The Art of Travel

Chapter 9

Story by: cartoonfanatic1

Disclaimer: I do not own Skunk Fu or any of its characters. They belong to Cartoon Saloon and CAKE Entertainment. However, the story line and any OC (Original Characters) that appears in this story belong to me.

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Rabbit, Fox, and Skunk were reading what was in the scroll. It told many kung fu techniques, on what they do and how it is done. Their even was a section about the fighters' history, their entries. They were reading the journal sections, where a picture of Raccoon was on.

"So that's his name, Raccoon." Skunk said.

"Yeah, it also tells about himself, look at this section, it looks like he written this not too long ago." Fox said as she pointed at the side she read.

It has been five years; ever since when I have found myself at my family's temple. I do not remember how I got here in the first place; I have no memory on how I got here. Heck, I never known my parents… at least that is what I'm telling myself. I think I do, but when I woke up here; my head was hurting and I have no memory about them. All I had to remember them by is this scroll. But staying here all by myself was a bit lonely; however the visitors that come to this temple are nothing, but low-life thieves. Thieves kept coming and tried to take away my family's scroll so they could use it for their own selfish needs. I lost my ability to trust anyone ever since. I just took care of my recent intruders, but what surprised me that one of them is about my age. After I send them down the traps, my brain was telling me I did the right thing, but my heart tells me otherwise. I don't know why I'm feeling this way but… it stops right there.

"Why did he stop writing?" Skunk asked.

"Maybe something had happened and he stopped right there to take care of the problem." Fox guessed.

"Alright, so we know about the kid. The next question is; how do we get out of here?" Rabbit asked. Then without warning, the walls with them and the scroll flipped over to the other side.

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Back with Baboon and his ninja monkey army, they were still looking for the scroll, and then Baboon thought of something.

"Wait a minute; if the last room had a secret switch to reveal this room, then if I find the switch it might reveal the scroll." Baboon said as he felt around the wall, a few minutes passed till he felt a loose tile and pressed it. The room began to rumble, and then the false wall by him flips over revealing the scroll and three more figures.

"Ah-ha, I'm a genius." Baboon said then he noticed the three figures that came with the scroll with dizzy swirls in their eyes. His eyes widen to his surprised, "The valley dwellers! You're alive?!"

Skunk, Fox and Rabbit shook of their dizziness after hearing Baboon voice and quickly got up.

"Baboon?!" all three of them said simultaneously.

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"Alright, time to make my move." Raccoon thought as he got up and broke through the ropes. He then used his cloaking technique; the monkeys who were watching him were playing with cards. One of them turned his head to check on Raccoon, he didn't see him and turned back to the. As if his brain started clicking, he turned his head again shocked that their captive escaped. Then suddenly both of the ninja monkeys heads collide into each other by some unknown force, knocking them out. Raccoon materialized back again and looked at the unconscious ninja monkeys.

"Man, these guys make a loaf of bread seem smart." Raccoon said as he grabbed the monkey's tails and dragged them into the secret room. "Now, for the rest of them." He silently walked to the entrance of the small room and hid behind the wall, he peek his head at the entrance. He was really surprised that familiar faces he saw.

"They're still alive." Raccoon said quietly, he was shocked but mildly impressed. This is the first time he see people made it through the traps, especially the third room which is the most hardest and dangerous of them all.

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The valley animals encountered Baboon and his ninja monkeys. "What are you doing here Baboon?" Skunk demanded.

"I should be asking you the same question." Baboon said then he smirked, "Besides, you're in no position to make any demands." he snapped his fingers and the platoon of ninja monkeys surrounded Skunk, Fox, Rabbit.

"Guys we can't take on all of them," Fox whispered to Skunk and Rabbit, "we're already worn out from the wooden dummy incident."

"Well, what are we supposed to do?" Rabbit whispered back as the monkeys were closing in on them.

Raccoon could only watch them as the monkeys came closer. He could activate another trap near him and send them out of here, but for some reason he didn't want the valley animals to get caught in the trap. He has to help them, he doesn't know the reason but he has to do something. He tossed the unconscious ninja monkeys at Baboon making direct contact on him. Their gazes turned to Raccoon as he placed his hand on the wall. "Guys, jump on top of the scroll now!" he yelled.

They didn't know what he was doing, or the fact that he is trying to help them. But in their current situation, they might as well do what he says. They all jumped on top of the scroll. Baboon got up and turned to Raccoon, "I don't know how you got out, but that is the last time you will take me by surprise." Before he was about to give the order to attack, Raccoon pressed a secret switch.

The room began to shake violently, "What the... What's happening?" he said. Then the entire floor of the room opened down, except the false wall that has the scroll. The monkeys fallen down the abyss, except Baboon who was hovering the hole. He was looking down where the floor was, he looked up and said, "Wasabi." Then gravity finally caught on and Baboon plummeted down, screaming with his monkeys. The floor then went back up covering the trap door.

Raccoon came in the room after it dropped the monkeys, "Alright guys, you can come down now." he said to Skunk and his friends. They all got off the scroll and they stood there.

"Okay, we have a lot of questions to ask you." Skunk asked.

"Unless, you're planning to send us down again." Rabbit said still hasn't forgotten his first encounter with Raccoon; he received a whack behind his head from Fox.

"Rabbit, be nice." Fox scolded.

"No, it's alright. He's right to be angry at me." Raccoon said as he waves his hands in front of him. "After all, I should've given you time to explain yourself first."

"Well, we kind of, looked in your scroll and we want to know, who are you?" Skunk asked.

"Since you looked at my scroll, you already know my name."

"Yeah, but we wanna know more about you." Skunk said.

"Alright, I tell you." Raccoon said.

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It has been at least five minutes since Raccoon was telling about himself and his family. Skunk, Fox, and Rabbit were surprised on how his family were great kung-fu masters. He also told them after every generation, their secrets were transferred to the next and so on and so forth. After he was done talking, they finally spoken.

"You must've been lonely, living here by yourself." Fox said.

"Yeah, it has." Raccoon chuckled lightly, "Although if you count the thieves that tried to take my scroll as company."

"So you don't have anyone left who cared about you." Rabbit said. Raccoon looked down and got up from the ground then walked to his scroll. Fox punched him on his shoulder.

"Way to go Rabbit, you've upset him." Fox scolded Rabbit.

Skunk looked at Raccoon, feeling sorry for him. He could relate to Raccoon, feeling that he is the only one of his species. Skunk was taken care of by Panda, acting like his father. But Raccoon had no one, staying here all by yourself, with no one that cares about him. Then Skunk had an idea.

"Hey, why don't you come with us to the valley?" Skunk said. Everyone turned to Skunk, surprise on what he said.

"What?" Everyone else said.

Then Rabbit and Fox grabbed Skunk and turned to Raccoon, "Hold on, will be discussing this for a moment." Rabbit said politely as they took Skunk to the corner of the room. "Skunk, what are doing? You're bringing a guy that nearly killed us!" Rabbit said quietly.

"But, he did have a good reason why, and don't forget he also helped us against the monkeys." Fox said, "Besides, we can't leave him here like this."

"But, we could get in trouble." Rabbit argued.

"We'll get in trouble anyway for leaving the valley unannounced, I don't why, but Panda knows when we're at the valley or not." Skunk said.

Rabbit sighed in defeat, "Fine, the kid can come." They finished their meeting, and then came towards Raccoon. He turned to them after wiping a tear in his eye.

"Thank you guys for the offer, but… I just don't know." Raccoon said with his gaze averted away from them. Then he felt a hand on his shoulder, he looked up to see Fox was doing the gesture.

"I'm sure your parents… want you to be happy and have friends to be with." Fox said in a soothing voice. Then Rabbit put a hand on Raccoon's other shoulder.

"Besides, if your family is a bunch of great warriors, well you would be provenasour most powerful ally." Rabbit said. Raccoon gave a small smile, and then Skunk extended his hand.

"So, what do you say?" Skunk asked. Raccoon looked at them and extended his arm and shook Skunk's hand.

He smiled, "Alright, I accept."

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Back with Baboon and his monkeys, they were floating along the river stream; out of the Dark Forest and into the Border. They all got out of the water after reaching shore as each of them were cold, dripping wet.

Baboon was shivering, "G-g-great, f-f-first we d-didn't get the scroll, and now…AH-CHOO!" Baboon sniffled, "And now I have a cold." He said as he kept going to the mountains, "I don't know what's going to kill me first, Dragon or this AH-CHOO!" He and his troops kept on walking up the path. Then he turned towards the forest, "Mark my words you brats, I will have my vegen…vege…veg-AH-CHOO!" His sneeze was so strong it send him back down the path.

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It was morning already in the valley and most of the valley residents were awake. Panda was at his log who is seemingly sleeping on his log, Fox, Rabbit, and Skunk were quietly walking up to him, wondering how to tell him about Raccoon, but...

"Skunk, you tell him." Rabbit said.

"No, you do it." Skunk said, they are arguing which of them should tell.

"Fine." Rabbit then turned to Fox, "Fox, you do it."

"Why should I do it?" Fox whined.

"Because if you hadn't let Skunk go on his 'adventure', we wouldn't be here right now."

"Hey, don't put this whole rip on me."

"Why shouldn't I?" Then Rabbit's and Fox's faces came closer giving very angry looks at each other. Then Skunk intervene.

"Guys, this isn't helping our situation." Skunk said as both Rabbit and Fox calmed down and backed away from each other. "Alright, how do we tell Panda?"

"Maybe you all should tell Panda." Panda said.

"Hey, that's a good idea." Then they started to stiffen up and turned from behind them to see Panda.

"Wait, but weren't you..." Skunk stopped and turned to see that the Panda at the log was a card board cut-out.

"Now, is there something you should tell me?" Panda said.

A few minutes has passed and Skunk and his friends told Panda everything that happened and went through. After they were done, it was Panda's turn to speak.

"Ay-yah, Skunk, I can't believe what kind of trouble you've caused." Panda said disappointed.

"Please, don't blame him Master Panda, I was the one who allowed him to go in the first place." Fox said, 'If you're going to punish someone, it's me."

"No Fox, it's alright." Skunk turned to Panda, "Okay Panda, lay it on me." Skunk waited for his punishment, but it didn't come to that.

Panda smiled, "Although, you did prevent the monkeys taking the fabled Raccoonus scroll and that I am proud."

"So, everything's cool?" Skunk asked.

"Almost, there is the matter of Raccoon's living arrangements." Panda said those words interested Skunk, Fox, and Rabbit.

"So, he's really staying?" Skunk said and Panda responded with a nod. "Can he stay in my tree?"

"That is a question for Raccoon to answer." Panda leaned over to the side, "Are you ok with that, Raccoon?" Skunk, Fox and Rabbit got confused looks on their faces and turned to the back, no one was there... or so they thought.

Raccoon materialized infront of them, "I don't mind."

Fox leaned over to Rabbit, "You have to admit, he's good."

Rabbit scoffed, "I can do that."

"You wish."

"Thank you, Master Panda, for accepting me here." Raccoon said politely and bowed Panda.

"I think you will fit in very nicely." Panda said with a smile.

The End

Finally, it's done. Now I can start on my next one The Art of the Web. Although it will take sometime to get it ready, especially with school work, but they said that good things is best recieved by waiting. I will probably get it ready in 3 or 5 days maybe, I don't know, but stay in touch.