Kung Fu Panda

Light and Shadow

Chapter X: In front of the Statue

Delicious.

This third portion of noodles and the fifth portion of Dumplings are splendid.

Only dad can make it better.

….

Ok me too.

We are in an inn close to a road, which leads us to the School.

The others are sitting around the table and are eating and chatting.

"Is this still far to the School?" Viper asks kindly.

"Not far. Not even a day and we should be there." Master Li Sai replies.

"And we still haven't seen an enemy so close to the School." Tigress states.

"They had occupied the whole School terrain. This should be big enough that an army can stay there. In the past an imperial army and these times pupils could live there."

"Then it must be really huge." I say.

"That it is."

We eat further for a while completely quiet.

"We should discuss a plan how we can beat Tian Yi's men until other masters arrive." Shifu suggest after this break.

"That I wouldn't recommend you." a voice says.

We all turn around to the smaller table right behind me, where only one person is sitting, who wears a long white cloak and a straw hat, like I wanted to have one always.

Right beside him on his bench is lying a curved sword in its leather sheath.

He grabs it.

And turns around.

While he had done this, Tigress and the others stepped closer and are prepared to overwhelm him.

He takes his hat off.

He is a white tiger with red eyes. He wears a silken suit, which resembles that of Shen, but has more red color in it.

He eyes us and we all are much tensed.

"I would also recommend you to chill down."

"Who are you?" Tigress demands to know.

The white Tiger smiles.

"My name is Bai Fen, a messenger of Tian Yi.", he lifts his sword to his neck, "And when you don't want to have the death of many villagers on your conscience you should chill now."

This doesn't break the tension, but there for the aggressive atmosphere. We all sit down again.

"What do you want from us?" Li Sai demands to know.

The white tiger ignores him completely. He eyes me with a patronizing look.

"You are the Dragon Warrior? Hah a fatty."

The way he said this makes me angry.

Then he looks to Master Li Sai.

"I don't have business with you." he looks to me and points out at me with his forefinger, "I have a message from my master for you, fatty." he sits up straight, "You have time till midnight to come to the Sanctuary of Sun Wukong. Alone. He wants to speak with you. So you don't need to worry."

"As if Po would fall for this obvious trap." monkey states.

"And I need to say you another thing. The village, I mentioned earlier, is the village Luseshui not far from here. I bet the noble Master Li Sai knows It.", Li Sai nods, "The army of my master is surrounding it in this moment. And it waits until midnight, and then it will attack. Unless I send to the General a message till then. And I will not send it, if our fatty here will not go alone to master Tian Yi."

These monsters! How can they?

Every one of us keeps silent.

But at the end I decide.

"I go."

"Po, you can't do this!" Tigress shouts at me.

"I will not be responsible for more death. When I can prevent it, then I will do.", I counter and then turn around to Bai Fen, "If someone shows me the way."

Bai Fen chuckles. "Of course fatty. Good decision. Is cleaner. For everyone." he stands up, "So let's go."

"Wait, prior I want to talk with them. Without you."

The white tiger looks completely bored.

He shrugs. "When you want. It is not my time, which is passing here. I wait outside."

When he went outside, Shifu spoke to me: "I am proud of you, Po, although it is an obvious trap." he turns to Master Li Sai, "Master Li Sai, are you knowing the exact location of this village?"

"Yes very good even."

"Then we will go to this village and will try to rescue it."

"That would take much pressure of me. But I don't think you can accomplish this before I meet with him. Maybe I can stop him even in this way."

I stand up and want to go, but Tigress grabs my arm.

"Look after yourself." she says in a worried manner.

I smile.

I step outside, where the white tiger is peeing in a close bush.

"I am ready." I declare.

The white Tiger pees to the end without hurry and then turns around to me. He wears his hat again and his sword is still with the blunt side on his neck.

"Finally. Come Fatty."

The inn is lying in a bamboo forest, which we cross now.

We reach rice fields, which are to our both sides and at the horizon we can see a broader hill.

"This is our goal, fatty." Bai Fen says.

We continue going and the hill is coming closer.

We pass a river with the aid of an old bridge.

The sun is setting already when we arrive at the hill. It is not high, but there for the peak is very broad. On it I see walls and roofs of three buildings.

But before we reach the hill we need to cross another river, which is flowing around the hill and some flat ground as well. On this flat ground are further buildings, seemingly for living.

We pass these empty and huge buildings. There are many of them.

While I am looking for any sign of living, he falls back. First I assume a trap, but then he whistles.

I turn around to him, while a small sparrow lands on his hand.

He gives him a rolled-up piece of paper.

"This is for the general." he says to the sparrow. This one salutes and leaves us by flying away.

While I look still in the direction, where this sparrow is flying he says to me: "Keep moving. We are almost there, fatty."

So we go further and reach – guess what.

…..

Yeah stairs.

They are pressing against the hill and are going up in a whirl around the whole hill.

"My master waits for you up there. I wait here, while you go up. If you can, of course."

He says and laughs at me.

He knows that the stairs had discouraged me, but this satisfaction I will not give him.

With new courage I take my first step.

5th step.

10th step.

15th step…

Fuuhhh

20th step….

God…panting.

30th step.

How far still?

50th step.

Only panting….

70th step.

Can't hold myself on my feet.

80th step.

Why these need to be always stairs? Is this a part of this Kung Fu mysticism?

Finally I reach the peak.

Completely exhausted.

I need some time to recover and then I look forward.

Oh my god.

In front of me is a broken gate and in front of this an empty place built with white marble stones.

But the shocking is the middle of this place: It looks like something was pressed into it and the complete ground was destroyed by this.

I remember the last time something had destroyed the solid ground.

Then Shen had used his cannon to kill Master Thundering Rhino.

This is not a good start for this.

I step into the school.

Beside me are two further buildings. Some of the windows are broken. Even some of the solid stone walls.

Right beside the gate is a big hole in the surrounding walls. As if someone has flown through it.

In front of me is the Sanctuary of Sun Wukong with its big gate. It is open.

How often I have dreamed of seeing it once, but now.

In this way I hadn't imagined it.

I enter the Sanctuary.

In front of me stands the glorious golden statue of Sun Wukong.

It is still fascinating to see it.

"Welcome in the Sanctuary of Sun Wukong, Dragon." I hear a voice in front of me by the feet of Sun Wukong. There is standing a dark figure, which turns around to me now.

He has black fur and a black silken suit, but resembles otherwise Master Li Sai.

Maybe a little bit younger. Wasn't he the older brother?

He seems to stumble.

"I admit that I heard that you are a panda. But still I imagined you more…fit, Dragon."

"That I hear often. And the correct address is Dragon Warrior."

He chuckles. His arms are folded on his back.

"You look at me, if I am your enemy, Dragon.", and after a break, "…Warrior."

"Are you not?" I ask warily.

"No I am not." he confirms.

"Then you aren't guilty of killing the Master of this school, your father, and its students?" I confront him with the facts.

He chuckles again and is going to one of the artifacts, which are found here. Like in the Jade Palace.

"I don't deny that I have killed my father, but the students are more than healthy. Some of them had joined me and my efforts and the remaining I let go."

"But still you killed your father."

He looks at me.

"This was an old grudge. It ended with his death and shouldn't poison the here and now. Like your old Grand Master Oogway told always:

Yesterday is history,

Tomorrow a mystery,

But today is a gift.

That is why it is called present."

I admit that this sounded like Oogway.

"So what? Should I forget that you killed an innocent person?"

"No, but this shouldn't influence the present so much like you think." he walks back to the statue and looks at it again, "You know, the grudge had stopped me from doing something bigger. Something greater. Something which will change the world."

"What do you mean?" I ask warily.

He turns his head back to me.

"Searching a power, which is so big, that it could change the structure of this world forever." he turns to me completely, "A power, which is until now, in the hands of the cruel gods only."

"What power?"

"The power over Life and Death."

What? That can't be!

"Such a power doesn't exist."

"No it exists. Our ancestors had found it and it is still in their city: The City of the Star."

"I have never heard of such a city."

"Because it is lost. Long ago already. But when we can find it the power will be ours. To decide over death, life and even revive."

What?

I lower my head. With such a power I could bring back Shen and Tai Lung. And even my parents. And much more innocent people, who had died too early.

I raise my head again.

"And how will you find this city, when it is lost?"

"A scroll shows the way. A scroll which is already in my hand, but needs to be decoded first."

Then a question rise in me.

"Then for what you need me?"

He lowers his head all-knowingly.

"You heard the prophecy of my uncle?"

"Yeah."

"Then it will interest you, that you are the dragon from this prophecy. The dragon plays a big role by finding the City of the Star. I still don't know, which, but it would be better, if we work together to achieve this goal."

I lower my head again.

"Imagine only Dragon: With the power over Life and Death in the hands of mortals, this world will lose its horror once and for all. It would be a paradise again for all living being."

"And who will hold this power?"

This question came completely suddenly, but it surprises Tian Yi also.

"Me. And you. For time. Until we find a more worthy one for this."

I look back to him.

"You? You who had done this to the villagers 50 years ago?"

He looks a little annoyed.

"I said already: The past shouldn't poison the today."

"Then talk about today. You have forced me to come to you all alone with threatening a village with its innocent citizens."

He keeps quiet after this.

"How can I entrust a person like you such a power? Even with me there would be no guarantee that you would give up this power or worse don't abuse it for your selfish reasons." I get into battle posture, "I can't allow this, Tian Yi. I stop you no matter the cost."

He had lowered his head and looks back at me now. His look is completely cold.

"Too bad. It would have improved the chances of finding it, if the dragon of the prophecy would be there. But when not I will not force you. But you must understand that I don't allow you to prevent my plans. I am fate. When fate can't accomplish its plans this world will transform into chaos in matter of seconds."

"So at the end you are my enemy."

"No, I was your enemy."

Rather fast change of opinions.

He rushes at me with an awesome speed.

He attacks me with his hands, which are completely flat and the fingers resembles knifes.

Funny is that I can still dodge it.

Then a hand cuts me through my fur and I see my chance to attack.

I hit the arm away and attack simultaneously with my belly. Tian Yi flies backwards, but can stop himself with his claw hands. He attacks again and this time with a kick. I dodge it in time, but he uses one of the pillars to change direction in the same movement by holding and circling it. He kicks me away and I fly backwards. But I jump up fast and am the attacker for the first time. He seems faster than me, but I am stronger and although I can't dodge every attack – the claw attacks not calculated – I still can gain the upper hand and grab his hands. Then I whirl with him some time until I let him fly and he lands against the next pillar.

Hah!

He stands up with an amused look and my victory in the first clash is somehow not so satisfying anymore.

"You are truly the Dragon Warrior. The foretold genius in Kung Fu. But what if I change the rules?"

And then he disappears in a black cloud.

I look around and can't see him.

Then he reappears over my head and grabs my neck with his feet. He makes a back flip and takes me with him. He throws me with an unbelievable strength to the other side of the sanctuary, where I crash against the wall.

I stand up still a little dizzy, when he hits me again.

And this one is much stronger.

The pain is unbelievable and I hear like the wall behind me gets cracks cause of this attack in my belly.

I can't move.

"It would have been so nice to have you on my side as well as the Light. But it shouldn't be..." he still says turning around again. I still can't move.

Then he kicks me in the face and I break through the cracked wall completely.

In front of my eyes are blurs, while I am falling the hill down.

I see a shadow coming down again.

And then I hit the water and darkness surrounds me.

"Kung Fu Panda" (c) DreamWorks Animation

I own nothing except for the written word.
Characters you don't know are from me.

I make a break with this chapter. Need to rethink some matters. Don't know when I will update again.