More information is revealed and answers are given

But more questions are asked too

R&R

The Next Dragon Warrior
Chapter 21
"Going to the Wall"

Master Shifu kneeled in front the moon pool repeating to himself "Inner peace, Inner peace, Oogway speak to me."

The peach tree petals lazily glided across the water without direction.

He'd been at it for nearly 15 minutes now, but he knew better than to give up now. Patience was one of the foundations of kung fu, something he usually didn't have enough of.

Suddenly in the dark voids of his mind it happened.

Visions
Or flashes

The staff
The Chalkboard, no
The Wall
The wall ablaze with "Name" & "Destiny"
Then Oogway speaking
Oogway's staff again

That was the answer. They were all the answer.
A pleased smiled formed across Shifu's lips that any casual passerby would have easily confused for the formulation of an evil scheme.

"Thank you Master"

Dew and Liu could tell my mood was significantly changed from this morning, but surprisingly they didn't say anything, though I casually told Liu "Thanks for talking to Po."

He seemed to realize he done something helpful.

That secret ingredient soup Po had told me about was the soup de jour on today's roster.

I heard some weird theories circling around the campers about why the Masters went to the Village. Hardly any of them came close to the truth. Most of them involved "an escaped psychopath," "angry mobs," and other stuff that didn't make sense.

The event with Shifu's room also crossed my mind. Had someone really snuck into the bunkhouse while no one was there? What if I hadn't gone down to the Village? I guess it was a good thing I wasn't there. What if it was one of the campers? Now that I thought about it, none of the campers had even seen the bunkhouse. It was quite a distance away from the cabanas or anything else the campers went to regularly. The only camper who's ever been inside was me.

More importantly, what were they looking for? I knew it was stupid to think someone just trashed his room for no reason. What did Shifu have that was so important?

After dinner that night, Po and I headed back to our room. On the walk there I couldn't help but take notice of the sounds of night. It was hypnotic in a weird way. These sounds usually go unnoticed as background noises. One thing that surprisingly stuck out in my mind was a leaf that fluttered to the ground landing in a small pool of water. I don't know why these seemingly insignificant things stood out to me so much. They just did.

I felt that strange urge I get sometimes to write down an idea before I forget it. Once we were in our room, without even worrying about Po watching, I grabbed a paper out of my folder and started writing. I decided to venture to something a little different, so for the first time I attempted a haiku.

Puddle

The azure glass is

Only rippled and disturbed

By the leaf falling

Jo Dakota Crevan

Po, who had been silently lying in bed twiddling one of his throwing stars, spoke. "Whatcha writing? A journal entry?"

Without even remembering it was a secret I said "It's a poem."
I stopped, realizing what I said.

Po just nodded and said "That's cool, I was wondering when you were gonna write another one."

I looked at him strangely. "Another one? Howd you know I wrote poems?"

Po smiled. "You had left the last one on your cot; In the Comfort of Friends."

"Oh… Well…" I didn't know what to think. "What did ya think?"

"I think you're not that bad of a writer, and the poem was very touching."

My ears turned puce. "Thanks. I'm really glad you liked it."

"I gotta know though, who was this friend?" He asked humorously.

"Do you really not know?" I asked smiling.

Po chuckled. "Nah, I guess I do. But thanks. I really liked it."

"I'm really glad you did."

I started to lie back down again when suddenly Po sat up in his bed and faced me. "I almost forgot. I wanted to tell you about the fight."

I sat up too. "Yeah what happened down there?" Even though I knew, it would still be cool to hear from what Po saw.

Po went over the scene at his father's restaurant and the battle that had happened, although he added a few more "round house kicks" and "paws of fury" than I remembered seeing.

When he was done describing the fight I said. "Wow, do you guys have to break up these sort of things often?"

"Actually no. Robberies aren't exactly common in the Valley. I don't know what possessed those thugs to do it. As we were taking them away they kept saying that we'd better 'be careful' because they had 'back-up coming,' but they must have been bluffing since it's not like anyone showed up.

"We questioned the two pigs who man the alarm bell. They said someone came to them saying there was a robbery at the noodle shop."

"Was any part of his shop damaged?" I asked.

"A few broken bowls but that was about the extent of it. The strange thing is, I asked my dad and he said the robbers didn't show up till after the gong rang."

For a second I didn't understand the importance of this. A second later my eyes got huge. "You mean-

"Some one knew the fight was going to happen." Po finished for me.

"What about the person who told the pigs?" I asked.

"Asked both of them. They didn't recognize them. They said whoever it was was wearing a dark cloak with a hood."

It was a weird thought to think about. "Creepy. Any ideas?"

"Beats me." He said shrugging

He looked down at the star in his hand before tossing it to me. "Jo… I wanted to ask you about Park."

"What about him?" I said trying to sound nonchalant. If Park was involved it wasn't exactly a comfortable conversation.

"What went down last night with him?" he asked

I sighed hating to relive the moment. "Me and Liu were just talking while we were putting up our bowls. Then Park tromps over and starts saying how Liu and I shouldn't hang out. And then he said… that stuff about you. So… I punched him."

Po nodded understandingly. "Jo how come you never brought Park up to me before? Liu said he's been giving you problems since the first day of camp."

I fumbled with the throwing star for a second before dropping it with a plunk onto my poem on my leather folder.

"I don't know. I guess I didn't want to talk about it."

"We've swapped secrets before. You know what ever you tell me you can trust me to keep, right?"

"Of course, Po." I didn't want Po to think our friendship meant nothing just because I didn't tell him one thing.

Po, I snuck out of camp to watch you guys fight today
It was easy to think, but could I say it?

At that moment a long-eared silhouette was casted on the paper door from the hallway.

Speak of the long-eared Devil

The door opened and Park walked in. The black eye had already begun to heal and was only slightly visible.

He looked at Po and held up a scroll in his hand. "I was asked to deliver this message to you by Master Shifu."

Po gingerly reached out then awkwardly said "Oh, um, thank you for delivering it."

Park just nodded almost grudgingly. As he turned and began to walk out he eyed me with a suspicious look. The black eye seemed altered and crazed. It was a glare of revenge.

Once the door closed Po opened the scroll and read it. His eyes showed some amazement then quickly hid it from my view.

"Looks like I have to go meet Master Shifu. In case you're asleep before I get back, G'night"

"G'night, Po."

Po walked out and closed the door behind him.

I looked at the scroll. It lay open there on the night stand.

Why does my curiosity always have to win me over?

I picked up the scroll. There was a short note scrawled in Master Shifu's handwriting.

***
Po

I went to the Moon Pool tonight trying to piece together the dreams when Oogway seemed to speak to me. Meet me at the Hall of Warriors. I think I may have cracked the solution to solving which camper is the chosen one.

Master Shifu

Tonight? He's figuring it out tonight. I looked over at the door, still closed from when Po left.

What is the point of me going? I already knew it had to be someone in room four. But the paper could have been wrong, right? After all, my name wasn't on the list to begin with.

I forced my unwilling body out the door of the bunkhouse. I had to leave quickly if I didn't want to miss anything Shifu said.

This has gotta be stomping on the ice

The large mahogany doors to the Hall of Warriors were open when I arrived. I looked inside. Shifu and Po were standing near the slate wall near Master Oogway's staff. While there backs were turned I crept in and hid behind Master Flying Rhino's Armor to overhear their tryst.

"So what have you figured out?" Po asked Master Shifu.

He replied "As I mentioned, Master Oogway spoke to me. I believe he actually showed me the method to find the camper."

Po's looked overly thrilled. "That's great! What is it?"

Master Shifu picked up a piece of Oogway's staff off the whatnot. "The camper must hold a piece of the staff in his hand and say before the wall 'Oogway, show me the destiny of me' then they say their name and what there destined to be will be revealed on the wall, what I believe was our 'chalkboard.' "

Po looked at the wall with an enlightened smiled. "The dreams are starting to make since now."

"They certainly are. And tomorrow we'll gather Mr. Zhangji and Fèiwù, have them both try this and we will know which camper Oogway has chosen."

"This will be a momentous day in kung fu history." Po said overjoyed.

"Yes it will. Come. I'm about to make my walks to make sure no ones out of their rooms. Tomorrow will be an important day in Kung Fu history."

I waited a few seconds after they left before I moved. As I approached the staff, the empty hall echoed each small footstep, further adding intensity to my mind.

Once I was in front of the staff I hesitated for a second. Like I was afraid touching it would set off a trap. I cautiously picked up the staff end without the crook. It was only about 10 inches long. No spears shooting out of the walls, no boulder about to crush me. I guess it was safe. I stared up at the glistening astrove wall.

This is it.
This is what listening to all those dreams at night had led up to. All the questions were about to be answered. I took in a deep breath of air and looked up at the wall.

"Oogway show me the Destiny of me. Jo Dakota Crevan."

I held my breath in anticipation. Then as if written with an invisible piece of chalk, my name miraculously appeared on the slate wall.

JO DAKOTA CREVAN

The name seemed to glow brighter, but it started to dim. Then it faded
or died
away.

Gone?

I waited a few more seconds, hoping praying that something else would happen, but nothing came.

So that was it.
Nothing.
It's not me.
It's not me.
"It's not me."

I felt like someone stuck a knife in me, gutted me alive and filled me up with… Nothing.
I felt nothing.
I was empty.

"How long have you known?" asked someone from behind.

Somehow I wasn't surprised. I defeatedly turned to face Po. "Since the night Master Shifu told you about his dream."

Po sighed. "I was wondering if this is why you were training so hard."

"It was definitely a motivator." I said sullenly. "But it looks like it didn't help"

"I'm sorry this happened, Jo." I knew he meant it. His face was genuinely sad. "Destiny isn't always something you can control."

"I just thought there might be something about me. Something... worth while."

"There is!" Po walked closer. "Jo, just because you aren't going to be legendary doesn't mean you won't do great things."

I lifted my shoulders barely making a shrug. "Maybe."

"I hope you're not too discouraged by this."

I was feeling miserable beyond words but I knew Po was trying hard to be empathetic, so I gave one of those "whatever" smiles. "Don't worry, Po. I'm not going to go lead a massacre across the Valley of Peace."

"Well I'm glad for that. Come on," he held out his hand for the shake. I perfunctorily did the hand shake and we said "Slap it. Feel the thunda! Skadoosh"

Po opened up his arms. I gratefully took him up on the offer and hugged him back.

After a few of his back pats Po released and said "Just so Master Shifu doesn't notice, let's go out the back way." Po led me to the back of the Hall near 1000 scrolls through a portiere.

I was instantly taken over by the smell of the warm night air.

The door had lead to a large grassy field behind the Hall. But rather than going out into the field we turned right and walked along the back wall of the building. This led us through the alleys behind the other buildings on the Palace grounds bringing us close to the edge of the cliff.

This particular edge was a little creepy. It was the kind that dropped nearly ten stories with the bottom clustered with several cragged rocks that stuck up like stalagmites.

Even though the back walls were occasionally lit by hanging paper lanterns but it still seemed darker than natural.

Po stopped walking. "Hang on a second."

I stopped too. "What?"

Po looked somewhere in the distance down the path. "Park is still walking around. Hang back a sec while I take care of it." The last statement was more of a question than a statement. But I nodded. I didn't exactly feel like seeing anyone. Even though Park couldn't see me from a distance, I stood behind a trash can that was up against the building.

Po made a waving gesture to Park. "Park, Hey, how come you're not back at the cabanas yet?"

"I thought I'd take my time getting there." said Park sarcastically innocent.

Po was trying to sound composed. He probably felt it was his duty as one of the Masters. "Look Park, I know you may not like me, but the camp does have rules. Why don't you head back to your room with your friends."

Park laughed. "Why would I want to go back to them? I've made new and better friends." He gave this smile that said he was hiding something. Something that wasn't gonna stay hidden for long.

Then it was revealed.

Behind Park there was a POUNCE that vibrated the June night air. But Park remained unfazed still giving off his smug smile as the pouncing creature behind him slowly rose from his crouch position to a towering stance.

The night air grew cold.

There stood the tall, brazen snow leopard carrying a look of greatest satisfaction.

When I finally found my breath I gasped.

The air in my throat had turned to ice.

"Tai Lung?"

Don't make me beg

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