Silence. That's all there was, as everyone heard Mowgli's announcement.
"Are you sure Mowgli?" Viper asked.
"I have to. I was the one who ran away and put them through this. I need to go and make it right. Even if it means facing my past again."
Shifu smiled lightly as he heard the reasoning and wise statement from the boy. He was truly becoming a strong young man and this was proving it. He walked over to the boy and said,
"Mowgli, I understand why you must go back. However, your training has not been completed. Which is why I plan to accompany you on your journey back home."
"I'm coming too." Po declared.
"Me as well." Tigress said.
"We're all coming with you Mowgli." Viper said.
Mowgli was floored. They were coming with him?
"Guys- thank you, but, are you sure you'll be able to? What about the valley of peace?"
"Hey, you're our friend and student and we take care of one another." Po said.
"Po is right Mowgli," Tigress said as she came around the table to face him, "We watch out for each other and as Master Shifu has said: you're training is not complete. You will need help."
Mowgli bowed his head, looking at her with fear filled eyes, "You guys don't know how they are. What makes you think you'll be able to handle them, even if you know Kung Fu and they don't."
Po came over and placed a paw on his shoulder, "We may not know how they fight, but we do have advantage on them, besides they don't know where you've been and what you've been learning too."
"Po is right Mowgli. We still have that advantage over them. Besides, you won't be able to handle all three by yourself, even with Kung Fu by your side. You need help." Tigress said.
Mowgli thought this over and knew Tigress made a lot of good points. There was no way he'd be able to take on Shere Khan, Kaa, and Louie by himself. He was barely able to handle one of them in the past. He hated to admit it but he did their help. He was worried though of putting their lives in danger as well. Shere Khan was ruthless and so was Kaa. Louie was not someone to mess with either, especially with the rest of the monkeys.
"Ok, when can we leave?" Mowgli said.
"It'd be best if we get a fresh morning start tomorrow. That we can spend the evening planning an attack. Sometimes tells me we will be in for quite the battle."
Mowgli gulped. He hoped Shifu was wrong.
By next morning, Mowgli, Po, The Furious Five and Shifu were packing up for the long journey to India. Mowgli was wearing his Kung Fu Robes and had a backpack carrying his knife, bolo, and boomerang and other supplies much like the rest of the group. Mowgli shifted the backpack on his back, he looked out over the valley and saw no hint of the sun starting to rise yet. It was still too early. Po placed a pawn on his shoulder,
"You ready to do this?"
Mowgli gave him a determined look, "Yes. I'm ready."
"Mowgli, there is still one more thing to give you before we go." Shifu said.
Mowgli faced Shifu was faced with him bringing a Bo staff. He held it out for Mowgli and he took it shakily into his hands.
"You will need it for this battle we are about to face."
Mowgli looked at the Bo staff and clutched it tightly to his chest. Determined that he would put it to good use in what was about to come.
"Students, it is time that we aid our student in a battle of his own. May we all go to his home and face what is to come."
"Yes master." Everyone said as they bowed, including Mowgli.
Mowgli looked at the monastery one last time and began following the masters done the side of the cliff. He was heading back to India. He was heading back to the jungle. He was finally going home.
-
By late morning, the group of Kung Fu warriors trudged to the rim that led out of the valley of peace. The vultures had flown ahead for the jungle. Mowgli felt his stomach churn as they started to leave the sanctuary of the valley. This made it more real. Real that he was going back to his home and having to face the reason why he left to begin with. He was using his bo staff as a walking stick but whenever he heard something or other he would put it out in defense. The Five noticed his rigid state and made break stops to show him more complicated moves of their own styles of Kung Fu. They trudged through the dense foliage of the forest, steering clear of the border from China to India. Mowgli knew they would have to sneak over the fence again, but they all agreed to wait until dark to attempt to do it. His mind was in turmoil as they kept going forward. His mind on his family. What had Kaa, Shere Khan and Louie been doing to them as they made their way over? He gulped at what could happen if they got angered. It wouldn't be a pretty picture. He was just praying that everyone was alright for the time being.
Shanti was huddled inside the cage with Ranjan cuddled next to her. The monkeys had finally stopped tormenting them and now she was hoping to get some sleep. She was too scared to sleep though, not knowing if Kaa or Shere Khan would decide to kill them while they slept. Both Snake and tiger were leaving them be as Louie and his monkeys had their fun with them. Throwing old fruit at them, getting close to the cage and trying to touch or gram them. Ranjan was scared so Shanti did her best to shield him away from everything. Ranjan's parents were not much better. The monkeys also threw fruit at them and messed around the cage of bones. Baloo and Bagheera were still stuck down in the pit. Both had thrown insults and threats at the snake, tiger, and orangutan but neither one paid attention.
Baloo sighed as he leaned against the sides of the pit. His thoughts on Mowgli. He didn't know if the vultures had found him and he was hoping they wouldn't. The last thing he wanted was for Mowgli to come back now. He knew he wouldn't be able to take Kaa, Shere Khan, and Louie on alone. He turned to Bagheera who looked just as helpless as him.
"You think they'll find him Baggie?" Baloo asked.
"In all honesty Baloo, I hope they don't."
"Me neither. You and I both know he wouldn't be able to take all three of them on alone."
Bagheera sighed sadly. "I know what you mean Baloo. If he does comeback…I just hope he has a plan and has a good explanation for leaving."
"Me too, Baggie. Me too."
Mowgli was punching a bamboo stalk. They were close to the border that separated China and India. He grunted as he kept on punching, not noticing the others were watching. Shifu watched his movements and knew something was off.
"He's scared."
"Not that hard to tell." Crane said.
"Just as he did when he first arrived here, he brings more burden onto his shoulders."
Shifu watched as Mowgli started moving into doing kicks, only for him to misinterpret a step and fall backwards. He growled as he got up and started the movements again.
"Students, why don't you go and make us lunch. I'd like to have a talk with him."
"Yes master." Everyone said and left Shifu alone with Mowgli.
Mowgli kept on growling as he punched and kicked the bamboo stalks around him. He felt his mind reeling as he kept focusing on the targets. In his mind, they were changing shape. They were now heads of Kaa, Shere Khan and Louie. Mowgli staggered but growled as he started attacking their faces with no mercy. He kept envisioning them coming at him, all poised to fight, he got into a fighter's stance and began an attack of kicks and punches. Kaa was moving too fast and soon he was nearly caught in his coils. Mowgli got out only to be grabbed by Louie and his monkeys and they tossed him around, only to drop him in front of Shere Khan. Shere Khan got his paw ready to deliver the killing blow and Mowgli shut his eyes.
"Mowgli." Shifu's voice rang out.
Mowgli paused as he heard Shifu.
"Relax your mind young one. Do not let your fear cloud your mind. Focus."
Mowgli took a few deep breathes and watched as the Shere Khan in front of him was slowly disappearing.
"Focus on what you learned and flow with the change."
Mowgli closed his eyes and started to move his arms around in circles, he moved his feet and legs into a more accurate fighter's stance and found himself calming down. He felt the change of how he learned to deal with patience, learning kung fu, hard work, perservience, and allowing the fears to go away with growing up. Mowgli found his landscape changing and found himself back in the bamboo forest with Shifu. He turned to the red panda. His eyes downcast and a crestfallen expression on his face. Shifu sighed and walked towards Mowgli. He grabbed the boy's hand,
"Sometimes it is not easy to face what we try to run away from."
"No, it isn't. I just didn't realize how long I had been running away from this for so long."
Shifu gestured for Mowgli to sit down with him. Mowgli sat down with the red panda in front of him.
"Mowgli, I know you're scared. It is easy to see that. But you won't be able to overcome this fear unless you're willing to face it. Nobody can face your fears for you."
"I know. Im just worried that…that…"
"That you won't be able to do face them?"
"That I'm not strong enough to face them. I was barely able to handle one at a time. I don't see how I'm gonna be able to face all three of them all at once."
Shifu nodded his head. It was evident to see Mowgli feared not being to able to face them, but also to make sure his family got out safe. Shifu took his hand into his and rubbed them slightly.
"Everyone gets scared Mowgli. Even me."
"You? But you're a Kung Fu master? Why would you get scared?"
"Because I've made many mistakes and have had to pay for them. Tai Lung was one of them."
"Tai Lung?"
"He was someone I took in when I found him as a cub. He was brought to the monastery and left on our doorstep. He showed great talent for Kung Fu and I trained him. However, I was blind to see that he also had a sliver of darkness inside and I ended up feeding that darkness. I made him believe he was to be the Dragon Warrior."
"But isn't Po the Dragon Warrior?"
"He is. However, Tai Lung believed it was him who was destined to have the Dragon Scroll. When he was denied it, he laid waste across the valley. It was only when he was challenged by Po was he defeated."
Mowgli was in awe with the story. Apparently, he had forgotten that even grown-ups also made mistakes. He remembered when his pa apologized for not seeing how the jungle was a part of who he was after he had come home from running away beforehand.
"We all mistakes."
"Indeed Mowgli, we do. What mistake do you think you made?"
Mowgli's head perked up and he thought this over.
"Running away from home when I could've talked to someone first. But then if I hadn't, I wouldn't have met you, Po The Five or I never would've learned Kung Fu."
Shifu smiled at him, "Indeed, some things happen for a reason. What matters is when you make a mistake, you figure out how to fix it. What do you think you need to do to fix this mistake?"
"I need to go home and confront Kaa, Shere Khan, and Louie and get my family and friends away from them safely."
Shifu smiled. Mowgli found himself smiling as well. The red panda got up and gestured to help Mowgli to his feet. The boy followed the Kung Fu Masters to where everyone else was eating. He knew deep down he was making the right decision. He was going to make things right.
-
Mowgli peered through the brush and saw the fence. One more step and he would be back in India.
"Ok guys, coasts clear." Mowgli whispered.
"We'll need to be quick. We don't want to alert anyone of our presence." Shifu said.
Everyone agreed to this and began to move fast paced towards the fence. Crane took to the skies and helped Po over who landed daintily on his feet. Tigress, Shifu, and Monkey both use each other to scale the fence poles and jumped over the fence lines. Viper zig-zagged through the fence avoiding the electric wiring. Mowgli managed to run up the pole, jump, and hop over the fence before landing on the ground in a panther's crouch. Everyone smiled at him.
"Let us make haste. We are running out of time." Shifu said.
With that everyone started running through the city streets and back into the surrounding jungle. Mowgli felt his heart beating wildly as he ran with the masters. He was going home. He was going home!
It was morning in the jungle. Not a creature was stirring, not even the dawn patrol was happening. All except for a small group of Kung Fu Masters running through the thick brush. Mowgli breathed in the surrounding air with a sense of clarity and relief as he ran through his home. He was happy to be back. He had taken to going up into the trees and swinging from the vines, only he was not smiling. He was not laughing. He was on a mission. A mission to save his family and friends. He zipped through the brush with Po, Shifu and the Five. They all jumped off from a small cliff and swung down to the forest floor like it was nothing. As soon as they stopped by the river, Mowgli started to breathe heavily. He remembered where they were heading and how close they were now.
"Mowgli?" Viper asked.
"We're close to the ruins." He said flatly.
"Is that where they are?" Po asked.
"It's where we dealt with Shere Khan th4e last time. IF my guess is right, they have them over at the same spot from before."
"Than we better get moving." Mantis said.
"Not yet." Mowgli said, making everyone pause, "We need to come up with a plan. I wouldn't put it past Louie to have his monkeys around the place. Getting in won't be easy."
"Then we will need to come up with a way to get in without them knowing." Monkey said.
Everybody nodded at this and huddled in a group.
Tigress poked her head out of the brush and saw Mowgli was right. There were monkeys guarding the outside of the ruins. She signaled to Monkey and pointed them out. He and Viper nodded and started to go forward. Mowgli was behind Po with his knife, bolo, and boomerang saddled on his hips. His eyes narrowed on the monkeys as Monkey and Viper started making quick work of them. Monkey and Viper came out and silently used pressure points to knock out the surrounding monkeys. After the last monkey had been knocked out by Viper, she used her tail saying it was safe to go forward. Po, Shifu, Tigress, Mantis and Mowgli all crept out. Crane took to the skies and zipped up to the trees. Tigress and Po helped Mowgli into the ruins, avoiding the broken pieces of crumbling structure of the ruins. Mowgli peeked around a corner and found his heart stop at the sight before him. Shanti and Ranjan were in a cage together watched by several monkeys and his parents were shielded by large elephant bones also by monkeys. Mowgli felt his fear starting to overcome him and began to shake uncontrollably. Tigress and Po both grabbed his shoulders and gestured for him to keep quiet. They would get them to safety.
Their relief was short lived as they saw Kaa slither into the open room along with Shere Khan and Louie.
"No sign of those birds yet." Louie said.
"I wouldn't put it past them to run off and hide after they deliver the news. They care more about their own skin." Shere Khan said.
Shanti glared at them as Ranjan tried to shield himself from them. Kaa smirked evilly.
"Ssstill angry I sssee."
"I have every right to be." Shanti growled.
Kaa cocked his head to the side, "It won't matter sssoon. Oncsssse the mancub comesss back he'll have no choicssse but to fight for you."
"No thanks to you. And the fact you had to side with the tiger and orangutan goes to show you're nothing but a coward!"
Kaa frowned and turned to directly face Shanti. She didn't faze at his gaze. She was too angry to back down.
"I would not ssssay thossse thingssss if I were you."
Shanti snorted, "I'm not scared of you. The only thing you've done is made me mad," Shanti stood up and Ranjan hid behind her legs, "Besides you siding with them, what does that make you? I'd say you're nothing but the slimiest weakling to ever crawl the earth!"
Mowgli gasped from behind the pillar. No one had ever talked to Kaa like that. He knew she was mad, but he didn't expect her to lose her cool in front of him. Kaa narrowed his eyes and slithered over angrily. Ranjan gasped as Kaa took off the opening the cage and used his tail to wrap around Shanti's wrists and pulled her out.
"Shanti!" Ranjan cried, waking up his parents.
Kaa dragged her out.
"You jussst made a very ssstupid mistake girl." He hissed.
Shanti whimpered as she realized what she did. Mowgli on the other hand who was watching the whole thing was getting angry. Angrier than he could ever imagined. Grabbing hold of his knife, he sprinted forward, jumped out of the ruins and threw his knife at Kaa's tail. Kaa was ready to hypnotize Shanti, till he yelped as he felt something struck him hard. He looked down to see a knife embedded in the lower half of his tail.
"KAA! LET HER GO NOW!"
Everyone turned and saw a very angry Mowgli staring them down.