Sibling Rivalry
A/N: Past the rocky terrain, hills, and snow-covered 'merciless' mountains (not to mention a very exciting ride down it ;D) – THEY'VE MADE IT TO PANDANIA! Well, sort of.. Now they have to climb another hill!
Po: Yeah! More work for us! Why'd you put the pandas at the top of a hill? Stairs are bad enough!
Tigress: (face-paws) Po, I think it's fine.
Po: Fine? We have to keep climbing!
Me: You'll be fine as long as you're with Tigress, Po!
Po & Tigress: Ah-ah-No-no-no-no!
Po: I'm ok!
Tigress: I'm sure he can handle it!
Me: You guys do know I'm teasing right?
Po & Tigress: Uhh..yeah! Totally!
Me: On with the story!
Disclaimer: I don't own Kung Fu Panda! I only own my Original Characters for this story!
brwainer: Haha, yeah! I liked the fur brushing too! You'll meet the sibling in this chapter! And then the family in either the next or following the next chapter! Either way I hope you like it!
AnimationUniverse2005: Not was-is! You'll find out who the little "distraction" is in this chapter!
monkeycyborgninja: Thanks! Yeah, I like to respond to my reviewers. I have some pretty random comments in my own mind, hehe! ^^
Chapter 10
The group had walked all morning with nearly nothing to eat. With them being so close to Pandania, Master Shifu had them eat while walking. That was alright with Po, since he was (A/N: Two Words) STAR-VING!
"How much farther?" Po asked Re Lin. Re Lin looked back at his nephew with a frown.
"Sorry, but we're not even half way up this hill," Re Lin said. Po's jaw dropped and as did the others but mentally. They were this freaking close to getting there-why couldn't they just be there now? But the Five and Po tried to be patient, but it was starting to become very wavery and their patience was starting to break-even for Tigress and Master Shifu. In the meantime, it was unusually quiet between the group members so Tigress decided to start up a conversation in order to break the uncomfortable silence.
"Wow..it's so green.." Tigress observed. Green grass and even green-leaved trees that were just shades darker than the grass. "So, you guys were never discovered for like twenty years?" Tigress asked.
"Oh, over the years we've had plenty of close calls. Luck has just been on our side," Re Lin said with a smile.
"For twenty years?" Tigress asked with a hint of a chuckle in her voice. Re Lin answered with a laugh.
"Apparently, yes. I guess some certain small villages around here know of us, but I'm sure, I hope they knew of the danger of knowing us," He said. Tigress nodded. The group continued to ask more about Pandania's culture and secrecy until it came around noon. Now, they were about halfway through the day and the hill. Master Shifu decided to let them rest and eat, the gang certainly didn't disagree with him.
The gang pulled out their own individual food and started eating.
"We're so close..what do you think it will be like?" Monkey asked. Even though Re Lin explained the basics of what their culture was like, it was still interesting to think about what it would really be like.
"Hmm.. I wonder if they make half as good of noodles as Po," Viper teased. Monkey laughed.
"Well, then Po has some cooking competition, but it'll be hard to beat his noodle soup!" Monkey said. They agreed.
"Do you think there'll be any kids?" Viper asked. Mantis seemed a little nervous at that. He was never really good with kids in the first place besides playing with them. Po noticed Tigress seemed to be pretty deep in thought but decided to talk to her.
"What do you think Tigress?" He asked her. She seemed to be mumbling something but Po couldn't make out what it was.
"Secrecy for twenty years..Re Lin!" Tigress called. "Have any of the children, if any, seen anything other than another panda?" she asked. Re Lin shook his head.
"Unless they sneak out past the hills, all we've seen is each other. You can tell how much fun that was. Seeing each other everyday and putting up with your conflicting neighbors with no escape. Funn," Re Lin said looking into space for awhile, probably remembering that one certain "neighbor".
After lunch, the group cleaned up their mess and kept walking. They were now having an actual pretty good conversation when Re Lin spoke up. The group was too loud to hear what he said.
"Say again?" Tigress asked, a little sheepishly.
"Please hide for a moment," he said then he smiled. "I have to tease my niece. I'll have you meet her later." The gang looked up the road and sure enough saw a small black and white being. They gave each other some What-is-he-up-to? Looks but didn't argue and hid. Po and the Furious Five guys sat and hid behind a bush and a tree on the left side of the road. They had to be careful otherwise they would fall off the steep grassy area and tumble down the hill they had worked so hard to climb, er, walk. Tigress, Viper, and Master Shifu sat on the other side behind a bush. When all was quiet and clear, Re Lin started to speak. Well, shouted.
Tigress's POV
"LILY VERDANA! YOU GET YOUR BUTT OVER HERE RIGHT NOW!" The small panda looked around, as if looking for a way to get out of this but Re Lin had this seriously pissed off look on his face. The small panda decided to cooperate with her uncle. She looked pretty sheepish as she stood in front of her tall, aged, but bulky uncle. She had the same white and black fur and jade green eyes like Po. Her extra fur was pulled back into a ponytail and it reached down to her hip. I couldn't decide if she was small or tall from a distance really. She was in black pants, flip-flop-like sandals, and a light blue tunic with black seams. There was only one thing about her that seriously concerned me. No, she wasn't too fat but she just seemed too...skinny.
"Yes, Uncle Re Lin?" she asked sheepishly. Something about her told me that she wasn't intimidated too often. Re Lin circled around her with that same stern look on his face.
"Tell me the reason you are breaking rules one through seven!" She had an expression that told she didn't want to really answer the question. She knew it would get her in more trouble.
"Uhh..well, you see-" she started before being abruptly cut off.
"Would you like me to tell your mother of your whereabouts? What you were doing? Why you aren't wearing your yukata?" He paused before continuing. "What do you think she would do about it?" Her jade green eyes had widened and she had the shock of realization on her face. She turned around to face him with her mouth open but no words coming out. She quickly checked around the environment searching for anyone in case they were watching. Then she did something, even I could tell she hated to do-got down on her knees and her paws as one as she looked up at her uncle pleading.
"Please Uncle! Please don't tell Mom! She'll ground me for life! You know she will! PLEASE!" she begged and pleaded. His stern face turned into that wide old smile we had seen all the way here.
"Oh you know I'm joking with you right!" He roared with laughter. Meanwhile, the girl still on her knees, had her mouth open and was staring at him with shock. Then after a few moments, she closed it and gave him a look and stood up. "So where's your friend Zulan?" He asked with a chuckle and a knowing smile. She gave him a look.
"Cousin-in-law and-" then she realized something was missing out of the equation and she looked around. "Huh, where did he go?"
"Right here!" said a voice. I looked up to see the a black arm and paw hanging over the edge of the cliff above and behind me. He sounded weary and tired and was even panting. How did I not hear him?
"Zulan! What are you doing? You didn't see-"
"Oh yeah, I saw it alright!" The black arm and paw vanished but a moment later, the whole figure jumped onto the road. He seemed like the model of a Giant Panda. He was a bit overweight but something about him seemed a bit more healthy, well, for a panda anyways. He was taller and he was older than her by a few years but I couldn't tell how many. "But I won't tell anyone." He confirmed with a small smile and I felt the same girl's relief as she breathed in.
"Thanks," she said.
"So what are you two doing?" Re Lin asked the two young teenagers.
"Our afternoon run-" the girl state plainly as if it were something she did everyday. Which it probably was.
"Correction: Her afternoon joy walk and jog, MY workout!" The boy 'corrected' with a joking smile. She gave him a smile with a look and laughed.
"You sure do love running don't you, Lily?" Re Lin asked the girl. She gave an ear-to-ear grin that I had only ever seen on Po and her eyes sparkled with excitement. Weird, did all Pandas have those grins?
"Of course! It's the best thing in the world!" She exclaimed. "Isn't it yours?" I realized her joke and Re Lin smiled and chuckled.
"Not the slightest, but I'm glad it's yours. Just don't get too caught up in your running though, kay Lily? You almost left your friend behind!" Re Lin said. Lily laughed.
"It's not funny! You almost do that everytime!" He said. She only laughed harder.
"Well, it's not my fault! You just gotta keep up!" She explained with a smile.
"Lily! You're the fastest panda alive! How the heck are the rest of us supposed to keep up?" He asked her. She gave a smile to him.
"You just gotta try," she said plainly. I saw her tense up and she flicked her head towards the tree where the guys were. Uh-oh I thought.
"Lily-!" Re Lin tried to stop her but she was super quick. She lunged at something above the bushes and I heard an 'Oof!'
"State your name!" She yelled with such seriousness I almost didn't think it was her. I looked a little above where we were hiding. She had Po pinned down to the ground.
"Ah-ah-!" He tried to state his name but was too terrified of the teenager to speak.
"Lily! Don't! He's a friend!" Re Lin explained. She got off of him.
"What's your name? How come I haven't seen you around here?" She asked Po.
"Lily!" Re Lin gasped. "He belongs here and lives here!" He yelled at her.
"Oh yeah?" She turned to Po. "What's my name?" Po seemed frozen but snapped out of it and attempted to answer her.
"Uh...?" He tried not to make it a question but I caught the hint.
"You seriously don't know who I am?" She gave a look of shock. Po tried to make it look like he was trying hard to remember. "Uncle, is he an outcast? I haven't seen him around Pandania at all."
"He is somewhat, but don't worry. He'll get to know Pandania's neighbors and inhabitants well in due time," Re Lin said. Lily looked at him and looked back at Po.
"Look, there's a party tomorrow night. Be there. This isn't a request-it's an order. Be here and if anybody asks-you're with me, Lily. You're going to become social and find some friends. We meet here, kay? Tomorrow night. Better to be fashionably late than early and sticking out like a sore paw. Got it?" Lily explained. Po nodded with a wide-eyed look.
"Good," she said plainly turning around. Then she turned back around to look at Po and said, "You better be here. I don't like being stood up, even if they are strangers." She turned around and expertly jumped onto the cliff Zulan had been panting on earlier. She appeared to be doing something with a nearby tree but Zulan was talking.
"Re Lin, what are you doing out here?" Re Lin looked at the teenager, acting to be confused with his question. "You asked Lily and I why we were out here. Now why are you out here?" Re Lin had been saved by Lily's outburst.
"Ready Zulan?" She asked him. I turned my head to see with the tree, she had made a sort of a slingshot or a catapult of some kind. He looked at her with a You're Crazy! look. "Oh come on! How else are we gonna get up there? Walking?" Zulan mumbled something similar to, "I wish.."
"Uncle, do you or ..What's your name?" Lily realizing she still hadn't gotten Po's name.
"P-Po," he answered.
"Po..hmm, not a bad name. It's short and to the point! Anyway, do you guys need a lift to Pandania?" Re Lin saved Po with a simple explanation.
"No thank you. We'll be walking," Re Lin explained. Lily shrugged her shoulders.
"Whatever floats your boat! Oh, and Mom's expecting to see you at dinner Uncle! C'mon Zulan!" Lily called.
"What! Are you crazy? There is absolutely noo way I'm-" While Zulan had been rambling on about how he wasn't going to be catapulted to Pandania, Lily had her legs wrapped around the vines of the tree and grapped his forearms while upside down and then cut the vines, resulting in two teenagers being flown up a hill and one of them screaming. I'm pretty sure that one was Zulan.
"Aw man! We should've totally done that! We'd so get up there faster! How are we supposed to make it by dinner time now?" Po exclaimed his voice now returning to him. I stepped out of the bushes and thought about it.
"Do you wanna race up there or be catapulted?" I asked the group. The guys gave me the same You're Crazy! look that Zulan had given Lily but I rolled my eyes and looked at Viper. She was smiling and looked like she was ready for a challenge.
"Catapult it is!" I declared and started setting out directions for the rest of the Five and Po to find so we could make ourselves a replica. "Oh and Po-" Po turned around looking at me. "We are so making it in time for dinner."
A/N: I kind of like/don't like how this came out but I'm not sure how else it would be written so I hope this works for you guys! Not much to say here but if y'all have any ideas-I read all reviews so I'm open to any ideas you guys have to share with me! Until the next update!
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