Chapter 12, Back in Action
Master Shifu opened his eyes at the sound of the maids' ramble. The red panda got out of his bed and slightly opened the window, Chen Rong's ivory blanket was still present; it was early November after all. In spite of this, the villagers still moved with purpose; they were still taking their children to school, they were still going to work and they were still laughing and being happy. The red panda smiled at the sight; everyone was still moving with such purpose, in spite of their village almost being destroyed. After another minute of gazing at the masterly polished picture, the red panda got dressed and went into the bathing area to wash away the sleep from his face. He walked down the sleeping quarters' hallway and reached the great hall, where he found Zanshi praying at the dragon altar. The red panda turned away and began walking towards the kitchen, where the Furious Five were, not want to interrupt the old panda.
"Not need to go, Master Shifu. I just finished my morning prayers anyway" the old panda said as he stood up from his position, using his war hammer as support.
"I did not wish to interrupt" the red panda said as he walked towards Zanshi, his gaze turning towards the altar slightly "I don't know much about the religion you follow, Lord Zanshi. Care to enlighten me?"
The old panda smiled and nodded, he turned around towards the altar and opened his mouth as he was about to say something. But he closed it and began to chuckle slightly
Confused, the red panda looked at Zanshi with a raised eyebrow "What's so funny?"
The old panda stopped his chuckled and turned towards Master Shifu "We're old men aren't we, Master Shifu. Talking about religion, using staffs to help us walk around...constantly thinking about our, adult, children" he said with a frown at the last part.
The red panda also began to chuckle, realising that what Zanshi said was true "Old? I'm only fifty-three" he said after nudging the old panda with his staff.
"I'm fifty-five, myself" his gaze turned back to the altar "So you want to know more about Jiu-Ge?" the old panda proceeded towards the nearby bench, followed by Master Shifu.
"I've never heard of the Jiu-Ge religion before" the red panda said as he sat down next to Zanshi.
"In all honesty, it's a dead religion. Most animals in China have adopted Buddhism or other religions"
"Well...care to elaborate on what it is?"
"It is the worship of the dragon gods. We have very few texts to support our religion, as it is so old that most of them have been destroyed or lost. But the few we have say that the dragon gods created the universe, and that a long, long time ago, there was peace. Under their guidance, of course"
"What happened?" the red panda asked, as if he was a child back at school.
"Well...basically what I told you and Po, that night. The dragon gods rejoiced at their new creation but, as I said, they found that they needed to interfere in our lives, in order to save us from ourselves or others. They created the five scrolls of power because they believed one of us would be vigorous enough to harness their power, and become the protector of their creation. But one of them, Katon, argued that we would only squander this gift. He begged his brothers and sisters to find an alternative; he was unsuccessful. Angered, he tried to kill the rest of the gods and steal their power, so that he could use it to re-write us. He was once again unsuccessful, and was banished for his treason in a prison behind the furthest star. The gods are still there, in the heavens, waiting for the chosen one to embrace his destiny; to be their disciple and lead peace into our world"
The red panda needed a moment before asking the next question; he was still processing all this information, which was proven true by yesterday's events "And you truly believe that Po is the chosen one?"
"Of course; do you doubt it?"
"No, I don't. It... it all just happened so fast"
"I understand: You were returning to your, reasonably, normal life. When all of a sudden my letter arrives, and changes everything"
"Well, it's all for the good of the world, I suppose"
"It is, and yet I still worry about Po"
"Why? He's become a very powerful warrior, I'm sure he's more than capable of handling himself"
"No, it's not that I question his physical ability. It's his mind I'm worried about; the life of the chosen one, though full adventure, is said to be one of solace and isolation; so that his loved ones would be protected. Yet, he refuses to accept his fate"
The red panda felt anger beginning to build up in him "I respect your beliefs, Lord Zanshi, but perhaps Po doesn't need to do this, in order to fulfil his destiny"
"What if you and your students died? What if everyone he cares about died? He will have to bear tremendous mental scars, knowing that they died because of him"
"So you think that if he spent the remainder of his days alone and isolated, mental scars would not affect him?" Shifu's voice grew in sturdiness.
"That's not what..." the old panda could not finish his sentence, as Master Shifu stood up and gazed through the dining room door, where his students were.
He cast his mind to the many things they had to endure, including Po and Tigress, at such a young age. They were all adults, but they were all also younger than twenty five, only a few months separated them. So much has happened: they spent their entire childhood training, they had to fight off whole armies at times, they witnessed the death of so many and so much more occurred that Master Shifu dared not remember
"We all have scars, Lord Zanshi, be they mental or physical" he turned back at the old panda "They serve as a constant reminder of everything we've endured, and sometimes..." the red panda's memories of Master Oogway and Tai Lung came thundering back into his mind, along with all the emotions "Sometimes, it all just becomes...too much" the pain in his mind and heart began to fade away as he remembered those who were always there for him, and always will be. Viper, Mantis, Monkey, Crane, Tigress and Po; his students and his family "But whenever it gets too much, whenever you feel alone and just want to end it all..."
"Those who care about you the most will be there to pick you up and dust you off" said Crane who, along with the rest, had been eavesdropping on the Masters conversation and decided that it was time to join in.
"To make you smile and warm your soul" said Viper, as she slithered up next to the red panda.
"To make you laugh" Monkey said and then took another bite of his apple
"And to help those scars...fade away" Mantis said after hoping from Monkey's shoulder to Shifu's.
The red panda was, at first, shocked by the sudden arrival of his students; his facial expression clearly showed it. He realised that they must have been eavesdropping in their conversation for quite some time, and decided to join in after finishing their breakfast. A great beam of joy made its way to the red panda's face; his students were his family; his pride and his life. Zanshi could feel a tear building up from the red panda's little speech and, after witnessing this group...no, this family, perhaps Master Shifu was right: Po needed them, for they were what gave him the strength and courage to become what he is today.
The old panda smiled and stood up, from his seat "Come now, Master Shifu, let us eat and then we can go to the hospital" he then left for the kitchen, followed by the Master Shifu.
"Say, Master?" Viper said before the red panda could catch up with Zanshi
He turned around "Yes, Viper"
"Could we go and visit them now? We already had our breakfast"
"Very well then" he rolled his eyes slightly "But I want you to wait for me and Lord Zanshi when you get there" he said while shaking his staff at the group.
"Yes, Master" they all said in union and dispersed.
The red panda then went into the kitchen, where Lord Zanshi was sitting down and having his meal. It was not a very large kitchen; this was a temple after all, not a restaurant. It was smaller than the one at the Jade Palace, nothing more than a simple, medium seized wooden table; big enough for about six people. All the kitchen appliances one would expect to find and a well stocked up fridge. The red panda took a seat next to Zanshi and also began to eat; the old panda must have made breakfast for Shifu, too. Or the Five had prepared enough for the two of them as well.
"So tell me, Lord Zanshi, what is this idea you had? In dealing with our...problem" the red panda asked while making sure that there wasn't any staff around to hear their conversation, or any of Lingdao's minions.
The old panda swallowed down his food and gazed at Master Shifu; not sure how to begin explaining his plan "Tell me, Master Shifu" he pushed his empty bowl away and put both paws together then placed them under his chin. "How much do you know about the Fei-hung?"
Back to Po and Tigress
Tigress opened her tired eyes at the sound of the hospital staff rushing through the corridors, the feline looked up and smiled at the sight of her lover sleeping.
Her hand danced up his chest and to his nose, she gently rubbed it and woke him up in the process "Good morning, Po" she whispered.
The panda slightly yawned and stretched, in order to wake himself up fully "Good morning, Tigress" he smiled and gently rubbed the top of her head, causing the feline to let out an almost silent purr.
"Did you manage to sleep well, it's not exactly the best of accommodations?" she asked and then sat up in order to stretch, too.
"Well I..." Po could not finish his sentence due to Dr Yen bursting into the room, causing the panda and tiger to freeze in place, not able to utter a word or move a muscle.
"Po, you and Tigress have got visitors coming" the doctor hadn't looked away from his papers yet "We'll get a nurse in to help you get ready in three min..." he finally looked up at the two. The doctor was an intelligent panda, so it didn't take him long to put two and two together.
He let out a cheesy smile, almost the exact same way Po does "Five minutes" he then left the room, leaving the speechless lovers behind.
After Tigress finally returned to reality, she smiled and looked at Po; he still hadn't moved a muscle. She gave him a quick peck on the cheeks, causing him to return to reality as well, she then chuckled slightly before saying "I think that means I should go back to my room now, Po" the feline then gave him another kiss, this time her tongue found its way in his mouth and it caused a tingle in his spine to make him shake from pleasure "I'll see you later, Po" and with that, the feline left the room.
The nurse came in not long after Tigress had left, he helped the panda get out of his bed and replace his bandages with new ones; though most of his injuries had healed over night. In the room opposite, a similar routine had happened with Tigress and her nurse, however, Tigress' injuries were still far from healed. After the two finally left their rooms, and the nurses had gone as well, the slowly made his way out the hospital wing and to the front reception, where Viper, Crane, Monkey and Mantis were waiting.
"Tigress" Viper said as quickly as she slithered up to the feline and hugged her, as a sister would hug her injured sibling. The rest of the group also made their way towards the two; Mantis jumped onto his shoulder while Monkey and Crane stood at his sides.
"Hey, guys, it's great to see you all!" Po said after letting Crane and Monkey go from their warm group hug.
"How are you feeling, big guy?" asked a concerned Mantis, after looking at the scars on Po's chest and right eye.
"A lot better, actually. I'll be back to cooking noodles in no time!" he said as the group sat down on the sofas.
The insect chuckled "I guess being the Chosen one has its benefits; with superb healing and all" the panda also let out a chuckle, at Mantis' remark. Po was also very relieved that they all took the ordeal of his path so lightly. It was either that, or that they were good at hiding their pain; he would soon find out.
Monkey gazed at Tigress, though her injuries weren't severe, it was clear that she was still suffering the effect from them "What about you, Tigress?"
"I'll live, Monkey" the feline finally put Viper down "What about you guys? I'm sure that you didn't escape without a few cuts and bruises yourselves" she asked as the group sat down on the reception sofas.
"That's the thing: all we got was cuts and bruises" Viper said after taking a seat next to Tigress, and observed her stitching so that she was sure it was done properly.
Crane got out a bowl of roast chicken and vegetables out from his bag "We brought you food, Po. Let's face it; hospital food just isn't the same" he then passed the food to the hungry panda; he hadn't eaten since before they went to the Shaolin Temple.
The group of friends talked and laughed, hugged and cried, for a good twenty minutes; it was as if the whole ordeal with the scroll and Lingdao never happened. But in the midst of all the banter, Po could not help but feel...distirbed. What if Zanshi was right? What if he truly had to leave them all behind, in order to protect them? That was the last thing Po wanted to do; especially since he and Tigress finally admitted their feelings for one another. But he could not bear the thought of them being hurt.
"Hey, guys?" he spoke, causing all of them to stop and listed with the fullest of attention "About the whole...Chosen One thing"
There was a moment of silence; no one was quite sure what to say, or how to say it. Po was yet to even look up from the table and the rest were looking at one another, completely lost as to how to react.
"Look, Po" the avian bird place a wing on the panda "No matter what happens, we will always be your friends and family. We don't care if you're the chosen on or not, nothing between us will ever change"
Po's very soul shook from Crane's comforting words, he was so worried about losing them, especially Tigress, that he forgot that they were all his family and would never abandon him.
"Thank you" were the only words Po could think of.
Their banter continued for another twenty minutes but was interrupted by the arrival of Master Shifu and Lord Zanshi.
"Po, how are you feeling" asked a worried Zanshi after walking up to the group with Master Shifu.
"I'll live, Zanshi, thank you for asking" Po replied.
"What about you, Tigress?" an equally worried red panda asked the feline.
"I'm fine, dad, and thank you" she stood up from her seat and bowed in respect to the red panda, to which he also bowed. "They told me that I can leave today"
"Glad to hear it, we will go and get your things after Zanshi explains our plan" he pointed to the old panda.
"Ok, first things first; what do you know of the Fei-hung?" he asked, to which he received no reply; instead, everyone looked at each other in the hopes of finding the answer. Everyone apart from Master Shifu, of course
He let out a disappointed gasp "I guess I shouldn't be surprised, they are a very secretive people"
"Are they going to help us get the scroll back?" Po eagerly asked.
"Hopefully. But seeing as you know nothing about them, I should tell you their story. They are a secret clan of warriors, said to be descendants of Yip Fei-hung, himself..."
"Hold on..." Viper interrupted the old panda mid sentence "The Yip Fei-hung: the fabled leader of the Shaolin Monks?"
"The very same, but that's beside the point. Anyway, they are most commonly found in Boreal forest, a two day trip south of the Valley of Peace. With any luck, they will help us and maybe even teach you some of their techniques."
"You won't be coming with us, Lord Zanshi? the feline asked, the old panda was a powerful warrior and would be of great benefit to them.
"I'm afraid not, Master Tigress, I have to stay here and help my people recover from Lingdao's attack. Hopefully we can retake and rebuild the Shaolin Temple, now that he and his thugs have left it"
"Well then its settled" Po stood up from his seat and proudly hit his chest with a fist "The Dragon Warrior and The Furious Five are back in action!" his final sentence lead much needed hope and optimism into the warriors' hearts.
The red panda smiled; proud of how much his students have grown, especially Po, and tapped his staff on the floor in order to get everyone's attention "I and Tigress will go get her things then sign her out. The rest of you can go back to the Dragon Temple and get ready to leave"
"Wait a minute" Po said just as everyone was about to leave "I'm still not allowed to leave the hospital" he insisted.
Zanshi quickly stepped up "Don't worry about that, Po; I'll take care of it. But I would also like a few minutes with you, alone" he then nodded at the rest of the group and they all bolted towards their set tasks.
The old panda waved his arm at the empty seat, telling Po to sit down, which he did. Zanshi also took a seat next to Po and then took a deep breath: gathering his thoughts and thinking of a way to start the conversation he was not able to for twenty years "Po...I know that...twenty years is far too long; I can't just suddenly become your dad after everything that's happened, and about to happen." Zanshi turned his gaze from the table to Po, his eyes full of anguish "I just want to have some sort of relationship with you"
Po felt his heart skip a beat, after two decades he finally found his father, but was uncertain what to feel. This is, after all, a man he only just met.
"Look, Zanshi" Po edged a little closer to the old panda "I can't even imagine what it must have been like for you; without me...without mom" Po's last word made tears form in each panda's eyes.
Zanshi clenched his eyes shut; stopping the tears he had been holding back for so long from escaping "Just..." he turned to the side and quickly wiped his eyes and took a deep breath before turning back to Po, who had done a similar movement "Just promise me that you'll visit, as often as you can" his sentence was followed by a trademark grin.
Po smiled and wiped his eyes once more; he then threw himself at Zanshi and wrapped the old panda in a warm hug "I promise"
The father and son stood in the reception for a good five minutes before breaking their hug. They both had so much to talk about but could only spend another thirty minutes together discussing as much as they could: Po' relationship with Tigress, Po's mother and Mr Ping were the only topics they could roughly cover in such a short amount of time. The rest would have to wait; for there was a certain white lion, taunting Po from the back of his mind, who had a long overdue beating headed his way.
Chapter 12 uploaded, as I promised. I want to take Zanshi and Po's relationship at a steady pace but I do intend to fully develop it. It's still early in my story and there is so much more coming. I hope you're enjoying it so far. See you all next chapter!
