Anywhere But Here
A Banjo-Kazooie / Zootopia Crossover Story (feat. Kung Fu Panda)
Chapter 4: Encouragement

She had heard that it was huge.

To see it for herself, however, was certainty a different story.

Huge was underestimating the actual size of the city, and full of predominately mammals, of all things. Perhaps it was the dominantly mammal population would explain that flight restriction Kazooie had come to quickly grow a deep disgust for, and even began to digger pit for that distaste the more she was reminded that she had to trot by talons everywhere in the huge city.

The bird had been within the districts of Zootopia for three hours already, and thoroughly exhausted. By now, she was already used to the dirty looks that she had been receiving, and inevitably grew tired of them. Then again, it wasn't like she was here for them anyway, least by now that she would have given them a piece of her mind. As the city began to become more quiet than what she had grown used to, she knew her talons needed a rest, and proceeded to take a rest over by the fountain that was so conveniently near.

If flying had been just as convenient, she wouldn't be in this predicament - she would have already talked Banjo out of that date, or at least tried to. Wherever he went was beyond her, and it started to piss her off that something that was so simple was now complicated. Before another thought could pass her mind, she put her wings to her face in frustration.

Tooty was right... Tooty was always right... well... at least about her feelings for Banjo.

She should have just told him right then and there the thoughts and feelings that were really brewing within her mind and heart as she had brushed off the wrinkles from his tuxedo. She should have just taken him within her wings and refused to let him go on this blind date with someone he had not met until today, and maybe even have at least tried to kiss him (which was obviously hard for a mammal and a bird). Heck, she should have slapped the living daylights out of the goggle-boy who even suggested the ridiculous notion in the first place. Kazooie had always been a bit possessive of things that mattered to her, but apparently no one understood that she was possessive of Banjo as well.

That bear was hers, and she should have proved it with just three words.

Kazooie was halfway tempted to swear to never to return home unless she had the bear with her, but her thoughts were broken of deep concentration by the sudden paw that came to rest on her shoulder.

From the feel of it, she knew immediately that it wasn't Banjo's, yet looking up didn't hurt anyway, confirming with her eyes that her speculation was true. She was startled, however, by the individual that did - a tiger, to be sure, yet there was something about the eyes and the stature of the individual that indicated that one's best guess would be a female. Nonetheless, despite being female or male, Kazooie wasn't acquainted with the individual, and wasn't comfortable in accepting such a touch, even if genuine.

"Do I know you?" she asked.

"No, you don't," replied the other in a hushed voice that silenced all doubts regarding her gender, "But I was wondering if you were alright."

"Asking a complete stranger if they're okay? Seriously?" Kazooie asked, brushing off her paw as she did so, "Look, I don't want to be mean, but I'm trying to look for someone, and I sincerely doubt you would be of any help to me, so don't get your hopes up and go find some other animal to help."

The tiger understood that Kazooie meant 'animal' in the sense of the fact that she wasn't a mammal herself, yet her face softened anyway at the obvious lie she was pouring out of her beak. The truth of the matter was that Kazooie was frustrated, and did need her help, in a round about sort of way, yet nonetheless able to admit it. In fact, she knew the words that were going to leave her mouth were going to spark some hope, and lost no time into letting them flow.

"Perhaps you do, or perhaps you don't - the point doesn't change that we're both looking for someone."

She tried not to smile, and did it with marvelous ease as the bird looked at her with complete shock. It was after Kazooie began to realize that it was clearly written all over her face that she turned and looked away, her face giving away her mental complexity before looking back up at the female tiger once again.

"Okay, maybe I do need your help," Kazooie confessed, "Two eyes would be better than one."

Sinking in the reality of her rudeness towards potential help, Kazooie rose from from where she was sitting and extended her wing to the female tiger, as if to gesture a handshake.

"Kazooie of Spiral Mountain," she said, her voice far less rude than it had been just a few minutes ago.

"Tigress of China," the female tiger replied, accepting her wing into a firm handshake.

"Tigress, huh? Strange name."

"As is yours - I don't know many individuals who carry a name that derives from an instrument."

"Then you've obviously never met Banjo."

"Is that who you are looking for?"

"Yeah," Kazooie remarked as they began to make their way further from the fountain, "Who are you looking for?"

"A bear by the name of Po," Tigress replied, "Tall, flabby - pretty much everything you would expect from a panda except the eyes - they're green, like jade."

"Well, if I knew what jade looked like, I would know what color eyes to look for."

The female tiger chuckled.

"But you came off kind of dreamy there," Kazooie pointed out, "Do you like the guy?"

"Elaborate on 'like'."

"What I mean is if you like like him... you know, love."

Tigress stopped for a minute, glancing at Kazooie as she did so. Sure, their paces didn't really cease, but the lack of a response over a reasonable amount of time made the bird wonder if she had overstepped her boundaries. Before she could apologize, or do anything of the sort, a quick answer left her lips.

"What was that?" Kazooie inquired, smiling, "Was that a 'yes'?"

"Something of that nature," Tigress replied, her voice still low yet nonetheless flustered by her own confession.

"Does he know?"

"Of course not."

"Why haven't you told him?"

"I know you haven't met him, but Po is rather... simple, in his own sort of way. I don't know how yet, but there are some things that are hard for Po to understand, despite our now deeply rooted friendship which has now expanded to five years. Even if I did tell him, I do not know how he'll react, much less return the kind of disposition I have towards him."

"...Wait, wait, wait... simple as in stupid?"

"...In a rather insulting way... yes."

"Okay, so let me see if I have this right - you, the strong, hard-core type of girl who also has a serious need for independence, became friends with a guy that you would have never thought it would be possible to become friends with, and now you two are inseparable.

Now, after a very long time, you suddenly realize you have feelings for the same guy you once saw as stupid, some of it coming from that stupidity, yet adorable with a mix of endurance because while you once put up with his stupidity, he also put up with your arrogance and rude manner.

Since you've come to accept these feelings, you don't know what to do with them, but you'll know that someday, if you don't say something now, another girl who others will think is more compatible will take him from you. And the truth of the matter being that you don't want that to happen simply because, even though you won't admit it now, you're jealous - deeply rooted jealous."

Kazooie then began to talon herself backward to look at the rather surprised Tigress as she walked, at least long enough to ask a question.

"Did I get it?"

From her look, Kazooie smiled and turned her body back around, least she have better way of seeing where she was going.

"I think I got it."

"Are you certain that we haven't been acquainted before?"

"Pretty sure, but to be honest, you aren't the only overly-reserved, jealous girl in the world."

"Obviously not, as you seem to speak from personal experience. Is this from that 'Banjo' you were speaking of?"

"Who else would it be?" Kazooie asked with a light, pathetic smile, a huge blush covering her beak, "But yeah, I like him. I have for a long time."

"Does he know?"

"No."

"So why are you here?"

"To finally tell him. I know he's on a date now, and I'm putting a lot at risk because of the timing alone, but for the record, I really don't care anymore. He means too much to me in order for him to get swept up by some chick he's never met."

"You mean by someone else, you mean other than you?"

"Yeah."

The girls chuckled for a minute, but as the thought occurred to her, Kazooie looked over at Tigress, now no longer walking, by which in the same time Tigress stopped walking as well, peering into a random store.

"So why are we out here?"

"I don't know your customs around Spiral Mountain," Tigress said, opening the door to the store as she spoke, admitting Kazooie in as she spoke, "But in Zootopia, it's not exactly kosher* to be walking around with just one's fur... or feathers in your case."

"I don't have any money, you know," Kazooie said with a strong hint of warning, "Much less a Jiggy*... or a Note* in that matter..."

"That's why I'll pay for it," Tigress insisted, following after Kazooie, yet also ahead of her to make her way to the desk before the bird did, "Mei-Mei?"

At the name, a large, female panda popped her head out from under the desk, which gave Kazooie quite the scare. Since Tigress didn't seem to be the least bit moved by the appearance of the bear (if at minimal, the polar opposite), but Mei-Mei took one look at Tigress and her chubby face brightened as if she had seen her before, yet all the more honored to see her all over again.

"Tigress!" she exclaimed, "My favorite tiger customer, and customer at all in that matter, what can I do for you?"

"I was wondering if you could help a friend here," Tigress said, gesturing to Kazooie, "Something comfortable."

"Hmmm," Mei-Mei said thoughtfully, putting her paw to her chin as if observing Kazooie with anticipation, which made the bird worry, if even more by the time the bear snapped her fingers, "Ah! I think I know just the thing!"

Without too much loss of time, Mei-Mei began to scan through the walls of clothes that had once greeted them when they came in, yet Kazooie didn't seem to be the slightest considerate of their presence until Mei-Mei was going through them with the kind of speed she wouldn't the least bit expect from a panda, pretty surprised if she would admit it even to herself.

"Wings are hard to find something comfortable for, but the weather tonight should be just right for this sort of thing," Mei-Mei said as she did all of this within a matter of seconds, pulling out one garment that seemed, from sight alone, having a shot of fitting on Kazooie, "Something flashy?"

"Probably not a good idea," Tigress imputed, "Just something that covers in an appealing way."

"Appealing?" Kazooie inquired, a strong emphasis on the word that left her beak.

"Well, if you're going to barge in on a date, you should at least look remotely decent," Tigress said with a smile, earning her an annoyed blush from the bird.

Before Kazooie could protest, however, the clothes went on with marvelous ease: a yellow tied top that matched the yellow on her wings and gave her an odd reminisce of Banjo's shorts. Even before she could get any words out, a mirror was thrust in front of her, or perhaps the other way around, and she found herself staring into her own reflection.

For the record, for something as simple as a yellow tied top, it made a reasonable difference. Sure, it wasn't that big of a change, if there ever was one, but it did look nice, and the light smile that formed on her face proved that.

"It's-" Kazooie began to remark before she realized that she had been smiling, and forced her composure back to normal, "...It's nice. I take it that I need pants with this too?"

"No, not really," Mei-Mei said, "Birds don't come around into Zootopia very often, but when they do, they normally don't have pants. Probably from the fact there aren't any kind of pants for that species."

"Okay, good," Kazooie said, "I wasn't sure how many garments I could handle."

Both the tiger and the panda chuckled a little, but the panda was most audible. Nonetheless, Kazooie gave her reflection a close examination regarding minor details as the panda put the question on the table for the female tiger.

"So are you going to go see Po today?" she inquired.

"I am," she answered, her smile not very audible, but noticeably prevalent on her face, "I ran into Kazooie on the way there."

"Kazooie? What an odd but charming name. Is it common from where you are from to have a name related to instruments?"

"No, not really," Kazooie replied, finally giving Mei-Mei physical attention by means of a simple gaze, "It's just me, Banjo, and Tooty that have instrument-related names. I suppose that it's just been in Banjo's family and it rubbed off on him when he named me."

"Named you?" Tigress remarked, "You have a crush on your father?"

"Ew! No!" the bird snapped with a deeply harsh blush, "He just found me when I was little and took me in...! Besides, we're around the same age."

"Awww, that's so romantic," Mei-Mei said with a dream-like tone, "To imagine, being saved by your future lover.

"I wouldn't say lover yet," Tigress corrected, "She intends on telling him how she feels, even if it means walking in on a date."

"See, if I were the other woman, I would be hurt," Mei-Mei pointed out with honesty, and smiling at Kazooie as she did so, "But I have to admit the kind of bravery you're presenting. I keep telling Tigress that she needs to do the same thing. If she doesn't do it now, she might end up being in your... well... talons."

"Good thing we told her the same thing," Kazooie remarked, smiling a bit at the comforting honesty, though odd under the circumstances, "I've waited too long anyway, but now that I have had time to think it over, I don't think I'm giving Banjo enough credit on our friendship. We've been friends too long to let something like this break it."

Due to the fact that Kazooie had turned her gaze away as she spoke, wondering to herself why she was thinking too much about her newfound appearance, she didn't see the shock written on the faces of Mei-Mei and Tigress. For a few seconds, they looked at her, but soon turned their expressions to each other, the female panda the first to change her expression from shock to one that told Tigress that she did tell her so, and should probably take the indirect advice coming from the bird.

However, all of them were knocked clean out of their focus by the ringing of the bell that had once told Mei-Mei that Tigress and Kazooie were entering. Then again, given the present circumstances, this was a different individual altogether - one that gave Kazooie an unusual reminiscing of her own crush, for there, unbeknownst to Kazooie, was Po.

Po was, indeed, a bear, but not a honey bear like Banjo: he was black, white, and really fat, although it seemed to give a natural aura in his appearance, as if he could have been related to Boggy in some form of distant way. Exactly why the brown shorts that looked to be stitched together in half a million places seemed to fit him, Kazooie wasn't sure, but they did. Now while Kazooie was telling the truth about never seeing an actual jade in all her life, she did feel like Po's eyes looked a lot like a precious green gemstone, and emeralds just didn't seem to fit that description completely. The only other striking feature, other than the fat that seemed to fit so well along his body, was the warm smile that made her think of Banjo. Until now, Kazooie was certain that Banjo was the only one capable of such affection, but felt she had been proven wrong in a matter of seconds.

Ironically, all it took was a matter of seconds for Kazooie to observe him, although she never caught his eyes until he turned around, for he was opening the door with his backside, since both of his paws were holding something that looked rather fragile. What was in the box must have been, but on the side had a shop's logo that she had never seen before: Ping's Noodle Shop. It was all of this observing that made Kazooie useless in regards to any real help, so it was just Tigress who went to the door to open it for her friend.

"Oh, thank you," Po said with that smile before he turned to see who had done the kind deed - almost dropping the contents after realizing who had done so.

Given their dexterity, Po had been able to catch the box before any damage was done. However, Tigress was thinking along the same lines as he did, and the pair had only realized after the deed was done that they had caught the box at the same time. Realizing what they had done, the pair froze for a second or two, then slowly looking into the eyes of the other.

Mei-Mei sighed with relief that no real harm had been done, but Kazooie had to put one of her wings in front of her beak to try to muffle out any potential laughter. These two were such dorks together - which all the more reminded her of her own precious bear.

Coming out of their stupor from the light laugh that came from Kazooie, the pair looked at Kazooie, then once again at each other, and then at the box, not tearing their gaze away from the box until after they were both on their own two feet. A light frown began to form on Tigress' face when she carefully removed her paws from the box she knew was not hers, and didn't notice the hint of disappointment that rang through Po, which had come to disappear before Tigress looked at him.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, thanks for helping me."

"Why are you here?" Tigress inquired, knowing that Po would have known that this store specialized in more feminine garments, though not completely void of male customers.

"Mei-Mei likes to order from us a lot," Po remarked, a little surprised that with as well acquainted the two females were, Tigress was not aware of that detail.

Giving Tigress a smile, Po approached Mei-Mei with the order she had requested, the female of the two pandas relieved that nothing had been done to ruin it. As she dug around for the money to complete the transaction, Kazooie glanced over at Tigress, who was looking rather thoughtfully at the pair. Exactly what Tigress was thinking, or expecting, she didn't know, but given what had just happened, this had to be the guy Tigress had such a huge crush on, and man, was she right about the sense of being polar opposites.

Maybe it was a good thing she had said something when she did.

"Thanks again," Mei-Mei said, smiling.

"Hey, no problem," Po replied, "Order from us again sometime - we appreciate the service."

Po gave a genuine smile to first Kazooie and then to Tigress before reaching the door, giving an equally genuine farewell. However, just before Kazooie started to wonder what the heck Tigress was waiting for, the male panda stopped himself at the door, his paw flexing as if in some form of mental perplexity. Twice he opened his paws, as if to grab for the doorknob, but each time he did, he would close them again, as if there were something on his mind. Whatever was on his mind, it seemed to prevail his reason, the bear turning and walking over to Tigress with a smile that tried to make it look like nothing had happened.

Tigress knew that he was perplexed about something, and wondering why he was trying to play it off, but that confusion changed to amazement when he dug something out of his pocket as he approached her.

"Oh, I forgot to give you this," Po said, taking one of Tigress' paws and putting into that paw a letter, the gentle nature of it all seeming to indicate that this letter was of great importance.

He never saw it, but as Po looked at the letter being placed into her hands, a sense of sweet relief fell over him, making the female tiger all the more complexed about the contents of the letter. As a sigh left his lips, the panda looked at her straight in the eyes with one of his usual smiles.

"Read it when you get a chance," he asked, "You don't have to answer right away... so... I'll see you later?"

"Of course," Tigress remarked, her tone giving a hint of surprise if she didn't, but that relieved Po anyway.

Giving a nod, he looked over at Kazooie for a split second before making his way toward the door. It wasn't until after the bear had left that Kazooie finally spoke up.

"What in the world was that about?"

"I don't know..." Tigress said as she, with one of her claws, carefully tore the top of the envelope to obtain the letter within and read the contents, "It is rather odd for him to write a letter. We have each other's number, after all."

"I think it's rather romantic," Mei-Mei said, "You would think that because it's a letter it's something important."

For a minute, Tigress didn't respond, but all within good reason: she was reading the letter. However, it was the expressions that started to take place on her face is what seemed to strike the bird and the panda. At first, it was curiosity, then confusion, then shock, and then something like realization with a mix of being deeply touched.

It wasn't until she left, with the letter falling behind her, that made them worry. However, since Mei-Mei had to walk around a counter, it was Kazooie that reached the falling letter first, and lost no time doing so and diving into the contents that now aroused her curiosity.

Hey Tigress,

I've been thinking - a lot actually - and it's been about you.

Well, to be more specific, about us. I realized that all of the thinking I've been doing soon became too much - I know how I feel and as much as I want to give you pretty words to tell you how I feel, I see now that I just can't do that. Then again, you much prefer that I be straight-forward, right? So I'll just do it the best way I know how.

I like you, a lot, and could even be in love with you, but I'd like to explore that with you... that is, if it's alright.

Can we just... talk?

You don't like secrets, and after thinking about it, I don't want to hold this back anymore. If you do want to talk, can we meet over by the peach trees in the downtown area? You don't have to think of it like a date, but I would really appreciate it if it was just us, because there is a lot more I need to say that I'm sure you want to know.

I only have the guts to say the most important part about this, and that is that I really really like you.

With Love,

Po Ping

"Awww!" Mei-Mei squealed a bit, much to the unseen, but still victimized, ears of Kazooie, "That is so adorable."

"What do you think she's going to do?"

"Let's go see!"

With a speed that Kazooie was surprised that Mei-Mei was even capable of, the female panda speed ahead of the bird to the front of her shop, with a look rather flabbergasted that Kazooie wasn't sure of it's source until she looked in the same direction as she did, though her look was rather impressed than amazed at the sudden move.

Yes, a move, for while they heard none of it, they did see one thing, and that was Tigress leaning up to Po to give him a kiss - that one on the lips.

Like them, he was surprised, yet as the reality began to sink in that what Tigress was doing was genuine and real, his mind began to reel into the kiss, those jade eyes closing to become better attentive to the affection at paw. It seemed to those doing so that it was too painfully short, yet those who observed them, it was much longer, and Tigress was the first to break the kiss because she was also the first to lose air. In addition, she had also lost the panic of losing him, and had relaxed some time in between starting and ending that very kiss.

However, there was one thing they did in unison, and that was opening their eyes. The jade eyes gazed into his own sunset, but she also knew that the poor panda was flabbergasted, thus deserving an explanation. However, still flustered by her sudden, and rather strong move, a hint of embarrassment flustered over her fur-covered cheeks. It was this same embarrassment that lead her to look away.

"You said that I didn't have to think of it like a date," Tigress finally mustered, her voice very close to calm, yet a friend (such as Po) could tell she was a bit nervous, "But if it's all the same to you, I would very much like to think of it as a date."

Her paws had not once left his chest, since she had to be so close to give him that kiss. Perhaps it was another source of how nervous she felt. Then again, the fact she didn't move seemed to prove all the more how much she liked him, as she didn't want to move from her place next to him. Ironically, the feelings were returned, but it started to dawn on the panda after that very kiss that it was more than just being by the other's side that was returned, and he allowed a truly happy, genuine smile form on his face, but not once breaking the gaze he had on just her in all of Zootopia.

It wasn't until Po grabbed her paws into his own that Tigress saw that very smile, and eventually grew to smile herself.

"Tonight, then?" Po offered.

"Maybe," Tigress replied, the panda making a confused look before she explained further, lightly tightening the hold strictly for reassurance, "I have a friend that is looking for someone in Zootopia, and I made it my business to help her out."

"Oh!" he said with realization, "Well, where's your friend?"

"Back in the shop."

"Well, think I can lend a paw?" Po insisted as they walked back to the shop, "An extra pair of eyes for the search?"

"Good idea," Tigress remarked, going through the door that Po offered open to her, "But we first need to know who-"

And so came the sudden squealing of Mei-Mei behind the counter, giggling and wiggling like a child who had just learned she was going to the candy store. Seeing that Mei-Mei's excitement came from probably observing what had just occurred, Tigress could only role her eyes and shake her head, smiling at her over-energetic friend. Po also had nothing to say, except a nervous chuckle and rubbing the back of his head with one of his paws. However, he was the first to look at the other individual in the room, turning to her as the question that lingered in his mind came to his lips.

"Is this your friend?" Po asked.

"I am," Kazooie remarked for Tigress, "I guess she told you that I'm looking for someone?"

"Yeah, and if you'd like, I want to help."

"I'm going to need all the help I can get. This is my first time in Zootopia, and I know just as much about the place as a fish knows how to walk."

"That's not good, but lucky for you, I have a friend who knows Zootopia like the back of his paw," Po said as he whipped out a phone that looked too large for Kazooie, but just right in the paws of such a huge bear, "He's in the police force, but he knows everyone."

"Are you talking about...?"

"Him? Yeah, him. Trust me, Tigress - if he doesn't know your friend's friend, then he would know someone who does."

As Po was entranced in looking through what looked to be a long list of contacts, Kazooie turned to look at the mirror once again, lost within the thoughts of what Banjo was doing right now. Up until now, she had tried to keep her heart in the right place, but now if she was wrong, it was ironically because of her heart.

There was one thing she had more faith in right now other than her heart, and there was more faith in that then she had in her newfound friends.

And why not? What she trusted in the most was something that formed through the growth of time and reaped deep affection, even to a degree that she didn't even think it was possible until it was overflowing in her heart.

What was it?

The unbreakable friendship she had with a certain stupid honey bear.

Footnotes:

- kosher: selling or serving food ritually fit according to Jewish law; being proper, acceptable, or satisfactory - In Tigress' case, she was using it in the terms of being proper/acceptable/satisfactory

- Jiggy: (from the Banjo-Kazooie games) golden jigsaw pieces that Banjo and Kazooie must collect in order to advance in the game.

- Note: (from the Banjo-Kazooie games) golden notes that Banjo and Kazooie collected throughout the worlds and used in various situations, such as opening doors. Probably the closest thing the game has to currency.

Artist's Comments:

A little FYI... or, well, a lot of FYI...

First off, I intentionally made footnotes in case someone who was reading this fiction knows one or two universes that are being mentioned, but not the other. This would risk in the readers to not get certain references. Thus, I went through the trouble of footnoting what I could.

Second, Po and the five are from China in this universe, but since the universe is modern, I guess all of them did their own traveling or something. I'll leave that to your imagination, especially to those five who haven't been mentioned.

I find it hilarious that I was able to unintentionally fit in a remark by Tigress on assuming Kazooie's love interest (Banjo) was also her father. For those who don't know, it is canon in the Kung-Fu Panda series (Legends of Awesomeness, which is the worst thing to ever happen to the series) that Tigress had a crush on Shifu, which Po makes a remark about in one of the episodes.

Another note that might be worth your interest is the fact that it is canon in the Banjo-Kazooie series that Banjo saved Kazooie. In Banjo-Kazooie: Gruntilda's Revenge, Banjo makes a remark upon entering Breegull Beach that it was the same spot that he found Kazooie: in a cave and huddled in the famous blue backpack that we see Banjo carry around. I haven't played the game myself, and thus going on wikis. If I am wrong about this, please let me know so I can correct the information.

Yes, I know it's kind of cliche, in its own way, but Po's step-dad, Mr. Ping, does have his own noodle shop in Zootopia in this story - don't get too mad. I had to reasonably fit in Po somehow other than the fact he's Tigress' crush. I was originally going to have them together, but as I was writing, I had another idea come to me altogether. Yes, Mei-Mei set them up.

Now, I wasn't sure what kind of clothes to do at first, but I came up with something reasonable.

Since Tigress now has her lovely panda, and you're probably wondering what Banjo is doing, proceed to the next chapter, if you dare.