The End of Phase One
"Unbelievable," Mantis said looking at the happy couple laughing and giggling together. "I just can not understand it. How does a kid bring together two people?" Monkey shrugged.
"I don't think that's something that matters. Anybody could have come up with it, but only he was willing to try," Monkey said. Song and Qiang were happily dancing around the floor of Mr. Ping's shop. Today was a festival and the two were having a great time. Zan was playing a lute along with Master Shifu's flute. "Zan is very good on the strings," Monkey commented.
"He said something about having to learn how to play instruments when he was young. Well, younger. It's hard to believe that Zan's only eleven now," Viper replied.
"I know, the way he acts you would think he's almost seventeen," Mantis said. They continued to watch the couple dancing about.
"They really do look like a beautiful couple. Do you think they'll tie the knot," Viper asked.
"You're forgetting two factors. A bear and a tiger," Mantis reminded her. Viper rubbed her chin with her tail.
"I wonder what Zan will do for that," She said.
"What will we do? Zan can't do all the work in this. We're going to have to come up with something. The month is nearly up and Zeng already got a message from Crane that they're coming back," Monkey said. Finally, the song stopped, everyone clapped, and Qiang and Song nervously laughed at each other and walked back to their table as someone else took over the lute and played. Zan and Master Shifu joined the others' conversation.
"You played very well, little one," Viper smiled sweetly. Zan grumbled.
"I have a name, you guys. If not anything else stop calling me 'little one'," Zan groaned. Everyone chuckled.
"So Zan, what are you going to do when Tigress and Po come back," Monkey asked. Zan pondered this.
"I'll think of something. I may just have to be blunt with them," Zan said.
"What do you mean," Viper asked. Before Zan could answer, Ai rushed to him and grabbed his wing to dance to the next song. "Looks like he has other things to worry about," Viper giggled.
"Whoa, Ai! I-I-I don't know how to dance," Zan said embarrassed. Ai gently grabbed his feathered hands.
"Don't worry, just follow me," She smiled. With that, they placed one foot with another and away they danced. Zan twirled her around and she nearly fell but Zan caught her. He was hunched over and she was hovering over the ground. They both blushed, looking into each other's eyes as the song came to an end. Zan brought her back up on her feet. "That was...interesting," Ai blushed.
"Yeah," Zan looked away. They both awkwardly laughed. Mantis, Monkey, Master Shifu, and Viper looked on at the scene and all had smug faces on.
"Un-freaking-believable," Mantis marveled.
The day finally came when Master Tigress, Po, and Crane came back to the Jade Palace. Zan and all the others stood as erect as boards to greet them. They were all worried. Zan's plan was to play out on their ignorance of Song and Qiang's developing relationship for as long as he could. Of course, Po and Tigress suspected something but Crane played along. "We have found some intel from the region. We were able to establish a connection and contact your mother. We don't know where your father is," Crane said. For a moment, Zan forgot all about the thing between Song and Qiang.
"Is she okay," Zan asked intently. Crane smiled brightly.
"She's fine. She's well hidden and no one knows where or who she is. But the civil war is still going on over in your kingdom. It doesn't seem to be slowing down."
"What about defense," Shifu asked.
"The defense is having problems with knowing where the rebels are. The thing is most of the rebels still live in the kingdom. I don't understand why the defense doesn't know its own people," Tigress said, wondering why Viper and Monkey were constantly whispering to each other.
"I do," Zan sighed, "The guards of the palace and those who work for the kingdom are very separate from each other. They aren't united in the way you think. They may have the name 'guard' but there are different sects within the title. Because of that, the name is the only thing that unites them. They won't work together."
"Well if that doesn't beat all," grumbled Master Shifu. While they were talking to the others, Crane and Zan talked quietly and discreet.
"The plan is going well, but I don't know how I'm going to break the news to them. I can take Po but Tigress is a different story," Zan whispered.
"Don't worry, truth will settle them," Crane replied. Zan didn't know what he meant until Master Shifu let Tigress and Po go.
"Now the challenge comes," Zan said as he swiftly flew away. Shifu observed.
"Zan does seem to be changing a lot. His sharp feathers give him a greater speed than most ducks," he said.
"I don't think he's just a duck. He's part something else," Crane said.
"Never mind that," interrupted Monkey, "We have bigger problems. What will Tigress and Po do?"
"Let's trust Zan will do something about it," Master Shifu said.
"This is going to be a problem," Zan said to himself as he zoomed into Mr. Ping's shop. O was serving a table, but Zan grabbed and talked to him. "Listen, I need you to tell everyone to put a watch out for Tigress, Po, Song, and Qiang. I want to know where they are, who they're listening to, and what they're doing. Got it?" O nodded and went in the back to tell Vick. Soon, Zan had his system of spies and agents reporting to him through Ai. Zan offered to go down to the village to receive the reports, but Ai wanted to do it. Zan was able to postpone Po and Tigress's knowledge of Song and Qiang for two whole weeks, though the two were wondering why Zan seemed to be on edge all the time. Master Shifu talked to him about it.
"You can't keep doing this. I admit, I'm surprised that you were able to control and influence how and where the four went and go through this system you have. It's very impressive, but you have to tell them," Master Shifu said. Zan thought about it as he sat at his desk.
"Then have them come in," Zan replied. Master Shifu was surprised but called Tigress and Po into the Hall of Heroes. Just as they were about to enter the door, Ai swooped in and gave Zan a report. Zan nodded and Ai went back out the door. "Perfect," He said with a hint of a smile.
"What is it, Zan," Po questioned, wondering why he had Shifu called them.
"I need to tell you something that might upset you but if it does I want your opinion on it," Zan said. He paused and stayed silent for a while. "Song and Qiang are dating." Po's mouth hung open and his eyes spoke a whole lot of shock. Tigress on the other hand became very angry.
"Why in the world are they dating each other?! They don't even have anything in common," Tigress protested.
"Why didn't you tell us this," Po asked.
"I can't believe that she would do this to me! She can't do that," Tigress replied angrily.
"Why would Song go out with someone like Qiang? He's not all that," Po said very jealous. Zan quickly had enough.
"LISTEN," He shouted. "You two had your run with them and then you lost them. Why? I'm not going to go into detail about that." Tigress and Po could see the duck was very stern. He almost looked like Shifu. "They have their right to, at the least, see each other and they surely have their right to date each other. Plus, you two said that you weren't going to be involved with any personal relationships." The two looked at him. Master Shifu looked at his students and then at Zan. "That's right. I know what you guys say while I'm not here." In truth, Monkey had overheard Po and Tigress talking about that. "Leave these two alone. If you can be friends with them, then fine. But until then, stay away from them. Understand?" Zan wasn't in a position to talk to them like that, but the way he did talked didn't really give room for argument. Another bluff, Shifu realized. Po and Tigress nodded, though Zan could see Tigress was more sore about the ordeal than Po. "Good, now if you'll excuse me, I have to see to a date."
"Wait, you planned it," Po asked. "You mean you made it so they could go out with each other?" Zan slowly made his way to the entryway of the Hall of Heroes.
"Well, not in that way. I was just...trying to get two people to be friends first. Then if they become more than friends then that's great too," Zan said carefully choosing his words.
"Doesn't that mean you only did all this just to get them together," Tigress asked a little annoyed. Zan laughed nervously.
"Goodbye," And he swooped down the mountain.
"I can't believe this," Tigress muttered.
"You can't believe it? I can't believe this boy was able to do all of this and get away with it," Master Shifu said. Po thought for a moment.
"Let's go see if what Zan's saying is true," Po suggested. Tigress agreed as they went down the mountain. They found Zan playing a lute in Mr. Ping's shop with the kids clapping along while Song and Qiang were dancing around, giggling and laughing about. Tigress and Po were impressed. "They do seem very good together. Maybe Zan's right." Po looked over to Tigress. She rolled her eyes.
"Okay, so we'll leave them alone," Tigress said begrudgingly. She hinted a smile. "They do look very...good together."
"So," Monkey spoke up showing that Viper, Mantis, Crane, and Master Shifu were all behind them, "You two are okay with it?"
"Sure," Po shrugged casting his usual smile.
"I guess it's okay," Tigress said. Mantis's mouth dropped open.
"His plan worked," He marveled. "Un-freaking-believably-amazing."
"Ooo, a longer one. Nice touch," Viper joked.
to be continued.