A/N:
Hey guys! I'm back with another chapter that will hopefully accomplish all the goals I've set for it.
1. Advance the plot and story-line
2. Keep you guys entertained and on the edge of your seats
3. Make you pity Po even more than before...if that's even possible at this point
4. Introduce a main character that I've been longing to take a crack at
Anyways, this chapter was extremely fun to write and hopefully, extremely fun to read. I hope to give you guys at least two more updates before summers out...we'll see where the journey takes us.
Enough of my aimless rambling, let's jump straight into it!
As always, Read & Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own Dream Works or Kung Fu Panda. I only own this specific plot and my OCs.
Chapter IX: The Forgotten Warrior
The Spirit Realm
The golden realm of peace was just as beautiful as Po had left it since the defeat of Kai—almost half a year ago. The comforting radiance of the realm was like a constant warmth of a living room fireplace. Not to mention the sweet smell of honey in the air…Po was probably too busy dealing with Kai to have noticed that initially. It was utopian to its very definition.
At the heart of the realm resided the island of the former Jade Palace grandmaster. The turtle was currently performing a series of Tai Chi movements with his brows furrowed in concentration. Furthermore, his body seemed to be covered in a unique glow. It wasn't the customary golden color of Chi, but a light blue aura.
A breeze gently shook the peach tree pedals, causing them to sprinkle down in a shower of gold and pink. Oogway was unperturbed at this and continued his proceedings. His concentration couldn't falter for something as delicate as this, not even for half a second.
The technique he was performing was called Chi sight. It was quite simple really. All that was required was that the users have a near unbreakable concentration and that they have a strong Chi connection with the universe.
Chi sight granted the ability to look across the different realms of the universe. Such an ability seemed nearly omnipotent at first until he learned of its restraints. Firstly, the user could only view realms they'd visited. Additionally, Chi sight couldn't be performed for extended periods of time with suffering severe consequences to both the physical and spiritual form. And lastly, Chi sight was unpredictable…very unpredictable.
Time in essence, is only constant within the parameters of its realm. Meaning, the timelines of each realm don't always travel parallel with one another.
What the user saw with Chi sight in another realm could be happening in the moment…or three days in the future…or a week in the past…or anything in between.
Oogway was currently checking up on the Jade palace. The vision in his mind presented a visual of the edifice. It was unscathed, nothing out of the ordinary. If one would have guessed, the Valley of Peace was in no danger. But Oogway knew all too well of what was coming.
Shifting his focus, the former grandmaster ventured hundreds of miles away to seek the panda village in the mountains. However, the closer to the village Oogway got, the dimmer his connection became. Eventually the visual in his mind faded to a complete blackness.
A small frown emerged upon the normally jovial turtle's face. Gritting his teeth, he upped his focus. Beads of sweat began to trail down the aged master's face. Seconds afterwards, a single drop of blood trickled down from Oogway's nose in result of his intense concentration.
Finally, Oogway broke through the mysterious mental barrier. Immediately, his nostrils were greeted with the repulsive smell of a familiar metallic odor…the smell of blood…it wasn't from his nose bleed.
Before him stood the demolished village that he had sought. The remaining structures were barely recognizable due to them being toppled over and half burnt to ash. However, the buildings weren't what caught the turtle's eye—the lifeless corpses that were littered across the area did. They were everywhere. The streets, which had once been full of festivity and joy…were covered with corpses. The snow covered plains, once a peaceful and lively setting…now dead and desolate, bodies scattered throughout. The springs, which had once been crystal clear and sparkling blue were tainted a sinful red…with panda blood. Oogway winced at the gruesome sight.
They'd been slaughtered. Viciously…mercilessly slaughtered.
Oogway immediately broke his concentration. His blue aura faded within the blink of an eye. Snapping his eyes open, the turtle gasped in horror. It had begun…Daemon had set his plan into motion.
The tiger had made his move. Now it was time for him to do the same. The chess game had begun…
His gaze hardening, Oogway began to march towards the edge of his island. Summoning his staff to his hand, the jade rod flew through the air before settling in the turtle's firm grasp.
Not wasting a second, Oogway then dug one of the ends of his staff into the earth below him, before launching himself at incredible speeds off into the distance. His light green figure was nothing more than a passing blur as the grandmaster covered hundreds of meters within a handful of seconds.
Nearing his destination, Oogway began to slow in speed before landing down onto the earth below him in dramatic fashion. A shockwave was emitted as the force of his touch down resulted in dust erupting everywhere.
Moments later, the turtle master exited the clouded of dust elegantly, leaving a sizable crater in his wake. A determined expression set on his aged face, Oogway continued his trek up a dirt path, towards a mid-sized dojo.
The building wasn't fancy, nor luxurious. However, it looked practical, not to mention well-made. It was a simple two-story wooden structure reinforced in some areas with plated steel, and set on a foundation of smooth stone. The first floor was a training center. And although not visible to Oogway, the second floor almost undoubtedly a living space. Additionally, either side of the dojo had a small garden, filled of a variety of crops. A distance in front of the house stood a towering wooden pillar, possible ten meters or so tall.
Atop the pillar was the figure of a male feline. . He was currently balancing himself upside-down with one arm, while quietly reading what appeared to be a book with the other. His athletic figure was not only quite visible, but justified as well, due to the ease at which the feline balanced himself.
Oogway simple strode over to the pillar, before smoothly yet forcefully thumping his staff against the structure. The strike sent an evident vibration through the pillar, causing the ground below him to tremble as well.
Seconds later, the sound of the figure screaming cut through the once silent atmosphere.
"Ahhhhh! Oomph!" the feline let out, before landing unceremoniously in a heap.
Grunting in slight pain, he rose from the ground. As the snow leopard dusted himself off, he gave the former grandmaster a slight look of annoyance.
"Y'know…when I told you to knock anytime…this wasn't what I meant," Tai Lung huffed, as he popped a few sore joints.
Shaking his head at the leopard's quip, Oogway looked him over. Tai Lung had long discarded his former royal purple pants in favor of a royal cobalt instead. In addition to the new pants, he'd also started to wear a white leather vest for extra protection. Not that the nearly-infallible warrior needed it.
"No time for joking Tai-Lung. You must prepare for your journey back to the mortal realm," Oogway ordered in a serious tone.
Tai-Lung gave him a questioning look as read the turtle master. Nodding his head in realization, the snow leopard sighed.
"Something happened?"
For the first time Oogway hesitated before speaking, "Possibly…Chi sight can be very erratic, but I pray to the gods that we aren't too late."
Tai-Lung grunted before turning and striding towards the dojo/house. Oogway just remained where he was. Sensing this, Tai-Lung turned back around, motioning for the turtle to follow.
Accepting the invitation, Oogway followed the former felon into the dojo and up the stairs into the snow leopard's room.
The turtle stood by the doorway, as Tai-Lung hastily packed a small duffel bag with several changes of clothes, as well as a pair of daggers and a compactible Bo staff. After the feline finished rummaging through his bag he closed it and strapped it to his side.
"So, what's the plan?" he asked, finally looking up to face the turtle.
Oogway drummed his claws along his jade staff in deep thought. Looking over to the snow leopard he sighed.
"I will send you back to the mortal-realm. First, you need to confirm whether or not the pandas are still alive. Once you have completed that, you must travel back to the valley to warn the Dragon Warrior and the Five of Daemon…assuming they don't know already," the turtle listed off emphatically.
Oogway then reached into his cloak, retrieving three medium sized golden coins. He then stored them in a small pouch before handing them to Tai-Lung. Examining the coins, the snow leopard gave the older master a questioning look.
"Master, I don't believe I'll need money. And even so, I don't believe this is enough to buy much of anything," he admitted in confusion.
Shaking his head, Oogway patiently explained, "Those aren't for spending Tai-Lung, they are coins for Chi conveyance."
"Chi con-what?"
Letting out a sigh, the wise master simplified, "They are imbued with my Chi. Toss one in a body of water and you'll be able to communicate with me for a short period of time."
A look of understanding flashed across Tai-Lung's face, "For how long?"
"A minute or two most-likely. But use them wisely…they are for emergencies only," Oogway warned.
Tai-Lung nodded in consideration before a question came to mind.
"Wait…how will I get back?" he questioned.
At this Oogway smiled sadly, "You won't…"
Tai-Lung's face fell. He opened his mouth to argue but Oogway held up his hand to stop him.
"Traveling to the Spirit Realm and back via the Wuxi-finger hold or other Chi methods is a one-time occurrence Tai-Lung. Why do you think Kai couldn't be sent back without Po having to transport himself here?" Oogway revealed calmly.
Tai-Lung was speechless. He couldn't come back? Not that this was world-ending news, but he'd grown accustomed to his new quiet life in the Spirit Realm as well as the dry humor of the former grandmaster. Not to mention his…somewhat questionable reputation back in China.
"So…I'll never see you again?" the snow leopard questioned, trying to mask his unease.
Oogway saw right through his guise, but didn't call him out on it. Tai-Lung had changed much since his encounter with the Dragon Warrior three years ago. After much meditation and years of solitude, the master of the thousand scrolls had come to the realization that he was content with his life—dragon scroll or no dragon scroll. All his hatred, venom, spite, malice…gone. His heart may not be as pure as Po's, but he'd come a long way from where he'd began. While Oogway hadn't admitted it aloud, there was no one he'd rather trust than the snow leopard for this mission.
"Well…I never said that," Oogway let out with a slight chuckle.
Tai-Lung gave him a questioning look.
"You can always return here naturally," the turtle teased. This caused the snow leopard to shudder slightly.
Tai-Lung put aside that thought for the moment…he didn't plan on dying anytime soon.
Quickly, the kung fu master stuffed the coin pouch into his sack. Securing the baggage around himself once again, Tai-Lung stood at attention in front of Oogway.
"I'm ready."
Nodding, Oogway began to perform several sweeping motions with his staff. Soon, a bright golden aura began to emerge in the air before encasing the snow leopard in a golden orb. The orb began to glow impossibly bright as Tai-Lung began to lose sight of the aged turtle master.
"More one question…What if I'm too late?" he asked the wise grandmaster, his form disappearing by the second.
Oogway's face changed from neutral to grim as he gave the snow leopard one final piece of advice.
"Then not even the gods themselves will be able to help you or China."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Tai-Lung let out sarcastically before the golden Chi atmosphere that surrounded him imploded. A wave of Chi dust spread throughout the area, not leaving a single trace of Tai-Lung. The feline was gone, off back to the mortal-realm.
The former grandmaster was left standing alone. After a moment of thought, he chided himself. In all the rush, he hadn't told Tai-Lung about the prophecy nor the elixir of immortals—both pieces of information were mission critical. All Tai-Lung knew was the basis of his mission and about Daemon. That could prove to be a huge mistake.
Oogway sighed. Well…hopefully he'd be able to tell Tai-Lung those vital details once the snow leopard contacted him with the Chi coins.
Oogway gave one final glance in the direction of Tai-Lung's dojo before heading off back to his own island.
"May lady-luck smile down upon you Tai-Lung."
Po really despised his luck…
Today was a Monday…and boy was it living up to its name.
Of ALL the days the Five could've chosen to take their little 'camping trip' and of ALL the days that bandits could have attacked it had to have been on the same day.
If that wasn't ludicrous enough, Po had to remind himself that there hadn't been a full scale bandit raid in MONTHS!
These were all the thoughts that were flying through the panda's head as he was struck across the face by a large war hammer.
Subsequently, the dazed panda was sent flying across the market into a furniture shop.
CRASH!
Po now lay inside the torn apart shop, covered in wood and pieces of broken furniture. Okay…that wasn't as painful as he'd imagined it would be. The only thing that was damaged was the Dragon Warrior's pride. Some lowly bandit had not only got past his guard, but bashed him in the face. That's twice he'd been clobbered in the face by a war hammer. This time was no less of a head ache than last time when the Wolf Boss had done it two years ago.
'Hey! Look at the bright side! We found you a chair!' Red offered with a snicker.
Po grumbled in irritation as he untangled himself from the mess of wood before swiftly exiting the shop. As he came out, he was faced with the dumb boar that had hammered him in the first place.
Smirking, the boar let loose another hellish swing. Fed up with the bandit's antics, Po forcefully caught the hammer. Prying it from the boar's grasp, Po hefted the hammer behind his shoulder. The boar bandit's face morphed from a look of arrogance to downright terror in under a second.
'Our turn Porky!'
Po then nailed the irksome bandit across the face, sending him flying off into the distance. Po's moment of victory was short lived as dozens of more bandits appeared around the corner. They were all armed with various weapons, and they were also giving him a bunch of murderous looks.
"How dare you hit Bruno with his own weapon! You will pay for your insolence with your life!" one of the bandits threatened in fury.
"I've never heard that one before," Po answered back sarcastically.
'Porky had a name?'
Po rolled his eyes before sending the hammer flying in the group's direction. Taken off guard by the action, only a few of the bandits managed to dodge the weapon. The rest of the bandit group wasn't so lucky. They were painfully flattened by the hammer throw as a result.
The half-dozen remaining bandits looked nervously at each other as they eyed the majority of their downed reinforcements.
Taking advantage of his attack's distraction, the panda leapt over to the remainder of the group. He quickly jabbed his elbow into the back on one of the felons, sending him to the ground. Seconds after, Po leg swept another bandit, causing him to tumble backwards. Instantaneously, Po seized the thug's ankle before flinging him into an incoming bandit.
That left only three bandits left. Po swiftly dodged an incoming sword swipe that had been aimed for his neck. He felt the blade whistle past his ear by no more an inch. Quickly, he hit the sword-bandit in the throat, the force behind the strike collapsed the mammal's windpipe and caused him to fall to the ground, convulsing, as he choked for air. Not missing a beat, Po quickly spun back around and lashed his leg out at the felon behind him. His heel made solid contact with the temple of his opponents head, dropping him like a sack of potatoes.
The final criminal watched his compatriots fall in apparent fear. Not wasting a second, the wolf charged forward and swung his staff towards the Dragon Warrior in a desperate swipe. Po easily caught the blow, and wrenched the weapon from his enemy's grasp.
"No more playing around," the panda growled as he snapped the solid wood staff over his knee as if it were a toothpick.
Tossing the two pieces of wood aside, Po strode forward towards the backpedaling wolf. He forcefully gripped the struggling villain's collar, raising high in the air.
"It's over you lost," Po stated firmly.
A gleam in the wolf's eye appeared as his fearful expression morphed into one of satisfaction. He began to cackle loudly as his body trembled in laughter. This was not something Po had expected. Didn't the bad guys usually sulk after their defeat?
"What's so funny?" Po grumbled shaking the felon.
It took nearly a minute before the wolf could catch his breath. After calming down substantially, the bandit gave the Dragon Warrior a grin.
"Your death will be the news of China! You downfall will be the feat of the century! By the order of Lord Daemon, WE SHALL BATHE THE STREETS IN YOUR BLOOD!" he proclaimed loudly into the panda's face.
Po gave the wolf a confused look as he read his expression. The wolf wasn't lying…he was completely serious. Delusional maybe…but not a liar. Who was Daemon? After seconds of thought, Po recalled his conversation with Shifu weeks prior.
This must be what the grandmaster had been talking about! All the criminals had been assembling under one united leader…this Daemon character.
If that theory held true, this criminal syndicate had the potential to become unstoppable. Not the Emperor, nor the Imperial Forces or even the kung fu masters in all of China would be enough to stop this…
Po cleared his mind…maybe he was overthinking. Maybe this wolf was just trying to get into his head.
"You're bluffing," Po challenged, narrowing his eyes at the bandit.
Shaking his head with a smirk, the wolf replied, "You have already been defeated Dragon Warrior. I can only hope to land the killing blow."
'Oh yeah? You and what army?' Red goaded with a slight laugh.
As if on cue, dozens and dozens of bandits began to emerge. They appeared along the rooftops, slunk out of the shadows, crept out from a number of hiding places; surrounding the Dragon Warrior. Po dropped the cackling wolf from his grasp as he spun his head around to analyze the situation. There were possibly sixty bandits in total, completely encircling him…it was a trap…it always had been.
To make matters worse, the horizon began to darken despite the ever rising sun. From far away, the dark line looked nothing more than a growing shadow. However, upon further inspection, Po's heart fell. Squinting his eyes, the panda made out a horde of bandits, possible a hundred if not more, emerging along the edge of the valley.
'Oh…that army,' Red mumbled, for the first time a hint of fear in his normally confident voice.
Po grimaced as he scanned his surroundings. He was outnumbered, out-gunned, and most annoyingly…out planned. How had he not seen this coming? Heck! He'd just studied battle and military tactics in Scroll 1999—which made this failure on his part even more obnoxious.
This wasn't even that complicated of a ploy compared to hundreds of other more elaborate schemes. It was a typical bait, feint, retreat, and encompass tactic. Best used when you have a larger military force up against a smaller better trained opponent.
The key elements to this tactic were establishing key strategic positions, a.k.a encircling the opponent and obtaining the high ground (the roofs). This, along with taking advantage of the opponent's mistakes and utilizing the element of surprise yielded simple yet effective results as Po was all too familiar with at the moment.
Po glanced around at his opposition, sighing. He was thankful that he'd evacuated the village before things had gotten too messy. This was going to be tough…very tough. The Dragon Warrior clenched his fists before entering his fighting stance. Hopefully, he could hold off these guys until backup came in the form of the Furious Five.
'IF backup comes,' Red put in helpfully.
"What the heck are they doing anyway?" Po grumbled aloud before the wave of criminals closed in.
Shuijing Tiantang Springs
20 miles from the Valley
"This place is the bomb!"
Saber was many things…easily impressed was totally one of them. The optimistic tiger could see the potential of fun in just about everything. In result, he'd pretty much fallen in love with the springs…not that anyone could blame him.
He and the Five had arrived at the springs a mere few hours ago and were currently soaking in the heavenly heat of the crystal clear pools. Nothing could've made this better. It was as if the gods had personally taken upon themselves to make everything perfect.
The weather was as good as it ever had been. It was quite frigid out, but the mix of cold of the air and heat from the natural springs was a blissful combination. Not to mention the glowing presence of the sun provided a subtle yet delightful hint of warmth from its tantalizing rays.
Additionally, the springs themselves were impeccable as well. Some days, the springs were an uncomfortable scolding hot. Other days, the springs felt as if they weren't even warm. And various days, the springs lacked the luxury of jet bubbles that helped massage kinks out of the kung fu master's sore muscles and joints. However, today the springs were flawless. Temperature-wise, the heat of the water was divine; not luke-warm but not boiling hot…just right. And the springs were even considerate enough today to have a constant stream of bubbles that fizzed to the surface.
Currently, each of the five was basking in the splendor of relaxation. Viper had just slithered out of the water and was now coiled atop the surface of the stone ground, absorbing the rays of sunlight. Mantis and Monkey were having a splash war in an isolated pool of water, their disturbance of the peace was lessened by their separation from the main body of the springs. Crane was resting under one of the few trees while reading a book, a peaceful expression adorning his face.
Lastly, the two tigers were relishing in the warmth of the springs. Saber was angled over a crevice in the pool which was releasing a stream of bubbles. The jets massaged his tensed joints and muscles like a charm.
Tigress meanwhile, sat neck deep in the bubbling water, a sleeping mask shielding her eyes from the bright sun rays. She seemed to be asleep, taking a cat-nap. However, unbeknownst to any of the others, her thoughts were in a whirlwind. Tigress had been dealing with a number of thoughts for the past few weeks and feelings…emotions.
The feline smiled wryly at this. She was contemplating her emotions and feelings…the hardcore, non-feeling, cold-hearted kung fu master…among other things.
Naturally, Shifu would have been the ideal candidate for her to talk with. These past few years, especially after Kai, the red-panda had begun to offer a different type of guidance towards her…fatherly guidance.
It had just been a couple months after Po and the others had gotten back from the panda village…
*Flashback*
A bead of sweat ran down Po's face as he helped Tigress and some of the other workers stabilize one of the new pillars that were being erected in the newly rebuilt Hall of Heroes. He hadn't been here for its destruction, but he certainly was here for its reconstruction. Releasing his hold on the jade and marble pillar, the Dragon Warrior wiped the sweat off his face.
It'd been quite the hassle rebuilding the palace and restoring the kung fu scrolls and artifacts. It would have been practically insurmountable, had it not been for the help of a certain royal figure. Thankfully, their heroics…well mostly Po's…hadn't been overlooked.
Immediately after the defeat of Kai, the emperor himself had personally transferred a considerable portion of wealth to not only the reconstruction of the palace, but to the kung fu master's themselves. The emperor, a royal red peacock in his late fifties, had been somewhat guilty for the lack of support given to the noble masters of the Jade Palace a few years prior when Gongmen City had been taken over by his very own nephew. After Shen's defeat, he'd held a parade in their honor, but considering what they'd done for him and China, a simple parade had seemed unfit. This time, the emperor had no plans of leaving the Jade Palace masters empty-handed. A blank check was issued to them for the reconstruction of the palace grounds, and each warriors had been transferred a hefty sum of one-hundred thousand yuan aside from Po. This amount wasn't quite enough to retire on, but it was very generous nonetheless. However, the Dragon Warrior, being a chief contributor to the end of Kai, had been gifted enough money to be labeled one of the wealthiest in the entire nation. As one could suspect, Po had given millions of his awarded sum to charity, storing a modest amount into the bank system—a little under a million yuan. Yes…he was a rich panda. But, he hadn't told anyone that…aside from Shifu and his Dad. He knew both of them could keep a secret and not spill it to the others. Besides, Po wasn't the type to flaunt wealth in other people's faces. He'd grown up poor and he knew from experience how flaunted wealth could tick people off.
He also didn't need another reason for his friends, townsfolk, and girls…especially girls, to try to kiss up to him. It was already hard enough to meet genuine people with his fame and status. If his wealth became common knowledge, he'd never meet another genuine person again.
Po was brought out of his thoughts by an orange and black striped hand waving in front of his face.
"You in there Po?" Tigress asked in an amused manner.
Snapping his attention away from his thoughts he gave the feline a cheeky grin.
"Yeah, I was just thinking…" he returned.
Tigress smirked at him, "That's never a good sign."
'Ha! She got you good!' Red guffawed.
Po met here gaze as his eyes narrowed. Tigress returned his glare with a look of innocence. After a few seconds of silence—albeit Red's laughing—Po huffed sourly, crossing his arms like a five-year old.
"You've been hanging around Monkey and Mantis too much," he scowled halfheartedly.
Tigress was trying in vain to uphold a neutral expression but it soon failed. A smile emerged upon her features, and she seemed to be struggling to hold in a fit of laughter before a voice cut in from behind them.
"I hope I'm not interrupting something."
Turning around, the duo was met with the wise gaze of the grandmaster. In his hand, he held the jade green staff that Po had given him. He was quite fond of it. Scratching the back of his neck, Po shook his head, "No you weren't interrupting master. Did you need something?"
Shifu's gaze traveled from Po to Tigress, then back again.
"I would like to speak with Tigress in private for a moment."
Po glanced over to Tigress. She looked back at him and gave the bear a shrug. Po looked back to the red-panda with an understanding look. Oh! A family talk…got it. Po tried to play it off cool…his attempt was anything but.
"Of course Shifu…I'll just go and help…those guys over there!" he said in an obvious tone before giving the grandmaster a noticeable wink. He soon rushed off to help a few workers remove some wreckage from the other side of the hall.
Shifu buried his face into his hands, while Tigress just amusedly rolled her eyes at the panda's antics.
"Come…I have much to speak with you about," the grandmaster told the feline master before making his way out of the hall.
Raising an eyebrow in interest, Tigress followed him out. As the two traversed the grounds, it became more and more obvious where Shifu was heading as time wore on…the peach tree.
Minutes later, the duo had finished ascending the stone steps. They were now at the feet of the beautiful tree that had become a staple in their life at the Jade Palace.
Shifu crouched down into a lotus pose and gestured for Tigress to sit before him. She obliged and found herself in sitting face to face with her fath…master.
Reaching forward, Shifu took hold of the feline's hand in a comforting gesture. Tigress unused to this type of action from her master flinched slightly. It was almost unnoticeable, but in the eyes of a trained master in was quite obvious. Shifu felt himself sadden at this.
'Just what have I put you through make you this way Tigress?' Shifu thought with extreme guilt.
He had been a horrible parent. Never once showing the compassion, concern, or pride the way a father should.
"I'm sorry."
Tigress was taken aback by this. She assumed he'd brought her up here to discuss the future of the Jade Palace or even the financial matters of reconstructing the edifice. But this talk seemed to be leaning more towards the emotional spectrum…one of the few things she hadn't mastered or was even remotely good at.
"What for master?" she asked, quite befuddled due to his abrupt apology.
Shifu sighed as he gripped her paw tighter in between his own. This was it…this was the moment where he'd not only apologize for his utter failure as a father, but also open up towards his student…no…his daughter.
"Tigress, when I first adopted Tai-Lung I wasn't sure about anything…not about parenting or even about training him. But as time went on, I began to enjoy being a father. He filled me with pride and…I let him down," he stated glumly.
Tigress's temper flared at his words. But not for the reason one would think. Master Shifu had given everything to Tai-Lung. Love…encouragement…pride…guidance…EVERYTHING that she'd craved for the first decade of her life. And what did he do? He threw it all away because he didn't get that stupid Dragon Scroll! He took everything that Shifu had given him and thrown it out the window. That ungrateful spoiled brat had taken what Tigress cherished the most, all for granted!
"You did nothing of the sort master! He took your love and affection and spat all over it! If anything HE let YOU down!" Tigress came to her master's defense vehemently.
Shifu looked back at his daughter in shock. After all he done and after all the neglect he'd put her through…she was still as loyal as ever. Shifu squeezed her hand in reassurance, causing the feline to meet his eyes once more.
"For a long time I was blinded by my first experience as a parent. And of everyone…you had to suffer for it Tigress. Whether or not I let Tai-Lung down…there is NO question that I have completely and utterly let you down, daughter. And I'm sorry," he finished while keenly observing his daughter's reaction.
Tigress was for the most part…speechless. She couldn't believe what her mast…father had just told her. Part of her wanted to jump for joy; this was what she'd always wanted! However, the other part of her felt a bubbling rage that he'd waited this long to even attempt an olive branch. While Tigress had trained to maintain a cool persona throughout her years at the Jade Palace, she, like most felines, was hot-blooded to the core. Normally, Tigress's training would prevent her from allowing her emotions to get the better of her. But after all that had happened and now Shifu's confession, her mind was a mess. Her thoughts were in a whirlwind of chaos. And for once, she let her anger show through…
An almost feral-like snarl emerged upon the feline's face as she swiftly jerked her paw out of Shifu's grasp. She stamped over to the edge of the peach tree cliff.
"This is your big confession? Well forgive me for my reaction maste…BUT YOUR TEN YEARS TOO LATE!" she all but screamed the last sentence.
Shifu winced at her response. Even with her back to him, he could feel the heated anger rolling off the tiger in waves. Maybe he should have brought Po along…the panda was normally the pacifist of the group.
"I spent years of my life doing nothing but to gain your favor and for what? I was never good enough! I was too slow! Too weak! Too imperfect! I was never up to your standard! I was never as good as your favorite son!" Tigress spat, finally turning to face her master.
Shifu felt even more rotten as she turned to face him. In all his years of raising and training her she had cried twice, both times had been before she'd been nothing more than a child. And now, her she was over a decade later. She had grown to become a beautiful and elegant woman, entering her mid-twenties and tears were slowly streaming down her face.
"You're wrong Tigress," he stated gently.
The feline's expression morphed from a mix between hatred and distress to a look of pure lassitude.
"Right…because I'm never correct am I? I'm always a failure no matter what I do?" she let out with a sigh, her anger dissolving away.
Shifu saw her reaction and quieted himself. He'd have to pick his next words very carefully. What he said next could either make or break the relationship with his daughter completely.
"No…you excel at whatever you try Tigress, you have done in the past and will continue to do so in the future. But you ARE wrong about one thing. Tai-Lung may have been my first but he was surpassed as my favorite many years ago…Tigress you are my favorite and I'm sorry I didn't express it sooner," Shifu confessed.
Tigress froze at this. She scanned Shifu's eyes for deceit or lies…there were none. And for the first time in her life, the feline felt relief. Tigress felt as if a huge weight had been taken off her shoulders. She couldn't imagine what this meant…should she call him master or father…would their relationship stay the same or would it be different? Her emotions and thoughts were running amuck in the disordered mess that was her brain at the moment.
Shifu, seeing the blank face of his daughter, assumed that their conversation had come to an end. Sighing, Shifu picked up his jade staff and rose to his feet.
"For what it's worth…I'm truly sorry Tigress. I understand if you'd rather not want me as a father. I'll leave you to your privacy," he admitted, with a droop of his ears before moving to take his leave. He was almost to the steps before he was stopped by a single word.
"Why?"
He froze in midstride before turning back around to face his daughter. She stood there timidly with a reserved…dare he say…hopeful look upon her face.
"I almost lost you Tigress. Kai was the closest I've ever been to losing you…and…I never want to have that feeling again, especially before I've had the chance to become an actual father," he answered honestly.
At this statement Tigress tensed before rushing at blinding speed towards the grandmaster. Assuming he'd overstepped his bounds, Shifu closed his eyes, awaiting the almost certain slap across his face.
He was surprised when instead of a stinging pain, he was immersed in the warm fur that was his daughter. He tensed for a moment, not knowing what to do, before his parenting instincts kicked in and he returned the hug with full force.
"I love you dad," Tigress mumbled her voice catching a bit in her throat.
"And I love you, my daughter," he returned his gravelly voice holding a loving tone that Tigress had never heard before…she didn't mind.
*End of Flashback*
If someone had told her that she would be in an extremely close father-daughter relationship with master Shifu a year ago…she would have sent them to a mental asylum in hopes of curing them of such irrational delusions.
Even now, it was hard to believe how far they'd gone, from the distant student-master relationship to her having personal talks with him about her feelings.
Much to her dismay, Shifu was out of town and it looked like he wasn't returning any time soon. She'd have to ask Po again when her father was coming back. But that was beside the point; she needed someone to talk to about her feelings for a certain black and white warrior…well…both of them actually.
After much contemplation she'd settled on Viper as her confidant. She wouldn't dare talk about this with another guy aside from Shifu. And Viper seemed to enjoy all the love and relationship jazz.
After much thought, Tigress stopped herself. Why was she stressing over these thoughts? She was supposed to be relaxing and having a goodtime in the springs with her friends and yet here she was immersing herself in stressful thoughts rather than the spring water. Saber was right, she really need to let herself down a notch…a few notches.
Nodding to herself in resolve, Tigress shoved aside all thoughts except how good the heated water felt against her fur. It was nice not to stress over things for once. Dare she say it, she could get used to this. Slowly but surely, all the tension was released from the feline as she napped in the lovely waters of the springs. It was peaceful…perfect. But as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end.
Thirty minutes into her nap she was awaken rudely by a huge splash.
"Cannonball!"
The wave of water that resulted from this absolutely soaked the formerly peaceful female tiger. Tigress grumbled to herself as she peeled of her now ruined sleeping mask, soaked in spring water.
Glancing irately over to the golden langur that'd splashed her, he gave the feline a small grin in apology. Tigress, instead of her normal death-stare, gave Monkey a feral-grin. To say it was an improvement would have been a stretch. In fact, the smile probably scared him more than her stare did.
"Welp! Now you're in for it!" Mantis quipped from across the spring.
Before Monkey could respond, a huge wave of spring water courtesy of Tigress, blasted him in the face causing him to flip upside-down under the water.
Seconds later, he emerged gasping for air. If that wasn't enough, water was spraying out form his nostrils after going down the wrong pipe.
"Oops! My bad," Tigress returned with an innocent smile.
Monkey's eyes narrowed as he stared back at the feline before a wicked grin spread across his soaked face, "Mantis I need back up!"
Mantis, the ever faithful companion of his ape friend, skipped over onto Monkey's shoulder. They both gave the female master confident looks as they readied themselves.
"You picked the wrong fight Tigress. We are the water fight champions!" Monkey gloated.
Unfazed by this, Tigress playfully called out, "Viper get over here! We need to teach these boys a lesson!"
Viper, who'd been bathing in the sun, looked up in surprise as her normally stoic sister called her over. Not a moment later, Viper slithered at unrivalled speed before diving into the water to join Tigress.
"Crane come join it'll be fun!" the serpent enthused, throwing Monkey and Mantis an evil smile.
Crane just gave the others a disinterested look as he flipped another page in his book.
"No thank you, I'm perfectly glad to read this novel and stay nice and dry," he returned in a dull voice, entranced by the book in his hands.
"I'll fix that!" Mantis exclaimed with a cackle before sending a moderate wave of spring water towards the bird. Soaking both Crane and his book from head to toe, his reaction was priceless.
"You little fiend! I was just getting to the good part!" Crane squawked in anger, before a sinister look appeared on his face.
He quickly swan dove into the springs and emerged side by side with Tigress and Viper. The girls now had an extra player…
Monkey and Mantis looked at each other in dismay. Now they were out-numbered.
"I'm going to enjoy drowning both of you! Wings of Water!" Crane laughed evilly before utilizing his Wings of Justice technique. However instead of a huge gust of wind, it resulted in a monumental wave of water towards the terrified duo. Monkey and Mantis could do nothing as the huge wave crashed down onto them, burying them in hundreds of gallons of water.
Half a minute after the water settled, the two tricksters emerged on the surface gasping for air.
"I'm glad you're on our side," Viper said giddily causing Crane to blush at the compliment.
Recovering from the tremendous assault, Monkey and Mantis were both red in the face. It wasn't clear if their hotly colored cheeks were from embarrassment or lack of oxygen…maybe both.
"This is War!" Mantis bellowed as him and Monkey prepared for an assault of their own.
"Wait! Quiet!" a voice exclaimed.
Everyone turned to look at Saber who'd been abnormally quiet throughout the affair. He had pushed himself onto a ledge in the springs and was now only knee deep in the water. His ears were perked up as he listened intently.
"Do you guys here…bells?" he asked in slight confusion, with a hint of worry.
The others gave him a questioning look before listening themselves.
"I don't hear anything," Monkey finally let out, with Mantis nodding in agreement. However, after dealing with Crane's tidal wave, their ears would probably have been water-logged to the point of near deafness.
Crane and Viper both shook their heads in answer to the white tiger's question.
Saber could have sworn there was the sound of bells…alarm bells?
"Wait! What if your village is under attack…like alarm bells!" he realized in shock.
Tigress had been straining her ears, but to her knowledge there were no sounds of bells. Maybe not…she could hear the faint hum of a sound in the distance, but that could have been anything.
Tigress began to worry. What if the village was being attack? What if-
She stopped herself. This was supposed to be THEIR day of relaxation, and now she was letting her paranoia get the best of her. Heck! Saber was the last person who she expected to be so uptight about something during their relaxation time.
Nodding, Tigress came to a conclusion. There was no way a bandit attack was happening because, the chances of it happening were so low. I mean…they hadn't had a bandit attack in almost half a year! No…today was her day of relaxation and she wasn't going to let any worries get in the way of that.
Yet, there was a small voice in the back of her head that told her she was taking a risk…but as she continued to think, the voice grew smaller and less significant.
"I don't think there's anything to worry about Saber. We haven't dealt with bandits in months," Tigress responded evenly.
Saber still looked unconvinced, "But what if there IS a bandit raid happening…Po could be in trouble! And-"
Tigress cut him off, "Stop worrying worry-wart! I thought you were supposed to be the laid back one?"
Saber looked indignant at the slight taunt from his tiger counterpart. He was about to respond before Tigress cut him off yet again.
"I know how to fix this," she offered with a slight smile.
As per usual, Saber's curiosity got the better of him yet again.
"Yeah? How-"
He was cut off as a wave of spring water was blasted into his face. It left him soaked and most of all, quite irked. Wiping his eyes, he turned his gaze back to the feline that drenched him.
Tigress looked back at him with a devilish smirk. A water fight of tremendous proportions commenced soon afterwards.
As they continued to splash each other with water like a bunch of adolescents, Tigress's mind went back to Saber's worries before she dismissed them.
There was NOT a bandit raid…And even if there WAS one…Po could handle it.
…
Po could definitely handle it.
Po was NOT handling this bandit raid very well.
To be fair, he was quite pleased with himself at the moment. Initially, he thought he wouldn't have lasted even ten minutes against the sheer numbers of felons that swarmed towards him. However, both to his surprise and the bandits', he had been keeping them at bay for over half an hour at this point. All that studying he'd done over the past few weeks had really come in handy. Po hated to think how much more difficult this task would've been, if not for the dozens of new fighting styles and techniques he'd learnt from the scrolls. However, even the mighty Dragon Warrior was not invincible.
As the waves of villains dragged on, he began to tire at a steady rate. If not for his endurance training these past several months, he would have been overwhelmed a long time ago.
Even now, his actions and reflexes were waning and decreasing at an alarming speed. Po realized this as another bandit, among the dozens he'd faced, rushed forward and delivered a sloppy yet vicious slice with his katana. Had he been in his usual peak condition, Po would've perceived the attack almost immediately and easily side-step the swipe as if it'd been child's play. Unfortunately, Po wasn't in peak condition at the moment. And his condition would've been a whole lot worse had he noticed the attack even a split-second later. Narrowly dodging the blade, Po felt the razor metal shave a bit of fur off his ear. Thankfully, his fur was the only thing that'd been damaged. Po sighed in relief before disarming the bandit and hammering his fist into the wolf's sternum, dropping him to the ground. Po quickly reached up a felt his ear, which had a substantial chunk of fur missing. He'd been milliseconds away from having his head cleaved from his shoulders.
Not wasting a second, Po ducked under a spear that'd been aimed for his neck and jabbed his attacker in the ribs, effectively winding him. Quickly, Po gripped the felon's ankles before twirling him in a circle several times, knocking down another wave of bandits that surrounded the panda.
Looking up, for the first time in the entire fight, Po felt a surge of hope injected into his veins. The seemly endless number of bandits was thinning out and now he was only facing about…fifty…give or take several dozen.
Oh! Who was he kidding? He couldn't continue on like this! He was completely exhausted to the point where he had to manually force himself to stand up on two legs. His bones hurt, muscles that he didn't even knew he had hurt, his joints ached…EVERYTHING hurt! He'd been damn lucky to have disposed of roughly a hundred of the bandits, but his tank was running on empty.
Heck! Even standing here was exhausting! The adrenaline from the fight was wearing off and he was fighting to keep his eyelids from drooping.
Then, an instant of realization struck him like a splash of cold water to the face…Boy he wished a splash of cold water had actually splashed him in the face…he needed it. He also needed some food…peaches…bean buns. And also sleep…yeah sleep sounded good! Maybe a trip back to Su and Sister's Spa and massage?
'Focus Po!' he chided himself.
Back to the point…all the bandits had stopped their assault. The horde of criminals stood ten or so meters away, yet they hadn't moved a muscle. Confused, Po was about to speak out until the group of criminals parted ways revealing a path.
Raising his eyebrow, Po was about to ask what they were doing until a hulking figure trudged down the opened path between the criminals. They were all cheering him on as he made his way in the direction of the panda.
He was a tall, heavily muscled, silverback gorilla with a scar tracing from his right eye across his face to his left cheekbone. Po had to admit, the ape wasn't the prettiest flower in the garden…and the scar certainly didn't help.
Almost as if reading the Dragon Warrior's thoughts, the gorilla's face morphed into a feral snarl as he gripped his weapon of choice. It was a hybrid between a hammer and an ax. The weapon's head was constructed of steel with a solid oak handle that the gorilla gripped tightly in his hands. It looked to be well over a hundred pounds. What concerned Po was the ease at which the ape handled the weapon, as if it were as light as a feather.
However, not one to back down from a challenge, Po stood his ground and maintained eye-contact with the bandit.
As if sensing the Dragon Warrior's defiance, the hulking bandit roared at him as he slowly drew closer to Po whilst hammering his weapon against the ground several times, each time causing a large tremor to shake the earth under-foot.
Po wasn't one to be scared of something…but he definitely wouldn't call this thing a comfort. Pushing aside any negative thoughts, Po quickly analyzed the ape.
'Alright let's see what we have here…Ok
Strengths: He's strong…probably enough to rip you in half if he gets a hold of you. He's also fast and quick on his feet,' Red began.
Po raised an eye-brow…the gorilla looked about as fast as a snail…and about a quick as a sloth.
'He seems to be very comfortable with that flag pole he calls a weapon. Avoid his over-head blow otherwise he'll turn you into a…panda-cake…haha! That was a good one!' Red trailed off in laughter.
"Focus moron," Po mumbled out the side of his mouth in irritation. Red continued to laugh for the few precious seconds that Po had left, as the ape drew closer and closer. Finally quieting his laughter, Red cleared his throat before humming thoughtfully.
'Anyways…weaknesses?
He's got a blind-spot on his right-hand side, his eye was damaged whenever he received that scar…Try and disarm him…that weapon will give us trouble…You're tired so don't drag this out…you've got to finish this quick or it's game over,' the voice finished.
Po nodded and kept that piece of information for later as the giant stepped up to him.
Po instantly realized how much bigger the ape was up close. Now, Po was no runt. He wasn't super tall of course but he stood at a modest six-foot. This huge gorilla towered over Po by at least a good foot if not more. He even made the gorillas that had been working for Shen look like runts. And for a rare occurrence, Po had neither a weight nor strength advantage.
…
This was going to be tough.
The gorilla looked down at the Dragon Warrior with slight contempt…almost in a way that an adult would give a child if the child had misbehaved.
Po looked back at him, craning his neck to look the gorilla in the eye.
"You're big…" Po let out dumbly.
The gorilla looked rather pleased with the panda's assessment, even going as far as to hold a rather proud look upon his ugly face. However, Po's next words wiped the smug look off the bandit's face, replacing it with a look of violence.
"I've fought bigger…" Po let out shrugging his shoulders with a quirk of his lips.
Not pleased with the panda's words the gorilla snarled, "I will crush you!"
'So it can talk!' Red joked.
Po was about to tell Red to shut up before the bandit brought his weapon down in an overhead strike, intending to flatten the mouthy Dragon Warrior.
Po narrowly dodged the attack by jumping backwards a few meters. A cloud of dust erupted from the force of the attack. Po looked rather hesitant as he observed the small crater that'd formed from the weapon's impact… in the spot where he'd been seconds prior. A split second later, the gorilla zipped out of the cloud of dust at surprising speed before bringing the hammer-side of his weapon in a backhand blow against Po's leg.
Crunch!
Po's leg let out a sickening sound as the metal weapon crushed his femur bone.
Yelping in agony, Po swiftly struck the gorilla in the nose before quickly following up with a double ear clap, causing the giant to back up whilst trying to shake off his distortion.
This gave Po a few precious seconds to recover and examine his leg. Looking down, Po winced at the sight. Although it wasn't something too severe, his leg was definitely broken…possibly in multiple places. Currently his foot was jutting at an unnatural angle. Grunting, Po reset the bone, yelping again from the jolt of pain.
Looking back up, he saw that the gorilla was advancing once more. That bastard was deceivingly fast.
'Told you so!' Red taunted.
Po shook his head in annoyance…enough was enough! No more playing around!
That overgrown monkey wants a fight…he's got one.
Taking the initiative, Po charged forward towards the bandit. Surprised at the sudden change in tactics, the gorilla let out a horizontal swipe at the bear. Evading the predictable strike, Po slipped under the gorilla's guard and delivered several haymakers into the ape's ribcage. The sound of several satisfying cracks resulted in Po's attack. He'd broken at least three ribs, if not more.
Quickly, Po dodged the gorilla's arms which had tried to get a hold of him before back flipping out of the bandit's reach.
Not wasting a second, Po quickly sped forward once more hitting several pressure points along the gorilla's left arm immobilizing it.
Angered by the panda's stubbornness, the giant tried to deliver a punch of his own until he realized that he couldn't move his left arm. Taking advantage of his distraction, Po took hold of the gorilla's right arm. Using his entire body-weight, Po bent the gorilla's right elbow before dislocating it, causing the villain to drop his hammer ax.
"Arghhh!" the gorilla bellowed in pain.
Falling into Po's hand, the panda heaved the weighty weapon onto his shoulder before kicking the ape's kneecaps, causing his legs to buckle underneath him. The criminal was almost completely immobilized and was now at the Dragon Warrior's mercy.
Po narrowed his eyes at the ape in a threatening gesture.
"Who is your master? What does he want?" Po growled at the gorilla.
Smirking at him the criminal responded with a pained laugh, "He is someone who wants to bring order to China…to bring forth a Golden Age!"
Po was confused by this. Golden Age? So many thoughts plagued the bear, but he had so many questions that still needed to be answered.
"Daemon right? What does he want with me? Or the Valley of Peace?" Po demanded vehemently.
The gorilla just smirked. He was enjoying this. He hadn't been defeated by an opponent in a long time. It'd been even longer since someone aside from Daemon had the guts to question him like this.
"You have quite the reputation Dragon Warrior. You've caught the eye of my master…you should be honored really. However, I have nothing more to tell you. Kill me. I'd never want to return to my master after failure," the gorilla all but ordered the Dragon Warrior.
Po shook his head. He wasn't going to kill the bandit…he had too many questions left unanswered…to many gaps in the puzzle that he was trying to solve.
Seeing the Dragon Warrior's refusal, the gorilla inwardly smirked. He may not look the brightest, but he was quite the manipulator, credit to Daemon's training.
"Kill me Dragon Warrior…don't show me mercy…Heaven knows Daemon won't show the same courtesy to your friends," he taunted.
"Shut up," Po demanded in his calmest voice, but in was obvious that the gorilla was getting to him.
"Hell! He's probably killed Shifu and your panda brethren by now," he taunted.
"You're lying," Po growled his anger.
The gorilla hide his growing smirk, the panda was losing it.
"He'll torture them and your goose dad. One by one…every second of the rest of their days they'll beg him to finally end them," the gorilla continued, his smirk finally coming out into display.
In truth, the bandit was exaggerating. He was one of Daemon's inner circle, and he knew that despite the rumors, Daemon was not one to torture and certainly not as sadistic as he was made out to be. However, the panda didn't know that.
"You better watch your next words very carefully," Po warned, deathly calm.
"Your friends will be left without hope and dignity…especially his dau-" the gorilla hesitated, cursing himself as he nearly gave away critical information to the panda. Looking up, he sighed in relief. The panda was so immersed in his own rage that he hadn't even caught the bandit's slip-up.
"However…Master Tigress has also caught my master's attention. I've heard that my master has special plans for her. After-all, his army needs to be paid after this is all done and some of them seek something more…exotic than riches," he chuckled at the panda.
Po was now visibly shaking in rage. How dare this piece of scum even insinuate such a disguting-
"I'm sure Master Tigress will supply the means of payment that others in the army require…who knows? Maybe she'll enjoy it-"
'Alright enough of this!' Red snapped, even he had reached his limit on such unholy thoughts.
Po's self-control finally snapped as he gripped the gorilla's weapon in both hands and let loose a hellish overhead strike with a snarl, cleaving the gorilla down the middle and leaving the weapons buried halfway in the ape's midsection. Blood began to pool around the giant's lifeless body as the big guy buckled over, the force of his collapse causing the earth below to tremor.
The last thing the bandit saw was the serene jade-green eyes of the Dragon Warrior morph into a malevolent blood-red before darkness overtook him.
Po stood up to his full height, heaving in deep breaths before snapping his steely gaze to the group of horrified bandits.
They'd never witnessed such a display of frightening skill and ruthlessness that the bear had just demonstrated. He'd ripped apart their toughest and strongest comrade as if he'd been made out of straw. They all looked from the red-eyed panda to their mutilated leader and back to the former before they retreated like the rats they were.
Their forms disappeared in the distance as they retreated away from the haunting being that was the Dragon Warrior.
Po was somewhat surprised at this, not to mention relieved. His muscles were screaming in protest at the prospect of standing up, forget another fight. He didn't think he could take on another five bandits…much less fifty…
'Maybe next time we should start with the Big One?' Red mused.
Silently agreeing, Po stood there alone amongst the littered bodies of dozens and dozens of bandits that lay on the streets. Some dead…some unconscious…but all defeated. His eyes drifted back over to the cleaved-in-half form of the gorilla. He grimaced at his handiwork. Now that he'd cooled down enough…that probably wasn't the best move. Scratch that…that was a horrible move.
He was the Dragon Warrior for Heaven sakes! Killing was at times necessary, whether in self-defense or in the heat of combat…but he'd justice committed murder…in cold blood. The gorilla was defenseless. He was immobilized at best…and he'd taken his life. What would Shifu think? What would the others think? What would his dad think?
The Dragon Warrior was supposed to be a role-model for young and old alike. HE set the example…HE set the precedent…And if not then…what was he?
It had all happened so fast. But that cursed gorilla had gotten in his head. His threats…about friends, family, Shifu, the Five…they had made him livid…but the moment the criminal had brought up Tigress…he just…snapped. She was the closest girl friend…
'Emphasis on the space in the middle,' Red chuckled.
That he'd had since Kenli…
And although his Kenli held a unique place in his heart, his feelings for the tiger master were still there. Whether she returned them was a different matter entirely…
As Po calmed, his eye's shifted back to their normal jade green but they were dark with concern. Unaware of his eye fluctuating phenomenon, Po decided to get back to the palace to inform the others…assuming they'd finally returned. He'd also have to dispose of the dead and have the imperial forces come take away the surviving bandits. Not to mention fix the damages…and help the evacuated villagers and—
No…No…
He'd done more than enough for today. The others could handle all that. It was the least they could do. THEY had left him alone to deal with this immense bandit attack. THEY could damn well do their share. Shifu would have been appalled of their behavior. Heck! The grandmaster would probably be appalled with his behavior when he returned…if he returned.
Po shook his head of such thoughts. That gorilla had really gotten to him…more than he'd like to admit. He couldn't allow the ape to implant doubts in his mind…otherwise he'd begin doubting his actions. Shifu always said 'A warrior should always remain confident in himself despite whatever he may face'…or something like that.
Taking a step forward, Po cursed in pain. Realizing he'd completely forgotten about his broken leg, he limped over to the furniture shop that he'd flown into earlier. After a few minutes of searching he came across two pieces of plywood that would suit his needs. Ripping off a strand of his burlap-shorts, he used the two pieces of wood to brace his leg. He was glad he hadn't worn the new vest and pants that his father had given him. They would've been totally ruined.
After tying a knot in the cloth, he secured the makeshift brace. Looking down at it he shrugged his shoulders…he was no medic after all. It was crude and inelegant, but it would suffice until he could get proper medical treatment.
He exited the shop and made his way down the dirt street before he was stopped by an audible whimper…a whimper of fear.
Turning his attention to the direction of the noise, Po's face fell. On the main street to his right, he met the eyes of the hundreds of villagers that he thought he'd evacuated…apparently they'd returned sooner than expected. Judging from the looks on faces, Po realized that they'd seen his…his lapse in judgment. The crowd of villagers stared at the Dragon Warrior…some coldly…some in horror…some with disgust…disappointment…fear…anger…disbelief…you name it. There were very few faces that showed understanding or sympathy…not that Po believed that he deserved much of that at the moment.
After several seconds of silence as the bear and the village members stared at each other, Po turned his gaze away. He couldn't handle it. He couldn't meet their eyes…
"You disgusting animal!"
Po was snapped out of his reverie by a harsh voice. Looking up, he saw the crowd had gotten closer and began to jeer him, throwing insult after jab.
"You call yourself a hero?" "Get lost you freak!" "Think of the children!"
"We were better off without you!" "We don't need you, just the Furious Five!"
'That's gratitude for ya,' Red grumbled in irritation.
After minutes of abuse, the crowd finally cooled down enough to halt their actions. But not enough to keep the looks of disgust off their faces. Soon they dispersed back to their homes, leaving the panda by himself.
Po however, was frozen. He tried not to let their comments affect him…but dammit they hurt!
He'd spent nearly three years trying to gain the trust and admiration of the valley. Years of work…years of helping…years…
And now it was seemingly broken…his effort in vain. How could he be such a fool? Why did he always hope?
His thoughts were put on hold as a middle-aged ocelot lady stepped up to him. Her eyes, which were a pale pink, held a neutral gaze, although Po sensed a twinge of malice in their depths. Something about this feline seemed oddly familiar, then it hit him.
Middle-aged…lady…ocelot…similar pink eyes…it was Kenli's mother. To say Po was shocked would be an understatement. After her daughter had died, her mother had moved away from the valley, saying it reminded her too much of Kenli. And after all these years, she'd returned.
"Ping," she stated in a slightly icy tone.
'That's Mr. Master Dragon Warrior Sir to you, ya old hag,' Red sneered.
Po for a moment was speechless. How could he not be? His first love's mother was here, witnessing his terrible blunder. Not to mention that they'd never been on good terms in the first place.
"Ms. Jade," he returned in a more pleasant tone.
'Oh the irony of that name,' Po mused.
Ms. Jade narrowed her eyes at the panda before her. She'd never really liked the overweight ball of fur. And she never understood what her beloved daughter saw in the low-life panda. Even after she'd received news of his apparent success as the Dragon Warrior, she knew that it was a mistake. As she arrived back to the valley, low and behold she was proven correct. He was a pig, no pun intended, just like her husband.
"You should be ashamed of yourself you know," she added, this time in a more mellow tone. Even though she despised this boy…her daughter hadn't…and she'd loved her daughter. Po looked as if he'd been slapped in the face by the remark, as he visibly flinched.
"My daughter loved you…for gods know what reason…and you do something like this," she continued meeting his eyes with a look of antipathy.
Po's jaw trembled, unable to form a response. Not in anger…but in something far worse…doubt. This woman may be spiteful, but she had a point. If he let his anger control him…he was no better than the monsters he faced.
However, Ms. Jade wasn't finished. She stepped closer to the bear before roughly poking her claw into his chest, not deep enough to draw blood, but deep enough to sting.
"I've read about you in the papers Dragon Warrior," she spat, as if 'Dragon Warrior' was the worst insult on the planet. At the moment, Po felt as if it was.
"You think yourself a warrior of the people when you live atop a mountain in a grand palace? With riches and status that rival that of the emperor himself," she berated heatedly.
Every second Po listened, the more and more he realized that what Kenli's mother said was true. A harsh truth but truth nonetheless.
"You think you fight for us? You only fight for yourself," she accused with a look that rivaled that of a disappointed parent.
Po couldn't express the jumbled mess of feelings and emotions that swirled inside his mind. He could barely manage to meet the old woman's gaze.
"We may have had our differences in the past. But I really had hoped that you would turn out to be different…for my daughter's sake," she sighed, stepping back away from the panda.
Po's throat was constricted as he tried to unknot his vocal chords. He wanted to tell…no…show that he was different. He was a good guy. He wasn't cruel. He had kept his promise to Kenli…
But alas, he could do nothing as his voice refused to work, only confirming the older ocelot's suspicions.
Shaking her head in pity, Ms. Jade gave the bear before her a stern look, albeit the edges of her eyes radiated a sadness.
"You can only be thankful that Kenli isn't here to witness what you've become…it would have broken her heart…"
Po's arm shot to his chest, clutching his own heart as if that final statement had driven her accusations home…and it had. Stumbling back away from her, Po shook his head furiously, trying to escape from the growing sense of pain in his heart.
Ms. Jade just stood there, stoically, as she watched the panda with interest. She hadn't realized her words had affected the warrior as much as they had. However, she had one last comment to make before she'd most likely never see the bear again.
"You were never what Kenli needed…you realize that now? Think hard on whether the valley really needs or wants you in the same respect," she concluded solemnly, before turning around and leaving the fumbling warrior to his mess of thoughts.
Po was finally alone now, no insults, no abuse, no nothing…but the damage had been done…and the seed of doubt had been planted. Little did he know that the seed would sprout into a vicious parasite and devour him from the inside out.
Placing the worry at the back of his mind, Po dully trudged forward towards the steps. His expression was blank, but anyone could tell that he was troubled. He was hurting, that much was certain. The only thing keeping him going at this point was a burning resentment for the Five…for the bandits. Heck! Even himself.
He would feel a little better after chewing the Five and Saber out, not much better, but at this point there was nothing much that could help with his current state of mind. He was a physical and emotional wreck.
To take his thoughts away from the bandits, the Five, Kenli, and especially his conversation with Ms. Jade, he allowed his eyes and thoughts to roam around him. He settled on the village's buildings and construction.
Thankfully, not much damage had been done to most of the valley. The only real damage was about a block or two where most of the fighting had occurred. After half an hour of painful limping, he arrived at the base of the steps. To say he was dreading on traversing the steps in his current condition would be an understatement.
Taking his first step up the stairs he grunted in pain…This was going to be one pain in the ass …
"When I get over there…I swear to the gods I'm gonna… I'm gonna give them a piece of my mind!" Po grumbled numbly, wincing every step of the way. The makeshift bandages and brace around his wounded leg loosened substantially as he climbed farther up the steps.
'That's such a YOU thing to say! Go get'em buddy!' Red encouraged with a laugh trying to incite any type of reaction from the big guy. There was none. And for some awful reason, Red felt as if he wouldn't be getting another reaction for some time.
A/N: That's that. As if things couldn't get worse for our favorite panda, I go and do something like this. A necessary evil it may be, Po's development from his losses are crucial to the plot and to the story, as harsh as that sounds.
Hope you guys enjoyed my most recent update! And hopefully the wait was worth it. I try to mix in a few elements of humor, drama, angst, action...all that good stuff. Don't want this story to seem too dark...even though it is listed in the angst genre. After all, the best stories involve all elements and a multitude of genres to appeal to the entire emotional spectrum.
I'm getting ahead of myself, so i'll draw this AN to a close. Next chapter will hopefully be uploaded by the end of July, maybe sooner, maybe later. Hopefully you guys aren't too annoyed with the waiting between updates. I try my best. As the saying goes... "All good things come to those who wait"
Next chapter is, Chapter X: A Cursed Reality
I think I'm done now! I'll see you lovely people later!
Frost2001 Out!