Note to RPO, I was just kidding about how I would never update again.
Chapter Seven- Those Who Are Lost
Po angrily trudged thru the snow and ice. The storm had settled slightly so that it was just snowing really hard. His thoughts were racing. His emotions were a jumbled mess. He was mad the Zephra wouldn't help, worried about Shifu's condition, upset because he knew Shifu had a very slim chance of living, and was confused on why Zephra had such a cold heart.
He soon learned a lesson in watching where you're going, because he soon tripped over a log and went face first into the snow.
Shifu, inside the log, heard Po's muffled screams, mostly the usual why-does-this-always-happen-to-me thing. He smirked.
Po stood up and went back to the log. He peered in and could barely see his master inside. He helped Shifu out.
"So, how was Zephra?" Shifu asked. "What's the deal?"
"She's a cold hearted witch." Po growled. "She refuses to help us." Po explained Zephra's vow and her reason for making the vow.
Shifu sighed. "I guess I can't blame her."
"Now what do we do?" Po demanded.
"We go back to the valley." Shifu decided. "If I'm still alive, we'll find a doctor." Po and Shifu walked back down thru the snow and onto the trails. They reached the old oak tree before Shifu stopped, coughing and leaning against the rock wall. That's when Po decided they should rest, so they sat down for a while.
Po stared at his master. Shifu looked more like a black cat rather than a red panda now. He was shivering and coughing now and then. He even sneezed a couple times, and Po thought he was getting a cold now.
"Shifu, can I ask you something?" Po questioned. He rarely called Shifu by his name.
"Go ahead." Shifu allowed him to. It may be the last question you can ask me.
"When I told you that Zephra couldn't help, you seemed so calm." Po explained. "Like you didn't realize that….how do I put this?" Po sighed. "You always seem so calm and brave, and I know that every warrior must have some weakness or fear. So what I want to know is this: are you afraid to die?"
Shifu seemed surprisingly calm; he even chuckled, like he had been asked this question a million times before. "No, I'm not afraid to die. However, I am afraid of losing my students."
"I would be." Po admitted. If any of his bunny students back home had been lost, he'd be devastated.
"Let me tell you something else, though." Shifu continued. "I'm also afraid that, when I do die, you and the Five won't be ready." Po stared at him. "I've taught you and Five much; almost everything I know. The last lesson I will teach you is how to let go. But I want you to be ready for it."
"Why's that?"
"When Oogway died, I was completely unprepared." Shifu explained. "I was never ready for him to leave, especially since you had come along." The two of them chuckled. "It was his passing that told me what my last lesson to my students, to anyone's students, was supposed to be: how to let go."
Po sighed. He always forgot how wise Shifu could be.
Shifu grunted as he stood. "Let's keep moving." Po nodded and stood. With luck, maybe they could get home so that Shifu and the Five could say good-bye.
Of course, they didn't have much luck!
Because then the rabid wolves attacked
What do you expect?
The wolves obviously elected a new leader, and they attacked with more force than last time. Po and Shifu were once again separated. Since there were only five wolves, one was distracting Po and four were attacking Shifu. It was obvious that the wolves were fighting to avenge their previous leader, and the four attacking Shifu were super aggressive. Apart from that, Shifu's condition was getting in the way. He was light-headed, his vision was blurry, and he felt like there were weights on his limbs.
It was just like last time. The wolves pushed Shifu into going onto the old oak again. This time, two wolves came up on top and the other two went inside the tree so that Shifu couldn't get away.
Shifu was starting to get a bit worried. He prepared himself as much as he could in his condition.
Then, the wolf closest to him pounced!
STAR STAR STAR STAR STAR
Zephra continued to play her game, this time playing as Shifu. She managed to kick butt and even beat her high score, but then she sighed, pausing the game. She stood up and walked over to her potion table. She stared at the vile of poison and then back at the book. The antidote for the poison was easy to make and could be done in a few minutes if you had all the ingredients, and Zephra did.
It was so easy.
So why didn't she do it?
Zephra needed something to do. Soon, she found herself grabbing utensils and ingredients. Almost as though in a trance, Zephra started cutting and crushing; dicing and sprinkling; following all the directions for the antidote. It took about five minutes. Then, Zephra found herself with a bowl of green liquid. She stared into the liquid for a long time before averting her eyes towards the Yin symbol on her palm. Young Shifu and her voice echoed in her ears.
"Now you'll always remember me." She had said. "And I'll always remember you."
"Cross your heart?" he had asked.
"Cross my heart." She had promised.
Zephra sighed.
STAR STAR STAR STAR STAR
Shifu kicked the wolf away and the creature fell down into the fog. The other three wolves charged the master at once, but soon found out gravity's cruelness.
The combined weight of the three wolves and Shifu made the oak tree's roots finally give away. The tree fell, and only a few of its roots held on. So the tree slammed into the mountain and the three wolves followed their brethren. The fourth wolf grabbed the branches with his teeth and advanced towards Shifu, climbing from branch to branch.
Po meanwhile managed to smack the wolf he was facing off the mountain and rushed to the oak. He looked down and was horrified to see the wolf going towards his master. "Shifu, get up here!"
But Shifu couldn't move. He was officially in his weakest state, and it took all his strength to hold onto the branch he was on. But he knew that he couldn't let the wolf get to him; or, more importantly, Po.
So when the wolf was almost on top of him, Shifu let go of the branch, slamming into the wolf and sending them both falling.
Po stood rooted in the spot, too shocked to even speak or cry out. Then, he started running down the trail. Shifu was always stubborn, even when it comes to dying.
So there was a chance.
Shifu fell hard, bouncing off the wall now and then before landing hard on the stone floor. He stayed down, on the verge of death. The rabid wolves had regrouped and were almost upon him. All it would take was a single bite, and that would be it.
Shifu knew it.
The wolves knew it.
Everyone would know it.
One refused to let it happen.
Before the wolves could kill the old master, a large mass suddenly stood over him, hissing menacingly. In his weakening state, Shifu managed to look up, but only saw shapes and shadows. Then, the creature above him moved its hand, and Shifu saw the Yin symbol briefly before passing out.
Zephra snarled and swiped her talons at the wolves. The wolves thought about attacking, but decided otherwise after one lunged and Zephra took him out. The wolves ran off, whimpering and whining.
Zephra picked Shifu up in her arms and took a hold of his wrist. Satisfied with the pulse, though weak, Zephra sighed with relief. Then, she spread her wings and took off, quickly heading for home.
