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Finally, Po and Tigress were down to their last few opponents. One of the animal, which appeared to be a wolf, howling their flock to retreat, knowing to press on would just ending them in certain demise since the tiger's and the panda's defense was practically impregnable. Both warriors breathed laboriously from such a frenzy of bloodlust battle. Scrutinizing Po's injury, Tigress made a call not to pursue their attacker any further. Tigress switched her attention to Po's knee, rivulets of blood had well covered his knee to the foot. He walked limped on one leg and almost dragging the other. And she just realized that someone managed to lance the cheek of his butt, however, the panda seemed to completely oblivious about it (probably just proving how robust his butt was), and more concern about his knee injuries as that preventing him to mobilize.
"We need to attend to this... and that arrow on you... butt". Fighting the desire to laugh, Tigress managed to stifle her chuckle after looking at Po's pained feature. All this while, Po wasn't even aware of the injury on the fleshy part of his bottom due to the overwhelming pain on his knee that he battled to suppress.
"Ok, hold on, I'll pull that arrow." Tigress calmly gripped the tip and pulled it of a sudden.
"OUCHHHH..." Po wailed, but snickered at the losing battle she had to hide her amused smile."Thanks, Tigress..." The tiger just smirked in return.
"Don't mention it. So at least you know how it feels to be impaled on the butt", she replied with absolutely stern, serious expression, but inserting a slight playful, sarcastic tone. Po cringed on her remark reminiscing in relation to their first lesson under Dragon Warrior tutelage.
"At least that one wasn't poisonous." He moped petulantly while pouting like a child, crossing his arm resentfully and drumming his claws.
"But that one was spiked with fire!" Tigress scowled vindictively with her paws on her hips. "By the way...We somehow have to clean your wound and get the poison ou... -" Before she completed her sentence, Po raised his paw. "If you were thinking to do what I did to you last time... that's not happening!" The panda retorted authoritatively as if the feline would abode to his wistful wishes. Unlike Po, and thanks to her training - Tigress understood in battle, one had to detach any sort of emotion or embarrassment that would hinder the prospect of one's survival.
"But... you are injured, you can be dead! It's hemlock poison we are talking about here." Her sharpen feature made the panda flinched, but still not changing his mind.
"I don't mind having a sore butt for the rest of the year..." He mumbled obstinately. The striped feline's patience quickly dissipated by the minutes hearing his unwarranted excuses.
"You butts still does have blood supply Po, the poison will travel elsewhere into your bloodstream. You saw what it did to me just the day before!" In utter desperation, Tigress let a loud sigh escaped her lips. She knew how strong headed the panda could be in holding such resistance, alike to herself, she decided not waste more time to instigate the panda further. She straightened herself to prepare to execute the course of action even without his approval.
Without alarmed, maintaining her grace and poise, Tigress leaned forward. Po could feel his heart jumped out of his ribcage and pound erratically, in that instance, he thought Tigress going to kiss him to catch him off guard just like he did to her. But instead, she pressed certain nerve point near to his collarbone and on his less 'fluffy' side abruptly. Po collapsed without warning, even though he maintained his consciousness but his limbs were rendered useless.
"Tigress! what are you doing to me!" The stricken panda grunted, his ears twitched impulsively, displaying his desire to break free. But it was no use.
"If you think I am going to kiss you?" The striped feline snickered loudly with unbridled enthusiasm to explain her move."Well... you are wrong, Panda. That was Touch of Death (Wikipedia : a chi-based nerve attack very much like Oogway did on Tai Lung), I knew the normal nerve attack does not work on you - thanks to Tai Lung. However the master I've learned this trick from, obviously had tried this technique on panda before." She chuckled darkly. "...fear not... no one will rape you." Po groaned hearing her last teasing words. He looked at Tigress in mute appeal and pleading look, but the tiger master wasn't about to compromise.
Tigress dashed to look for the antidote, she was back in less than five minutes. First Tigress washed Po's knee with the water in her pack, it helped to dilute the poison. After she was done dealing with his knee, Tigress rolled Po on his stomach and pull his trousers slightly below his hip just so that she had a better access to the wound. Begging heavens for his dignity, Po felt his face reddened, even though he could hardly feel whatever she was doing since the pain from the poison robbing him from every other sense, but just imagining it was enough to make his heart close to bursting... if not already exploded by now.
After Tigress satisfied with her work, she put the same pressure on the same point earlier and Po sprang up free to move his limbs. The antidote started to take immediate effect and worked it wonders. He started to be able to command his leg again which previously was stiff, even though it was still painful due to the enormity of the cut.
"Seems like the poison had not spread too far, you reacted well to the antidote," Tigress remarked, remembering her own experience with the antidote reaction.
"Well, you sort me within less than 15 minutes, and with us bickering last time - it took us a few hour to sort yours." He stated plainly with no intention of mockery. Po could see her regretful stare as her tenacity had cost him such inconvenience. He smiled and patted her shoulder. "But thank you... you saved me today."
"You can't walk like this..." Tigress looked at the panda's knee. She crossed her arm and slowly shook her head in response. The newly applied bandage was quickly soaked in blood when Po used his foot to walk. "The cut was too deep, and the existing poison made it bleeds more profusely than usual."
"We can stay for the night here," Po suggested. Tigress swept her gaze to her surrounding. "No Po, it's too dangerous, even those felines and canines knew we are here. And it's getting late." She sighed in desperation, she had to act quickly before more reinforcement found them. "With your night vision, I can't risk it." Her words were short and biting. As pessimistic as it might sound, Po agreed how logical her thinking was.
"Maybe if there is a cave, we can take shelter for the night. The tent was too dangerous."
Tigress wrapped Po's hand around her shoulder and supported him to walk. As they strode for the cave, they saw the remains of the assault.
"It's odd, some of them seems to be killed with arrows." Tigress observed some of the dead. "We only make use of their swords... except, there are someone else besides us..." Sudden realization forewarned her, fearing there were still archers out there after them. Po gulped trying to ease his distress, the prospect of having two different group of animals wanting him dead wasn't very comforting. Tigress watched a conflicted morass of emotion darted across his face and then a clear expression of unmitigated panic locked on his feature for a while.
"Don't worry Po, we are more than capable of handling this as many of their assault we have trounced. It might be just us against many adversaries, but two of us together are pretty much unstoppable." She said genuinely, attempting to ease his trepidation. A wide prideful grin exploded on his maw hearing the feline remark.
They finally found a small cave, which hardly can fit two of them. Tigress let an exasperated sigh of her maw. "I am not very sure about your safety here, Po." The panda looked at her deep conflicted feature. But all of a sudden, an idea brimming in her head.
"Po, can I see your knee?" Po obediently sat and extended his injured leg. Tigress removed the dressing and placed her palm an inch away from the wound. She closed her eyes and focusing her mind, the panda next to her sat with a widely opened mouth, gaping openly. As seconds turned into minutes, her paw emanated with a red glow, Po felt something moving under his skin. He winced as Tigress' chi began to stitch his torn tissue and muscle. And before long, the wound started to stop bleeding, but Po was increasingly worried watching his best friend started to tremble, and beads of sweat formed over her orange fur.
"Tigress... stop!" He shook her forearm, breaking Tigress' concentration. Her breathing fast and raspy as she labored not to fall on the ground. Po extended his arm, held her shoulder to prevent her from collapsing. "I think you use too much chi... " The panda was shooting a concerned glance at his comrades whom still battling to gain her vigor.
Po wiggled his leg,"Wow, it doesn't hurt as much anymore." The wound had reduced to a scratch. Feeling somehow his pain alleviated, he quickly stood up and grab Tigress some leftover bean buns and water.
"Here, have this... you just spent all your chi fixing me." He placed the food and drink on her paw, a contented smile touched her lips looking at the work she'd accomplished.
"I think we can try to walk a little bit." He announced, acknowledging it was getting late. He observed the feline again, she was still debilitated from draining too much of her own energy. Po huffed, as much as he appreciated her predisposition to save and protect him, Tigress had an inclination to overdone things and ended up hurting herself.
"...Tigress... I can give you a ride on my back until you regained some of your strength. We should rush to find a place to sleep in next town, it's getting late." He sounded almost pleading, fearing there would be another assault around the corner.
"Po, I..-"
"I insist Tigress... I don't have to do...things... to you, so that you comply for once? Please?" Po butted into her sentence. The striped feline hesitated, she felt Po's veracious concern was very much unnecessary. The last thing she wanted was to be treated like a delicate heirloom in danger of breaking, but he had a point.
"Fine." She scowled bluntly, rolled her lips and press them together, but eventually did as whatever she was bidden. Submissively, she let the panda carried her on his back. A warm feeling engulfed her hardcore soul, knowing yes... someone did care deeply for her.
Meanwhile the next day in Jade Palace, Monkey, Mantis and Crane had already returned from their respective home and returned back to usual habitual training. Dare they admitted they were missing the Dragon teacher, not just for his nimble skill in the kitchen, but also his more lenient, a free-range and easy going teaching curriculum. Since Po was absent from his usual post, to their dismay, the Masters were handed back into the former, more rigid, unforgiving and ruthless Grand Master's care, not that they had a choice. They bowed respectfully as the Grand Master made his entrance. Master Shifu greeted back his four exemplary warriors in the likewise manner.
"Before we started our chi training, I would like to underline certain thing. Put simply, chi is that which gives life. In terms of the body, Chi is that which differentiates a corpse from a live human being. The concept of chi also extends beyond the physical body, to the subtle energies that activate all human functions, including emotions and thought. All of us born with a different kind of live energy, there are five distinct categories : wood, fire, earth, water and metal... some of us will have more on one thing more than the other. And with training, a warrior may be able to manipulate their chi for combat purposes. There are things we can use to drive those energies, such as anger, rage, courage, determination, passion and love. And depend on how deep those emotions are, would be reflected in the power of the Chi itself." The grand master explicated, and soon appended, "...and most importantly - Chi is a limited source of energy... be vigilant and conscientious utilizing it, too little it won't do anything and too much it will kill you or your opponent. That's why proper training was crucial."
"So Monkey, what have you learned in your absent from the Jade Palace." He asked solemnly.
The simian bowed respectfully. "I've learned to manipulate Chi on a weapon." Moving forward, he balled his paw against his open palm giving his account to his Master.
"Care to demonstrate?" The old master requested while stroking his braided bread contemplatively.
Monkey grabbed a skinny katana from the weapons rack. Preparing himself, taking his mind into deep concentration and found his center, and within less than a minute, his hand which held the katana began to emit a pale gold aura. Others gaped in amazement as the radiating glow creeping from Monkey's palm onto the tip of his katana. He made a horizontal slashing motion on the adversary without physically making any contact. The other three warriors gasped to see the adversary had been cleanly cut in half, while the red panda nodding contentedly and a prideful smile touched his lips.
"Very well Monkey, now how about you Viper." Viper showed the rest of his comrades and Master Shifu, the iron shirt move that she'd demonstrated to Po and Tigress.
"That's an eye opener Viper, that technique is going to be very useful against many opponents." The grand master commented. And it comes Mantis' turn.
"I've learned Five Point Palm Exploding Heart Technique. It was basically the same Chi based nerve attack, however pointing to five points near to the heart, and in fatality, caused the heart to explode. I perceived this technique as the last resort since we are fighting to defeat opponents, not to kill." Shifu nodded in agreement at Mantis explanation.
"Make sense. Again this is a useful skill to know. However, we couldn't try that technique on anyone. Now, Crane, it's your turn."
Flying atop his comrades, he requested for Master Shifu to cover his ear (which is hard, he had big ears!), and he clapped his wing. "Clap of Stillness." The diminutive master observed as he witnessed the other 3 masters froze in their awkward position, and within approximately five seconds, everything returned as normal.
"Did you just froze the time for a brief period?" Shifu enquired, the avian nodded in response.
"Those are very good techniques from all four of you, I am glad we can reap the benefit of the chi training, as suggested by Dragon Warrior."
And speaking of the devil, as soon as Shifu closed his sentence, they heard a creak on the training hall door. Two figure emerged.
"Tigress! Po... you guy are back!"
"Do you get Master Croc and Ox to sign your belly. Po?" Monkey joked. The panda just stifled a laugh as an answer.
"How's the party, Big guy?" Mantis hopped on Po's shoulder.
"Yes, it was awesome...! We were eating, talking, kung-fu-ing (is there such word?)...until we were expelled prematurely." His enthusiasm was replaced by a frown.
"Let me guess, was it because you wiped your mouth with the tablecloth?" Crane opened his voice. Everyone else snickered in the background.
"You managed to say the word kung fu with your belch?" guessed Mantis.
"What make all of you think I was that... unmannered?" The panda grunted.
"Shocking isn't it?...as if we needed to answer that question." Monkey was chortling madly.
"Tigress, did you... get any dates?" Monkey teased. Viper crackled on the background, reminding Tigress of the red dress she swapped.
"Tigress actually went with her date, Monkey." The snake reprimanded.
She groaned. "You had to spar with me the whole month. Sister. Oh yes... we did meet Mei Ling, she sent a warm hello to you, Crane." The avian nearly jumped a few feet at the mention of her name, his face was visibly flustered and a tint of blush was evidently blooming on his cheek. To Tigress' surprise, someone else was caught on the hook. Viper was undeniably jealous, even though she desperately tried to hide it, but being a more sensitive kind of girl, making false pretenses was a seemingly impossible task.
"Uhmm... it's been... awhile since the last time... I saw her...so...how is she?" Crane stammered.
"She still looks as affable and enthusiastic as she was decades ago," Tigress stated tonelessly, but risking to steal a glance to her serpent comrade accompanied with an inscrutable meaningful smirk. Realizing her charade was completely blown, at least by the tiger master, Viper averted her stare from her.
"Po and Tigress, debriefing during dinner time. Now, can everyone back for training. We have a lot of things to do." Authoritatively, Shifu broke down the commotion and took hold of the attention back into...well...training.
As all of them exchanging skill, Tigress nudged her serpent sister. "Viper, can I speak to you for a minute?" The green snake followed suit and stood a distance from the rest of their comrades who still absorbed watching the demonstration.
"That Chi fusion thing between me and Po,... could we... keep it a secret from the other?" Tigress requested with a tight smile, unarguably she didn't want Shifu accusing the panda of doing something raunchy with her. Although, anyone who knew Po by now, any form of lurid violation was off limit from on his own boundary. The panda had been nothing but discreet and respectable in his dealing with women. However suggestive chi-fusion might have looked, it was nothing than an act of professionalism in the name of either kung fu or completing a mission. But Tigress wasn't ready to have such heated conversation nor any form of wordy debacles with her adoptive father, so she much rather kept it a secret. At least for now.
"Sure Tigress. As long as you... keep my secret." The serpent winked consciously.
"...deal..."
The five warriors sat around the table, while the usual panda chef stood on his trading post that had been left for the past few days.
"Aw man... I can die of hunger now, just to smell that." The bug moaned, spending two weeks without Po's cooking definitely affect his mood.
"Shut it, if you wanted to help...you could help by being quiet." Viper smacked him, sending the bug rolling to other sides of the table.
"Ugh... women!" He muttered.
Shifu cleared his throat converging the attention of his student.
"Master..." They chorused in unison followed by the habitual respectful bow.
Po poured his soup into seven bowls, and skilfully place them in front of respective Masters. Without further commanding, all the hungry diners were noisily slurping broth from their bowl rather ravenously, and almost in a hurry as if someone would take it away.
"So... Po and Tigress. How was your trip to Master Ding's?" All the attention in the room shifted to the panda and tiger who gazed to each other in turn.
"It was... eventful." Tigress selected her words carefully. "We were assaulted three times, once on the way over, once at the banquet and the last one on the way back."
"What?" Viper raised her brow, Crane gaped with his beak loosened to the ground.
"Who were they?" Mantis perched closer to the panda in a growing rapt knowing what was happening. The panda instead, visibly dampened and turned his gaze to his feline comrade for more detailed accounts. He seemed to be more troubled than usual mirthful, chirpy self.
"We are not sure Master..." Tigress sighed, while she was an expert in concealing her real emotions, on this occasion - a tint of fear, puzzlement, was eminent on her stricken feature, her tail lashing uncontrollably. And the fact that they were after the Dragon Warrior didn't help to assuage her raw nerve to the least. She couldn't help it, after all being overly protective to her comrades, including Po, were a prominent part of her heroic feat. Disturbingly, someone reputable with strong influence and power was their enemies, providing they could have anyone ready at their disposal.
"They want us dead meat... first it was just archers, the second was four tigers and archers, the last one... it looks like they were sending the entire battalion," Po added, sounded more dejected than he usually was.
"They all wearing ninja costume, covered up and always ambushed at night, it's hard to know who they were... other than the group of trained tigers and canines." Tigress retorted, recounting how lucky they were to be alive and despite that murderous attempt. "And it's looked like they've been following us...they knew exactly where we were and where we are going."
Meanwhile, in the Imperial Palace.
The pig was pacing up and down his office, strode rather impatiently, alternating glance between the door and the wooden floor. A faint, hesitant knock, echoed in the room, followed by diffident, terror-stricken voice.
"It's Hong Bei, may I come in My Lord?" The door creaked open. Finally, the messenger that he had been waiting for making his way to his chamber only to be greeted by his master malicious, murderous glare for keeping him waiting. The goose handed over the canister from his wing warily. His expression deflated by the second as he waited for his master vindictive verdict. The pig forcefully grabbed the canister and hastily read the message. Distasteful, lurid anger and disbelief erupted from his countenance.
"WHAT? all of them failed? I sent nearly a hundred sentries this week and none of them managed to kill or capture them? He slammed his balled fist indignantly, causing the messenger to jolt and reeled backward and cringed. "T-They are an a-avid kung fu m-master Mi-Lord. Not to mention they received some a-assistance." He cowered timidly.
"NONSENSE, I wanted them...dead or alive. Now send this letter to Lady Khan, she is in the Valley of Peace." The pig planted an intimidating glare and fiercely threw a scroll.
"MAKE HASTE!" He commanded.