped when the hit registered, staggering backwards with his hand over his waist.
Tigress widened her eyes in surprise; then focused them once again to gain better view. To say the least, the actions happened so fast that she almost missed it.
The wolf made his second charge. When close enough, he delivered an uppercut, but the dragon dodged with a side step. He rushed a blow on her chest, but she blocked it at her arm. A retaliating fist came at him fast, and he ducked over, switching his legs on the ground before giving her a reversed kick at her head. The kick didn't succeed, and the dragon grabbed his ankle after a block, then another grapple at his knee.
Soon before he could react, she yanked him hard into the air, and sent a kick straight at his stomach.
Tigress's ears stood up as she watched the wolf flung across the arena, landing back on the floor with a slam. The crowd gasped, but she was rather satisfied to watch the opponent suffer.
Bad girl, she smirked. Better don't let anyone see you smiling.
The wolf slowly got onto his feet. He was panting, and felt like vomiting his lunch. It took him a few more seconds to fully regain his focus.
The judges on the bench were thrilled by the fight, while the referee slowly circled the ring, sweating so much that he feared he would miss a hit. At least, the marks began to fly when the two made the second contact.
The wolf remained still after the last attack. His stance was no longer stable, with a hand over his stomach and slightly bended at his waist; he was suffering from the pain she gave him. The dragon quietly waited for another two seconds, before charging at him with a slide across the floor. She clawed the ground to stop her momentum, turned and gave a reversed kick at his face. The wolf blocked, but he missed another one that swept at his feet.
Soon, he was spinning in the air like a windmill, before Yun sent another kick at his back, throwing him far outside the ring. The wolf tumbled heavily back to the ground over a distance, and lay unconsciously with his face down.
Silent swept the scene as the referee rushed over the wolf.
The battle was over.
*
Shifu scooped up a bucket of water from the moon pool, and poured it down into the large basin.
The avian was dying to know what Shifu had in mind. But when he tried to ask, he was interrupted.
"Master Shifu!" Viper called over the entrance. "We have found him!"
"And guess who? It's our favorite blacksmith," added Mantis playfully.
"Hey, watch it." the ocelot snapped, visibly holding a pack of popcorn in his arms. "I am missing a good show back there, you know that?! This better not be some equipment problems again, is it not?"
"Zhan, happy to fill you in," Shifu ran towards them. "But we don't have much time. Zheng, bring in the urn!"
The goose responded almost immediately. He came with the Legendary Urn of Whispering Warriors, perfectly fixed. "Here it is, Shifu."
By the sight of it, Shifu widened his eyes. "How did you…"
"I did it before." Zheng answered sheepishly. "So I guess things kinda went faster this time."
"Good," Shifu took the urn and tear it to Zhan. "I want you to melt it."
"What?!"
"You want me to what?!" Zhan raised an eyebrow.
The goose fainted.
Okay, that didn't come out right. "No, I mean…" Shifu ticked his head. "It contains tears inside. Can you extract them for me? Don't hesitate to destroy it if needed."
"Well, the legendary urn huh?" Zhan held his popcorn aside, receiving the vase with a hug. "I suppose I could extract the water molecules through vaporization, before condensing them down into a jar. But I would have problem breaking through the polishing materials at first. Anyhow, I guess I can…"
Although Shifu was having a hard time catching up the explanation, but... "Good, that will do. Crane, take him back to his workshop."
"Wait!" Zhan tried to protest, but Crane had already swept him off the ground; some of the popcorn fell out. "But I told Wu I would be back in a jiffy!!"
There was not a proper goodbye, as they watched the avian carried the ocelot over the distance, screaming something about scaring of height.
*
Tigress watched as the referees stood by the wolf. For once, she thought the mask was thrown off, and the face revealed a bit. But she couldn't remember who he was. Anyway, the match was over pretty quick. And the wolf did not stand a chance against his opponent; even if the fight was prolonged. There seemed to be a huge gap between their skills. To tell the truth, after witnessing their battle, she started to wonder if she was enough to face the dragon alone.
Utterly, the referees nodded among themselves, and headed back to the judges.
The audience watched as the care taker took away the wolf. He was badly injured, to say the least. Although there was no visible blood omitted, but she knew the injuries were internal. Undeniably, they should find bruises here and there under the skin.
After a while, a rabbit referee walked into the ring, and stopped beside Yun.
"The match had decided," he spoke. "Yun, our challenger from the south... Is the winner!"
"Well, that can't be more obvious," Tigress muttered, sinking back into her chair with her arm folded.
Yun's colleagues seemed to applaude for herl, screaming and clapping on the other side of the platform. However, the locals didn't respond so well. Some of them did give a few claps, but most of them didn't. Their silent treatment explicitly showed their disconcertment; not at the match, but the wolf.
How could the teacher – for whom they've paid so much to have their children learns kung fu - easily lost to an outsider? Throughout the whole fight, he didn't even landed a single blow at his opponent, while he received two toss in return, one punch and three successful kicks from her.
Not to exaggerate things, but it was really disappointing.
Kuang was awfully nervous at the sight of the situation. His knees began to tremble when some of the locals turned to him. Next thing he did? Was making an excuse of going to the bathroom, and never show himself again.
Great, what's his problem? Tigress thought.
Now, no one was there to end the ceremony. Master Shifu wasn't there, neither did Master Crane, the one who usually took over once the master wasn't around. Tigress peeked at Master Long, hoping that he would do something to help. But what can a guest do in a place like this, in which the authority did not belong to his? That will be insulting enough to raise an issue.
"Oh boy." She heard the magistrate's assistant trembled. "That was bad."
Of course! As much as she hated that goose, but the situation really needed for a change.
"Hey, Huang Bi," she called.
"Y-yes?"
"Do something, will you?" she said.
"L-like ending the ceremony?" His nerve seemed broken.
"Yeah, something liked that."
"Bu-but the mayor said he was going to f-free Mr. Claw if he win the match."
Okay, what he said definitely didn't make any sense, and who is... "Mr. Claw?" she stammered. The name sounded familiar, but it didn't ring a bell. Yet. Is that the wolf's name?
Huang Bi gasped and held his mouth shut. He turned to run, but Tigress managed to grab him by the collar, pulling him back to her.
"What do you mean by the word 'free'?" She demanded. "Is he a prisoner or what?"
"I'm not telling!" Huang Bi answered. "Boss'll not happy."
"Well then." She unsheathed her index claw and pin it on his neck, "We can do this at the backstage if you want. Nobody will see a thing." Summoning all her concentration, Tigress was able to make a wicked grin, as if she was going to have the goose as dinner.
"Whoaaa! Huang Bi tell! Huang Bi tell!"
"Good ducky." She smirked, dropping the goose back to the ground. "Now spit."
It was funny how he betrayed his master so fast, eluding all the details like that.
"Boss says Claw has a potential. So he decided to free Claw. He and Claw made a deal about the tournament, claiming that if Claw can prove himself worthy in front of the people, he might be able to fend for his freedom. After that, they could…"
The goose gulped, shutting his mouth again. Tigress rolled her eyes, visibly unsheathed her claws, showing all of them in front of his face.
Huang Bi got the message, and continued, "H-he… He was thinking about using Claw as a tool to overthrown t-the Jade Palace."
Tigress's face instantly turned grim. "What?"
The goose hastily nodded his head as a sign of honesty.
Damn that Kuang, she cursed. When was he going to quit messing around? Now, the idea of overshadowing the Jade Palace was a complete overdo. She swore to her own, that ugly pig will going get it, in the most 'baddest' way she could ever think of.
But who is Mr. Claw? The name sounded familiar.
But if ignoring that. How did he escaped in the first place? She thought. Then again, it can't be more obvious. This must be a work of 'The Pig'. Fine, maybe he did get out, but she had to make sure Claw was getting all the security. After all, he's bad.
Tigress began to walk off when a kid called her name. "Master Tigress?"
She turned around, looking down to see a bunny at the height of her waist. "Yes?"
The little girl looked worried. "Aren't you better than him?"
She looked up and scanned around. "Who?"
"The wolf."
Her eyes widened, seemingly blushed a bit. "Really?" She giggled. "What makes you say that?"
"Because you're the most furious among the Furious Five, Tigress. Even the Dragon Warrior told me that he would be scared of you, when you got angry."
"He did?" She can't hold back a smile.
She must admit. The little girl's reason was a bit off coarse. But, that's how she sees in her. "Well, maybe I am the most furious after all," Tigress said with a grin. But this was not the time for chit chat. She simply had to race back and check on the wolf, just in case.
She waited for a another respond, giving a friendly look at the girl. When the rabbit said nothing more, Tigress nodded her head, gave her a smile and turned away.
"Hey, wait! Master Tigress! Aren't you going to fight her?!" She stopped her track again, turning to face the crowd this time. An odd feeling overcame her when she received the stares, coming from them like a clusters of rays. It was embarrassing. She was not the people person, and is scared of getting the attention.
The voice seemed to come from somewhere, probably from one of the hundreds people seating in front her, but she can't tracked the person, neither could she had guessed. Then, another person spoke up; a woman, a sheep.
"Yeah, show her, Master Tigress, I know you are better than the wolf."
Then, another one. "Come on! That was not what I see from our land! Show her that!"
And another. "He wasn't even as close as you, Master Tigress! You can do better than that."
The voices started swarming, and she hardly kept a straight mind for herself.
Great, she thought inwardly. I guess the Jade Palace still got supporters.
Alright, fine. She know what they want. Just go into the ring, and have a showdown with that dragon, whatever it takes to defeat her. But what about the wolf? If she explained about her being busy by now, they won't understand.
Someone else needed to go there, someone who is capable of fighting. But who? Just then, she spotted her, sitting among the rest, wearing green vest as always. A cat, a mountain cat in exact. Mei Ling... Nonetheless the best in her academy. She rushed up to her, continuously excused herself throughout the way. When she was close, the cat was looking at her.
"Urrh… Hi," Mei Ling greeted cheerfully. "That was.... A good match."
Since everyone was watching and listening, Tigress had to whisper close. "Mei Ling, I need you to go and check on the wolf."
"Huh?" Her eyebrows lifted a bit. "What wolf?"
"The guy that had just got his butt kicked."
"Oh," the cat giggled. She quickly turned serious after a look from Tigress. "Why, what's wrong?"
Tigress rolled her eyes. "Just go and check on him, okay?" She leaned closer to her ear, whispering, "He is a guy escaped from prison."
"What? But-"
"Don't know, don't ask. And the magistrate had something to do with this." Tigress warned. "Keep that in mind when you see him."
Mei Ling frowned at her, looking worried for a moment. But soon she gestured a smile, followed by a confirmative nod. "Okay."
"Thanks."
Without warning, Tigress jumped off the stand, and landed in the arena ring.
The crowd amazingly sprung back to life with the sign of her, and screamed as if their life depend on it.
Taking a deep breath and deep considering, she walked into the center, keeping her eyes fixed on the dragon. She turned to Long, waiting for approval. At first, he gave her a confused look, but then his lips curved into a smile, nodding as a sign of agreement.
The message was clear. Whenever a fighter finished his or her battle, whoever wished to challenge them further, can simply step into the ring. Her action certainly raised a confusion in the judges. But soon enough, one of them raised a hand, telling her to remain unmoved before a referee was sent in.
*
The black sun was clinging above the horizon. It will be a few more minutes before it's fully submerged.
Shifu was staring at his reflection, nervously watched as the mixture continued to ripple across the surface. The water was dark. Nothing had changed. In fact, none of a ripple.
"What now, master?" Viper grew impatient.
Crane abruptly stick a finger beside his beak, silently demanded her to keep quiet. She got the message, and reluctantly obeyed. Monkey looked through the hall entrance, watching the sun and the moon slowly separated; starting with a sharp flash at the side of the solar. Then, bit by bit, the white curve began to thicken.
Doubtless, the eclipse was starting to break. They had been waiting for the mixture to change, to bloom…. to show the second hellgate, for more than an hour after the mixture. But nothing had changed. They hate to admit it, the second Hellgate was never coming out.
So much for the story...
"What did I ever do to deserve this?" Shifu muttered alone, not keeping his eyes off his reflection. Everyone turned to him, mouth bitter.
"Are there… Anything I should… be learning through this... happening?"
The sun began to settle, and the moon continued to move obliquely downward, further away from the bright ball of fire.
"I…" Shifu dropped to his hands, keeping himself above the water line, sobbing. "I haven't…" His tone was broken, and tears rolled down his chin. "I h-haven't seen the… last of them."
Watching her master crying was heartbreaking, and Viper couldn't hold it anymore. Her mouth started to tremble, slowly curving down at the ends. Her eyes began to flood with tears. Crane was not far either, sniffing as he covered the serpent under his wing, feeling her trembled under his feathers.
"If... If only I could…" Shifu muttered through his breath, "S-see them… One more t-time."
Mantis bit his lips, trying hard not to show his tears. Monkey had his eyes closed, casting down at the floor.
The two were not going to come back.
Shifu was breathing hard. His throat was dry, and he hardly speaks. A tear from his cheek dropped into the mixture, making a soft touch at the surface. A thin ripple was made, calming the waves that engulfed his own reflection.
A mournful day, ended with the sun settling behind them. Nobody talked, nobody moved, at least for the moment to pay their last respect. The room was getting dark, and the jades throughout the hall started to glimmer, covering the room in a thin layer of emerald green light.
Suddenly, something else happened.
The mixture in the basin became increasing dark, giving Shifu a shock that made him backed away from the water. Soon, what appears was no reflection. The water below the surface turned into a tunnel, opening their way deep beyond the floor could take. It was an abyss down below, and there was no end to it.
All of a sudden, rays of light shot through the water, enlightening the hall as they twirled and moved randomly with freedom. It was a breath taking moment to all of them. It was a display of magic across the room, a dance of fiery death coming into life.
An arm reached out the water, tapping the floor softly with its fingers before another one stretched out. Slowly, a grey figure roused above the water surface, completely had its fur soaked. It pulled itself out of the water, and laid aside, waiting as another figure squeezed its large belly through the basin.
What happened in front of them was indescribable beyond the words, and they could only watched with their jaw dropped.
*
Tigress stepped into the ring, inwardly having a hard time keeping her confidence alive. The image of how the wolf being kicked and punched seemed to replay themselves inside her head.
A frightening strength, a powerful grip, and a sickening punch. She now came face to face with an opponent she had never faced before, a dragon, one of the proudest races in the lands of China.
"Should I go over the rules?" The referee asked, standing between her and her opponent.
Tigress shook her head, but remembering that her opponent might wanted it. She turned to her, seemingly asking the same question through her eyes.
Yun smiled in return, and said, "No thanks, I already know them."
"Alright, let's go for it, wait for second gong though," the squirrel said as merrily as he can, though he doubted doing so could braced himself for what's coming next.
Of course! Master Tigress was going to fight in front of them. Who would want to miss it? It was going to be fast and furious. Not to mention she was facing another fearsome kung fu master from the south.
The squirrel raised the red flag, showing it to the judges - they nodded at the sight of it - and backed outside the ring.
Tigress breathed in deep, and exhaled. The first gong sounded.
The two warriors readied their stance, and the audience grew silence.
Master Long was smiling, comfortably straightened himself on his seat. This was not a match to be missed.
Tigress's breath was getting harder. Her eyes were focused intensely on her opponent; Every blink and movements of the iris proved to make her feel vulnerable.
The second gong sounded, and silence swept over the scene.
The two warriors remained unmoved for a moment. Both of them were giving each other a tensed emotion through their eyes. Then, slowly, they circled the ring with each other at the opposite. Tigress kept her fists clenched hard, occasionally switching her stances for better movements.
Oh, yes. She knew her style. The dragon was more defensive than offensive. And she had to watch out for her grappling moves.
Tigress took the first charge to thrust out a punch. The dragon blocked it with her arm, retaliating with a fist in return. The feline blocked it at her arm too. They continued to exchange a series of strikes and blocks, until her opponent suddenly grabbed her by the arm.
Oh shit.
Next thing she knew, Tigress was thrown over the shoulder, up into the air. Her flight was short, before she saw Yun sprung at her, legs twirling in the air. She was upside down when she blocked the butterfly kick. Her body spun uncontrollably afterward. Her world was spinning, before she hit the ground with a bang on her face, quarterly paralyzed her senses. She could hear the crowd gasped as she lay on the ground, losing her sense of balance. Although she was tumbling on the floor, she felt like hitting a wall instead. It took her a moment to regain her feet. Luckily, her opponent decided to wait.
As soon as Tigress was up again, Yun began to charge at her. And it only took her a second to reach Tigress. The feline sent out a punch, but quickly reverted when the dragon scissor at her throat. Her arms quickly formed into two walls, blocking the attacks from both sides. Yun retracted herself quickly, only to replace by a front thrust. Tigress was no where behind, her arms quickly closed into a shield. But the momentum was unbearable, for her whole body was thrown off by the kick, and leaved her staggering backward with the pain in her bones.
What the hell? It felt like someone throwing a rock at her.
Yun made her next move, twirling a reversed kick into her face.
Still in recovery, Tigress managed to block it with one arm. Then, as quick as she moved, she leaped onto the dragon. Grabbing her by the shoulders, the feline repositioned herself quickly, and sent a downward kick into her opponent's face. Yun blocked it. But it was all Tigress had planned. Her foot quickly turned into a hook, and she let herself dropped behind the dragon. She kicked her opponent's back with her other foot, sending Yun off her feet. Quickly strangled Yun by the throat, Tigress swung her over the air, and slammed her back into the ground, head first.
The floor crackled at one shot.
The audience quickly screamed in excitment as Tigress flipped gracefully back to her feet. Even Master Long was amazed by the attack, unconsciously leaked a 'Wow!'.
Unfortunately, for Tigress's dissapointment, Yun didn't stay on the floor long enough. She back flipped onto her feet, as if nothing had happened.
The crowd's cheer instantly came to a hold, and a jaw dropped feline stood there gazing.
"What the..." Gritting her teeth, Tigress quickly returned her fighting stance again. "No kidding."
"Iron was the word," the dragon said as she massaged her head. "I guess you can call it a reputation we have earned."
With a battle roar, the two warriors leaped back at each other.
*
Mei Ling was in the backstage when she came across a group of trembling gooses.
"What's wrong," she asked one of them.
"T-the wolf, he got up and rampaged!"
Her expression turned serious. "Where is he now?"
"T-there, the magistrate came with four rhinos, and took him into the kitchen. He told us to leave them alone."
Mei Ling raised an eyebrow, "Really?"
Far ahead, the kitchen door was shut up tight, and she could hear the chattering, more like bellowing. The gooses didn't seem to hear that, for her hearing was far beyond their limits.
"….You're lying!..." came the words. Pretty loud, but the gooses didn't hear.
Anxiously, she walked towards the door, slowly not to make a single sound.
"Urrh…. Miss!" one of the staffs called.
"Yes?"
"The… the magistrate don't want to be disturbed."
"Don't worry," Mei Ling said. "I won't get their attention."
The staffs nodded as approval.
"Now, now." The voice came again, from behind the door. "Don't be foolish. You're the one that failed me. At least, failed to yourself. You didn't win the fight, remember? So, I can't free you."
At first, Mei Ling didn't understand where the conversations were going, but when she remembered what Tigress had told her - about the wolf being an escaped prisoner and all, it did rang a bell. At least, a little.
So the magistrate is involved in the… prison break?
"You fatass!"
Ouch, what a word, she thought. The room on the other side suddenly rumbled with chairs being thrown over, tables clumping together, and lastly, ended up with the sounds of pots dropping all over the ground. Sounds like a fight.
She turned to the staffs, and they looked shaken. Clearly, they must have heard the fight too. Of course, why not? It was as noisy as a singing hippo.
She knew there was four rhinos at the other side, so the wolf couldn't possibly win, could he?
"I see you're no better in that state." The voice spoke again. This time, it was clearly the magistrate alright. "Ha-ha. I doubt you can even stand up against the Furious Five, not anyone one of it. You just can't. You are too weak."
Right now, the other staffs joined her, peering their ears close to the door.
"I guess you're going back to jail eh?" They heard a sigh between the pause. "You been wasting my time long enough."
"You one sick pig of shit!"
"Ouch," muttered all of them together.
Then, another series of tumbling sounds continued, another attempt by the wolf, probably.
She gasped when the door flung open, and the wolf was thrown far across the hall. He hit at the side of the wall, falling unconsciously on his back.
The gooses ran all over the place when the magistrate came out, accompanied by the rhinos. Once he spotted Mei Ling, his face turned pale, "You! You sneaking up on us?!" he demanded.
"I…"
"Get her!"
Kuang's henchmen began to charge at her, and she did a couple of backflips to escape their grips. They are strong, and are very, very large compared to her size.
"Do you have any bamboo," Mei Ling asked at the gooses. "Or staff, or maybe pole?"
They shook their head.
Great.
One of the rhinos came charging at her, so she flipped over. Swiftly grabbing a cooking pan from the table, she hit him on the head.
*Pang!*
The rhino hit the floor on one strike, and laid there unconscious. The pan continued tol sing in her grip, shaking after the blow.
Wow, not bad. She smirked at her doing.
The other rhino charged in. She ducked over a fist, side stepped, and hit him at the back of the head. *Pang!*
She quickly dodged over a bull charge, avoiding completely to get behind the third rhino. *Pang!* Came the sound of the cooking pan again.
Then another one, in which she grabbed a cooking stick, and poked it into his stomach. The rhino let out a growl, arching his body over the pain. Obviously, his head was inches in front of her pan, so she just hit it.
*Pang!*
With that, the last rhino fell unconscious.
"You…" the magistrate bellowed. "I'll have you thrown into jail for this!"
Mei Ling frowned, not liking the idea of running around with the guards chasing her.
Just then, a voice interrupted, "Not necessarily."
Looking around, Mei Ling spotted Master Shifu standing at the door way, accompanied by two rhinos – Vachir and Jong. He was actually smiling.
"I want to listen to the story first." The red panda stepped closer between them. "Start with this one." He pointed over the unconscious wolf.
"What?!" the magistrate growled. "He is just a teacher from the Kuang's Academy, Master Shifu. Nothing more."
"And also an escaped prisoner." Shifu chuckled. "Just now, Vachir and his men came over to report the outbreak. Literally, they saw him battling the dragon, and wished to secure him."
"But-"
"They know it's your doing." Shifu's eyes narrowed, looking dead serious. "Your information is leaked. And your servants in the prison were bounded for guilty, thanks to you. Mister Magistrate."
Kuang fell silence at once.
*
Tigress was panting hard. Her body arched from the pains. The last grapple was a terrible one. She was flung into the floor before receiving a kick into the air. Dropping down was another bad things, she get another strike that sent her deep into the floor. Now, she barely stood.
It was scary. For the first time in her life, she never felt so helpless.
Two more referees had been added to the scene, just in case they missed a glimpse. Everything was fast, very fast. The audience were no longer cheering, all straightened up on their seat, sweating and biting their lips.
Tigress slowly got onto her feet. Trembling over the pain, she posed ready for another strike.
The judges looked over the sand clock. Time was almost up. If it is, the match would end, with the dragon as the winner. Tigress certainly fought well, but they counted the fight through the succeeding blows. At first, all of them were begging for a slow motion, because once the two engaged at each other, the marks went elevated in an incredible pace. So far they managed to keep up, but heavens know how many evasion and blocks they miscalculated.
Yun leaped in, fist in the air. But Tigress knew it was another fake attempt. She shoved it aside, but saw another one coming. She wanted to grab the fist, but instead the fist quickly opened up into a grapple, gripping her grip instead.
Great.
One of their arms had just locked dead on a duel grapples. But they managed to exchange another series of punch and kick, before the dragon grabbed her other arm, completely had it locked.
With a fearsome force, Yun lifted the feline over, up above her head. Tigress saw this one coming, literally swung her body quickly, giving herself a boost to make the dragon lost her balance.
Yun was pretty shock by the look, although it was a split second of eye contact in the air. Tigress managed to land on her feet next. With her remaining strength, she quickly swung the dragon over her shoulder.
A reversed grapple.
However, instead of hitting the floor, Yun landed on her feet again. Her grips remained as tight as a snare, and Tigress barely shook it off.
Fine, last resort.
Dodging a kick at her waist, Tigress pulled Yun close, and next thing she did, was banging their foreheads together, so hard that her senses came to a stop. Everything twirled over the pain. The grips loosened on contact, and they both fell lifelessly to the ground – Yun fell backwards, while Tigress dropped on her stomach.
The crowd gasped at the scene, and the referees was stunned. Judges all stood up, hoping to get a better view.
With her four on the ground, Tigress panted hard. Her head was aching horribly. She couldn't lift herself, not even a finger. In fact, her entire body was numbed.
"What," Yun hissed, sitting up straight. "Are you thinking?!"
Tigress could only smirk. Yeah, what am I thinking? That was the most reckless attempt.
But she must admit, the moment Yun started to talk, her heart seemed to have skipped a beat. The last headbutt should have hit her senseless as well, she was expecting her to lay there paralyzed.
Oh well, guess she had lost the match. Over the paralyze of her own body, Tigress couldn't even move anymore. She might as well quit, for now.
Just then, one of the referees came over, scanning at both of them. They returned the stare with confusion. Unexpectedly, the squirrel lifted a red flag.
"Out of the ring!" he called. "Tigress's the winner."
"Huh?"
Looking at the ground, Tigress noticed that she was... In fact, inches before the line, while Yun was sitting beyond it.
"Oh," the dragon sighed. "Guess that explained it."
The crowd began to cheer so hard that it boomed over her ears. People were jumping up and down on their seats, chanting "Tigress!.... Tigress!.... Tigress!" Some of them even screamed until they fainted, while some of them danced on the seats. Nonetheless, they were crazy supporters.
Tigress shut her eyes and smiled, listening as her name continued to chant over the air.
The judges couldn't help but to hug among themselves, tearing and throwing the records all over the place. They won't be needed anymore, once outside the ring, the winner was obvious. And hell with the marks going over hundred!
"Great, never thought you would had done that," a familiar voice hovered over the audiences'.
Tigress reopened her eyes, spotting two heads on top of her. One of them was black and white, and one was grey…
"Po?!" she gasped, turning to the second one. "And Tai Lung?"
The leopard snorted, crossing his arms. "Didn't see us coming? You really put up a good fight back there, girl."
"I-I was… I…" She stopped, frowning. "Am I dead?"
The two looked at each other, pretty much speechless.
"No, you aren't." Viper came into her view. "They were-"
"Back," Mantis interrupted. "From a long trip to somewhere."
Tigress smiled. "Right, and I wanna hear about it when this is over." She turned to Po. "Kay, o' Dragon Warrior?"
The panda hesitated. "Well, I'm not sure where I should begin."
"Better yet," Tai Lung said, "Better not."
The audience continued to roar behind them. This time, with a mixture of surprise to see the two reappearing. Mr. Ping quickly thrown himself over Po, crying and shouting "My boy! My son!"
"Dad, dad." Po felt embarassed, patting the goose by the back. "Not in front of the crowd please."
The gang then paused to look at the dragon, picking herself back up.
"So," Po started. "You must be the…"
"Visitor." She smiled. "From the south. The name is Yun."
"NICE TO MEET YOU! Master Yun!" Po stretched out his hand, but quickly retracted it. "I mean." He bowed. "Its an honor to meet you."
"The pleasure I will share." Yun returned the bow. "You are the… Dragon Warrior?"
Po blushed. "Oh, sure, what, I don't look like one? Nevermind, don't worry about it. Everyone questioned my obesity too. Hey, I'm quite famous for-"
"Ooookay," Tai Lung neck locked the panda, stopping him from trailing off. "I think it's time for some urrr…. Ending ceremony, don't you think?"
*
"That's preposterous!" Kuang bellowed. "I did not help him escaped from the prison!"
"You know," Vachir turned to Shifu. "Maybe you got the wrong person. Maybe he is right."
"What?!" Shifu cried. A smile can be seen from Kuang.
"I mean," Vachir continued. "How could someone so dumb would be the mastermind behind all this? Oh, come on, don't look at me like that, look at him instead, that's one big pile of brainless meat you're accusing on, Shifu, you know that?"
With that said, Jong started to crack a laugh.
"How dare you call me that!" Kuang growled. "If it wasn't for me, Claw would have been rotted in jail!" As soon as his mind came back to sense, his lips fell into a halt.
Shifu, Jong and Ochir exchanged a look at each other. Finally Vachir broke out laughing. "See? I told you guys it will work."
The other two let out a sigh, reaching into their pockets and took out five silver coins, each. Yes, in other words, they had lost the bet.
"Guess you know your prisoner well," said Shifu.
"Hey, it works every time on those who think they are clever." Vachir received the coins from them.
"What!?"
"Take him away!" Jong ordered.
Kuang started to run, but two town guards quickly took hold of his arms, dragging him clumsily through the exit. "You buffoons! I'm NOT the one!"
Claw was not far behind, being held up tight by a rhino. He was so beat up that he didn't have the strength to struggle anymore. Both of them were thrown into the iron carriage,and the steel door slammed shut with Kuang's face shouting over the bars. "I'm not the ONE! HOW DARE YOU tricked me into saying that!"
"Wow, he got a really thick skull," said Vachir.
"Welcome to my world." Shifu smirked. "Anyway, how do you two like to stay for a dinner at the Jade Palace?"
"Wha-excuse me?" Vachir took a few steps away.
"Everyone is here, right?" Shifu chuckled. "Since you came from a long way too, why don't you stay for the night."
Vachir stared at him, as if he had grown a halo over his head. "S-sure, that's sounds…. Swell. I guess I can spare some time for my brother."
Vachir turned to Jong for approval, but instead he received a snort from him.
"What?" Jong crossed his arms. "You, on a family trip? Oh pl-lease. Not in a million years."
"Owwh come on," Vachir started making a baby face, "I bet you needed a hug from your brother." He rushed over Jong with his arms opened. "And to top it off, how about a brotherly kiss too?"
"Oh no, NO!" Jong staggered a few steps, accidentally toppled over a table. "You stay away!"
As soon as Vachir closed over him, Jong took off for a run. Everyone in the hall laughed as the two broke out in a wild goose chase. After a few squeaks and turns in the hall, both of them vanished through the exit.
"Oh, I almost forgot." Shifu turned to Mei Ling. "Thank you for taking care of the things in here."
"Nah, don't mention it." Mei Ling replied sheepishly. "I was just… Sorta.. Asked to help anyway."
"And you too, Zhan," Shifu turned to the ocelot.
"Anytime, boss."
This time, there was another cloaked figure standing behind the blacksmith. Shifu couldn't make out the face, but he could tell that it was an ocelot too, with her ears stretching out of the straw head like that. And he almost thought it was an assasin.
Anyway.... "Now," Shifu continued. "Like I had mentioned earlier. Care to stay for dinner?"
"Well," Mei Ling blushed. "I'll be more than honored."
"Sure thing, in the Jade Palace?" Zhan wondered. "That sounds really good."
"That's great!" Viper shouted from the entrance. Now, everyone was here.
"Hey, Mei Ling," Crane greeted.
"Wow Crane, it's good to see you!"
Mei Ling rushed over Crane and gave him a squeezing hug.
"Urrghh…." Crane couldn't hide his red face even if he tried to cover it under his feathers. His friends made a few murmurs and broke out laughing.
After releasing Crane, Mei Ling turned to the others. "Hey, guys! How's it been?"
"Well, I gotta say…" Tigress wondered playfully. "Never been better."
"Oh, you bet." Mantis hopped over Monkey's head. "With all what we had been through. I say it's a good turning point from here."
"I can't agree more," Tai Lung said.
"Hey, since everyone's around," Mantis began to suggest. "Why don't you guys share your little adventuring story."
Po and Tai Lung suddenly grew nervous.
"Wha-what, what adventure, there is no adventure, we just-"
"Sorta dropped in somehwere."
"Yeah, somewhere that we don't belong-"
"Somewhere..."
"Good! I mean... Screw that, its-"
"A weird place."
"Oh, I don't know." Viper cut them off, giggling. "But that definitely sound like an adventure to me, right guys?"
"Yeah!" Mantis agreed.
"Do tell, I'm so excited!" Crane laughed.
Shifu was happy watching the gang gathering in front of him. He was very pleased with Tai Lung and the panda back. And along with the magistrate's threats being taken off into the prison cell, he felt like having completely no worries at all for the rest of his life. Of course, he really doubted it. But for now, things were turning ten times more better than he had expected. Right now, he will have nothing else to describe, except a simple phrase…. And that would be,
"Awesome!" he screamed. Everyone abruptly came to a pause, staring at him with their eyes wide open.
"Urrhh… I mean," Shifu's eyes began to dart. "Blossom! You can wear them as a mark of peace and friendship during the dinner."
Stupid reason, how lame.
For a moment he swore he was getting a cold sweat. Thank heaven that Po changed the subject. "I am not really sure about the sound of that, but still, I'll get things FIRED UP in the kitchen right away, master!"
"I'm right behind you." Tigress cherished. "Just in case you really put the kitchen on fire." The others laughed.
Mantis eagerly followed. "Great, I want a pot of hot noodles, with some hot peppers, and some long beans, and maybe some of that fish balls too.." The list went on and on as his voices trailed over the Jade Palace. The others continued to laugh as they followed close.
Smiling as he plodded, Shifu caught sign of Master Long standing unacompanied at the platform, overviewing the Palace Arena. The crowd had been cleared, and what was left was quiet. The sun had been long set, leaving only the stars sparkling in the night sky, partly covered up by the clouds that resembled piles of cotton wools. Crickets sung in the nearby forest, while the environment was getting little light from the red lanterns. He could feel the moisture breezely brushed through his skins, and the wind shifted his moustache as he plodded towards the dragon.
"So, urrmm…" Shifu began. "It's been a long day huh?"
"Oh?" Long turned to him, a bit shocked by his presence. "Ah, yes… I guess so. But full of meaning and memories too."
Shifu chuckled. "I can't agree more."
Long stared beyond the horizon. "It's a beautiful valley over here."
"Yeah." Shifu nodded. Then something came to his mind, and this time, he didn't hesitate to ask, "How do you know about Juan Gong?"
"Oh? You mean the old owl?"
"Urrh… I guess so."
So Juan Gong is an owl….
"He and I once lived in this valley together. Me, him, and Oogway were once good friends-"
"I'm sorry, but did you just mentioned Oogway?!"
"Why yes, of course." Long said. "We were travellers across the world, learning things that varied throughout the lands could offer."
Shifu's eyes widened. He never knew he had come so close to another great master.
"Eventually," Long sighed. "We came across this land and… Oogway fell in love with the scenery. He decided to make this place his home. And Juan Gong wanted to follow.
"But it came to my decision that I wished to travel back to my home town, to share things that I had once learnt throughout my years."
Turning to Shifu he smiled. "And I met you before my departure, when you're a young boy. At least, by at that time, Oogway only picked you as his student. His previous apprentices had just made their way across China."
Shifu's mouth gapped. Everything came flashing back through his mind: How he met Oogway, and how he ended up being one of the students under Oogway.
When he came back to his sense, Long was smiling down at him.
"I… urh… It's truly an honor to meet a great master that is friend of Oogway." Shifu bowed.
Long chuckled and waved his hand. "No fluttery, young one. No fluttery."
"Hey, masters!" Po called over the distance. "Dinner is almost served! Everyone's waiting!"
Turning to Long, Shifu smiled and asked, "Shall we?"
"Of course."
With that said, both of them plodded towards the kitchen. Moon light shone over the valley, without a moon in the sky and the stars sparkled throughout the endless universe. Shifu knew.... that deep in his heart, everything had finally made their turns.
On the next morning, Master Long and his clan will make their departure, to continue their lifetime pilverage across the lands of ancient wisdom, and beauty beyond scenery that would make you say...
"Wow"
---
The End
Author's Note: That's the end of story people. Thanks for watching. Hope you enjoyed. Please! Review! They are always more than welcome!
To reader
Luna Goldsun, I have been trying hard to recatch their personality ever since the first chap. But I guess I don't know how well I ended up.
AngelEtty, thank you for giving me some ideas of what I'm doing wrong. I really appreciate it.
Arceus Conberma, I really like things that are supernatural too, you know?
Lola Kristy, I know I skipped the part of what happened to Po and Tai Lung. There is a lot of thought putting on their progress after they dropped into the black hole. But eventually, I would ended up with problem progressing the story. So.... I had to take it out. Sorry! :3
Mildirk, sorry if things didn't turned up as scary as you predicted. ;) .... I also wanted the story to be scary too. But eventually, it had to end up this way.
So, folks. There is an alternate chapter regarding Po and Tai Lung's little adventure. It will take a bit longer this time since my school is starting - huh, Not a professional reason? XP. The only description of the world they would be is what Master Long had told Shifu. That's all I can say. And btw, I uploaded the picture of 'Yun' the dragon, in my deviantArt. The picture's name is Yun, but if you had problem going through, the URL is always in my profile.