Hiya guys! Another chapter is here!
...Eh. Things change a little bit in the beginning. Not too much, but enough for it to be noticeable. You might see what I mean later on. Or right here and now...something like that. Who knows what it could lead to or something like that. Maybe.
...Rambling. I'm rambling.
Po: *Munch* Munch* Rambling, eh? *Munch*
...Please ignore him. He's eating.
Anyway, let's begin this Shifu/Emperor arc! It's a big one. This new part of the story will be the start of it getting much darker. From Chapter 60m onwards, things will be much darker than usual. The reasons why will be made clear in time.
...Oh yeah. Anime-like intro. I still do those. Might as well keep the trend going. Well-received or not, I'm gonna keep doing it, because it's my thing~
Let's start.
[No Pain, No Game: Btoom! Opening 1]
Shifu's eyes remained closed and his cloak flows with the wind. He stands atop a cliff that oversees the Imperial City below. Fenghuang stands right next to him with her eyes fully closed as well, cloak dancing with the wind. As they stand side-by-side, Oogway's spirit stands behind them and gently placed one paw on Shifu's head and Fenghuang's shoulder. For some reason, this unknown contact was filling them with newfound confidence. Enough for Fenghuang to flap her wings proudly and for Shifu to open his eyes. They both turn to see all of the young ones they've brought with them throughout this journey.
The one in front was Po, who eagerly pounds his fist into his paw with a wide smile.
'Tales of China' appears in golden font, flashing off the beaming sunlight, only to begin disappearing due to the moon slowly moving in front of it...
Shifu and Fenghuang nonchalantly walking through the streets of the Imperial City, not caring if the other judgemental Kung Fu Masters were looking down upon them. This surprisingly includes the Emperor, who was watching them all with a critical eye. Then goes the Furious Five, both old and new, who were carefully analyzing the suspicious intentions of some of the less trustworthy Masters. Such as the shadows of a siamese cat, a fox, and an emperor tamarin...
Po briefly opens his eyes again, his paws being put together with the Mongolian Fireball being gathered and enlarging, before launching it out towards the darkness...
Multiple shadows, most likely masters with malevolent intentions, the Imperial City seemingly in flames. Tai Lung was surrounded in a malevolent aura of his own, roaring against the heavens. Tigress was the one to stand against him, as her own chi aura slowly shifts to a shining white. Shifu is once again seen with his cloak surrounding him, except his own chi was flaring as he senses the malevolence around him, the malevolence intiated by grudges against himself and Fenghuang. He could no longer run from it...it was time to face them head-on...
The siamese cat cackles as the shadow of the eclispe lingers behind her. Po covered in multiple bruises, grits his teeth and refuses to surrender, standing up as a golden glow emitts from his body, before the glow begins to shine across the entire city...
Last scene, Po, Tigress, Shifu and Fenghuang stand before the Emperor and the Royal Family. The Emperor curiously narrows his eyes towards Po, mentally swearing that he could see an image of Oogway standing in his place...
"I still cannot believe you're all heading to the Imperial City, and for something like this." Mrs. Yoon asked as she watched Po and Mr. Ping pack their things in an orderly fashion. "I don't understand why they're willing to gain from this, aside from the ascension of the Emperor's grandson. I think this is a rather abrupt and dramatic way for them to decide who gets to mentor him in the ways of Kung Fu. It's strange...but I suppose there isn't much you can do about it except go and participate. I'm betting you're pretty curious about what you'll discover in the Imperial City, Po?"
""Absolutely!" Po grinned as he heaved his bag over his shoulder, smiling excitedly. "Of course it's gonna be pretty sweet to see the Emperor and all, as well as his super awesome city and his son...but what I'm REALLY excited about...is the food." He grinned with glee as he closed his fists and held them up to his face. "As a chef, I must explore all of the foods that I come across, that China has to offer. Some may be good, a LOT may be REALLY good! Others...might be terrible..but that's okay! Because that's a part of the Chef experience! The positive experiences help build my confidence, while the negative experiences help me grow and...uh...gain experience!"
"Wise words from my dear son Po!" Mr. Ping clapped excitedly, lightly swinging side to side. "There's always room for a chef to imrpove! And one way to do this is to travel to new places and see what they have to offer! Our own horizons are broadened, and our own skills are heightened to tremendous heights! Oooh! I wonder if I'll be able to cooperate with many other chefs in the Imperial City?! Maybe we can come up with something totally knew if we put our kitchen skills together! Or maybe we can further improve a previous food? The possibilities might as well be endless!"
Po grinned dreamily as both he and his father began looking upwards, to the small building they were currently occupying. "Kung Fu and Food...it's a totally awesome combination...not many can surpass such a thing..." He blinked slightly, shaking himself from his thoughts for the moment as he recalled the other details of this newest journey gazing towards his bandaged arm. "Huh...wonder what they're going to think of my prosthetic arm thing? Will they be a bit freaked out by the thing? Or...nah! I'm not gonna think too much about that! Taotie worked really hard to put this prosthetic together just for me. so I'm gonna appreciate it! Besides, it's certainly working well for me so far.. And he might yell at me for complaining about it, so I'm not gonna do that either." Po folded his arms and grinned. "Long as I can still eat and still Kung Fu, not to mention give out and receive some hugs, then everything's all good!"
"Indeed! Strive to look for the positives!" Mr. Ping beamed, clapping even more. He then turned towards Mrs. Yoon, and his expression turned slightly somber. "The only thing that can make this trip sound slightly less fulfilling...is that you, Zeng, Anying, and Xue shall not be joining us any longer. We must go our separate ways here, unfortunately..." Mr. Ping gently reached out with his wings and held her hooves within them. "I truly am sorry it has come to something like this, Mrs. Yoon. It's been quite a pleasure traveling with you, despite all of the numerous and troubling obstacles along the way."
The kind goat slowly shakes her head. "No, it's no trouble at all. Even though I've had my share of heart-pounding moments that I would have been fine not experiencing, it's just great to know that I've had quite a bit of fun. I'm perfectly fine with stopping here. Gongmen is a place of terrible memories, but that doesn't make it a terrible place. There's always a chance that the city cannot it's dark past behind and continue to thrive onwards. Just like dear Po."
"Hehe~"
"It also warms my heart that you boys, as well as Tigress, are in good hands. Not even taking into account how strong you really are, it's pleasant to know that I won't have to worry about any of you. I know you'll be fine. This is just another challenge that you're bound to surpass, no doubt about it."
"Yeah. A new adventure is starting up, and I'm itching to take it head-on. And we have everyone backing each other up and having each others backs. Though the unexpected can still creep up on us without warning." Po folded his arms. "But that's alright with me. If every single venture we went on were too easy...well...not really much fun in that for everyone else, is it?" He looked up again, his head tilted. "So far, we've been doing pretty well...though I'm pretty excited to see how our own mettle can stand up to other Kung Fu Masters...even though we're not official Masters ourselves."
"They're looking for anyone and everyone with impressive fighting skills, Po. Trust me, a majority of us will definitely qualify." Fenghuang huffed while passing by. "Hurry up already! We've got an Imperial City to go to, and some asses to kick!" The only one who was more excited about this tournament than Po, despite being more subdued and casual about it than he was, was Fenghuang. She also wanted to keep China from going into disarray because someone chose to mess with the Emperor's grandson's head. And yet another reason was because she wanted to polish her skills as a Kung Fu Master...as well as rub a lot of things in the other Masters smug faces. She raised her wing and clenched it tightly. She'd show them, she show them all. And she'll also have a great chance to show Po off as well, proving that she CAN be a goo dteacher when she sets her mind to it. And set her mind to it she has. "They're gonna be in for a surprise once they see me! During my days as a Master, I've taken a LOT of bullshit from most of them because they approved my skills but not my attitude, but I couldn't do too much in retaliation. Now that I'm a free wanderer, I'm gonna say whatever the hell I want to and not give a damn what they think of it! I'll put those fools in their place!" The fire in her eyes was intense as she said this.
Mrs. Yoon giggled and shook her head playfully. "Such crass. In a strange way, I'm going to miss that. That gave Po a similar mindset to your own."
"Saying whatever he feels like saying and not care who hears it and what they think?" Mr. Ping asked.
"Precisely."
"Hmph. Your praise means quite a lot to me, Mrs. Yoon. Seeing how you took a majority of the crap we went through as best as you possibly could, and I respect that about you." Fenghuang bowed slightly towards you. "Po and Tigress are going to miss you, and so will I. As well as pretty mucvh everyone else in our little group of ours. Though you can certainly remain an honorary member. Zeng shall be as well. He's been quite a messenger goose. Pretty effective one, yeah."
Mrs. Yoon smiled and gently patted Fenghuangs leg. "I know these two boys can be quite the handful. But I must say this regardless. Please continue to take very good care of them for me. I would greatly appreciate it if you do."
The owl huffed a little bit, but it was lighthearted and soft. "You've got it, girl. I'll continue to whip these two into shape if I catch them slacking more than allowed."
"Hey! I don't slack off...much!" Po feebly tried to defend himself. Though one slightly hesitant look from Mr. Ping left him a bit confused, and it made him scratch his head in thought. "At least...I don't think i do..."
"Good grief, panda..."
Mrs. Yoon simply watched on in amusement, enjoying the slight banter between the three. Indeed, she was going to miss every single one of them, there was no doubt in her mind about that. It's been fun, it truly has. But alas, she has made her choice, and she plans to stick to it. From now own, Gongmen City will be her new home. As for Po and the others...they will have to continue their journey without her. Besides...someone has to keep an eye on that wolf and goat duo, they look like they'll need an extra hoof.
Po grinned as he tightened his grip on his sathel again. "Welp. We'll have to go soon. We oughta go check on the others, right Dad?"
"Indeed!"
In another part of the city, the Kung Fu Council was speaking with Shifu and the other elder members of the rogue group, as well as their main concerns. And a majority of those concerns involved the prospect of Shifu and Fenghuang attending what the Emperor was requesting of them. The one mainly concerned about their well-being was Mei Ling and Taotie, obviously for Shifu's sake. And he continues to give the same response to their concern.
"It's fine. We'll be more than capable of handling ourselves in this newest development. It's rather unfortunate, I'll admit that. But it certainly isn't nothing we cannot handle." Shifu said while adjusting his cloak and making sure it fits properly. "Am I concerned still? Of course I am. But as Po has been unknowingly teaching me that keeping a cool head in these types of situationa ia the best course of action. It helps to stay focused on the task at hand."
"But Fufie..who knows who's going to be there? And based on your decision to stop being an official titled Kung Fu Master, they might have a few choice words for you in that aspect, and I'm a bit afraid to discover what they might be." Mei Ling the Fox stated nervously, still obviously very concerned for Shifu's well-being. There's no telling what might happen in the Imperial City, especially since it's been named the gathring place of as many martial artists that aren't afraid to get involved with the Emperor's family. The future of China's stability is in the balance, since the Emperor haas made it quite clear that morality will not be a concern for him during this event, and that he'd worry about the consequences later. His desparation has been made apparent when he cares not for the backgrounds of who comes to the Imperial City." He closed his eyes. "Another role we're going to have to accept is that we'll have to keep them from acting out and causing trouble."
"Hm. You sure you'll be able to do so on your own?" Master Ox said with folded arms. "We'd join you all...but we'd be leaving Gongmen City defenseless. Especially after such a harsh attack two months ago..."
"I say we go!" Master Yao yipped with glee...as he was zooming around the room via Wings of Light. "A majority of Marial Artists gathering at China's Imperial City! WHat can be more exciting than that?! Hm...I wonder, do I wonder~"
"B-But Master Yao..." Shifu tried to reason, only for the eccentric Yak to fly up to him and gently hush him in an incredibly gentle manner.
"Shhh~"
"What...?"
"Now I know I said I had thoughts on staying behind...but I took the time to think it over in a different direction~" Master Yao said while stroking his beard. Seeing all these younglings get excited about this little Imperial City tournament and how they get to test themselves against the pros...something about it gets my heart and soul racing with excitement as well! This is something I would NEVER be able to witness when I was stuck inside my box! There's no way I'm going to miss this! I simply cannot!" Master Ox was about to retort, though Yao quickly shushed him again. "And before you go on about leaving Gongmen City defenseless again...the army here isn't exactly helpless, ya know! Have a little faith!~"
Ox still seemed hesitant, as well as Croc. Rhino, whom they expected to be the most cautious about this...actually seems pretty relaxed about the ordeal. Though he wanted a certain someone's input. Specifically, Tigress's input. "Tigress. What do you think? Should we all go?"
Tigress folded her arms and cupped her chin in deep thought, closing her eyes. Shifu and Ox looked towards her, anxiously anticipating what she might have to say. Master Yao seemed the most interested, dissipating his Wings of Light and landed on a box as lightly as a feather while grinning brightly, kicking his feet back and forth. She soon opens her eyes, which shined brightly and was the first to symbolize her strength on following through with her decision, as well as being mentally ready to accept possible consequences. "While I do agree that leaving Gongmen City as it is, even with two months of recovery, can be a bit risky. Though...since all of China will be affectedby this major event, it might be better to take this chance, and deal with the small-scale consequences later than wait around for the long-term consequences. The more of us coming on this journey, the greater our chances of the Emperor's grandson receiving a trustworthy role model. Someone who has a good moral compass, and can provide him with one as well, alongside teaching him martial arts."
Rhino rubbed his own chin while thinking it over. "The greater our numbers, the greater our chances. I understand. Maybe it isn't the best course of action...but we should take the entirety of China into consideraton before worrying about one single city. Are you sure, Tigress?"
"I am. The biggest risk we can possibly take is not taking one at all. Po's daring nature seems to have rubbed off on me." Tigress admitted while scratching her cheek. "We rarely have a clear idea of what we're about to do next, yet it manages to wotk out anyway. So while I do agree that extra caution is necessary, we'll be going into this with no idea how it will end. But that's fine. We'll see what happens and whether or not it's what's best for our advancement."
Croc groaned a little, lightly rubbing his snout. "Well...it looks like we ARE going after all. But if we're really going to do this, we'll have to make sure the City is locked down tight and under reliable security before we leave. We'll have to follow the young ones example this time, and see if the payoff for the risk will be worth it."
Tigress nodded, pounding her fist in her palm. "Indeed. And if the city happens to be in trouble while we're away...we can simply fight to retake it again."
She makes that sound easy! The Kung Fu Council collectively sweatdropped.
Taotie sighed a little as he looked towards Shen, who huffed quickly and turned away drom him. Mei Ling The Fox soon shook her head. "This is utterly ridiculous...but I suppose it can't be helped. Fufie is heading towards the Imperial City. And wherever he goes...I suppose I have no choice but to follow." She smile sneakily as she brought her paw upon his tail, lightly petting it. He shivered immensely from the contact as she rested her chin on his shoulder. "And I'll be sure to follow this tail anywhere~"
"...We should keep a cool posture once we get to the Imperial City...this kind of behavior...won't be well-received in front of the Emperor..." Shifu muttered, trying to hide his blush, looking away from her as best as he could.
"Aww...don't be like that. I'm sure he won't mind that we're old 'friends' simply getting to know each other again..." She cooed as she continued petting his fluffy tail. He clenched his fists and tried to keep a cool head even as his blush continues to darken.
"...Are you sure she's not in heat?" Taotie deadpanned as he watched the scene between the elder Masters.
"DON'T ASK SUCH RIDICULOUS QUESTIONS!" Shifu shouted, his blush no longer possible to hide.
"Trust me. If she was in heat, we would all know." Shen muttered under his breath.
"Eeehehehehe! There's no way I'm staying behind! I'll miss the amazing devlopment between my fellow friends!" Master Yao beamed while waddling a bit, regaining his balance. "Many discoveries will be made on this amazing new journey of ours! Discoveries about the Imperial City, it's people, their food and arts, perhaps!" He then brought his hooves together. "We might even be able to make some discoveries about ourselves. You'd be surprised just how much of a mystery you can make out of yourself, which makes it interesting for you to solve." Master Yao smiled. "Self-Discovery tends to be quite special. I believe many of us will discover something new about ourselves by the time this event ends. But for the time being...let's have fun with it!~"
Tigress nodded. "If you say so, Maser Yao. We'll be marching onward, unflicnhing. And maybe...we'll discover something new about ourselves."
Bian Zao yawned as he placed his arms behind his neck, accompanied by Peng and Lian. "Yeah, that'll be nice and all...I wonder if they'll have some good tea there...I could go for some tea..."
"You seem to be taking an appreciation for tea, son. Wonder what brought this on?" Taotie wondered.
"Having tea with Master Yao during our training sessions tends to be rather relaxing. We both really like to chill out by having some tea." Bian Zao yawned again. "Hopefully they have some good ones in that Imperial City place. Maybe I'll take a bit after Po and find some good grub to eat."
"While I have nothing against getting my paws on some new foods, I'm also super psyched for those fights!" Lian beamed while cracking her knuckles. "I eget to shoow my mettle to the official Masters, and to show them that we don't need their approval in order to be awesome!"
Peng laughed uneasily. "I know you want to prove yourself, Lian...but let's try not to push that desire to the point of outright antagonizing them."
"Hey, if there are more Masters similar to that stuck-up fish Mugan, then they'll know EXACTLY how I feel about them."
Tai Lung huffed, placing a paw on Peng's head. "I'll say this as many times as I want, my dear nephew. You've got yourself quite a catch with this little lady here!"
"Eh...ehehehe..."
"It'll be quite interesting to see how everyone reacts to seeing the Emperor and his famiy...I'm sure we can put up quite a change of pace."
"I really wish we wouldn't speak so casually about matters such as the Emperor's family and the Imperial City..." Crane sighed, with Mantis standing on top of his hat. "But...I suppose there isn't much we can do about this, is there? Po and Tigress have already made their decision. Oh well. At least it'll be a good chance for me to further practice my flying skills. I hear the skys can be quite clear and nice for flying sessions in the Imperial City...so long as they don't think too negatively about it...nah, I'm sure we'll be fine this time."
"That's the spirit, Crane!" Mei Ling the Golden Cat wrapped an arm around him and pulled him into a hug. "WHo would think that a couple students like us would be able to venture into the Imperial City and see the Royal Family. That's gonna be a cool experience!" She says while looking upwards. "Wonder who else we're gonna meet there, hmm...curious..."
Fung came through the door waving to everyone, while Gahri followed behind, carrying most of his things. "To be honest, I'm kinda curious myself. About the other Masters...and of course the food they might have in store."
"You all must REALLY be interested in what the food will be like. You're talking about that more than you're talking about meeting the Emperor and his family." Song said, flaring her parasol and tilting her head. "Usually what most people are concerned about is the other way around. Worrying about the Emperor instead of the food that might be there in the city. Isn't that a bit of a skew of priorities?"
*Growl*
A soft rumble escaped Tigress's belly. She blushed slightly and looked down at the ground, her tail swishing quietly.
"YOU TOO, TIGRESS?!" Song shouted in disbelief.
Tai Lung guffawed at the reaction. "HA! My sister knows how to operate her priorities!"
"Shut up, brother..."
Monkey carefully balances on his tail and cupped his own chin. "Alright...so we obviously don't have a plan for when we actually get to the Imperial City, do we? Not that I'm totally against that. Just wanna confirm that for sure." Tigress turned towards him and nodded. "Good. That's understandable. We don't really know how to plan a meeting with Emperor...so we should probably make plans on what food we intend to eat."
"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!" Song shouted once again. "You're seriously messing with what we should be most worried about!" She blinked as she pawed her cheek and tilted her head. "Then again, it's a place filled with many treasures...and a lot of them tend to be pretty valuable when I properly think about ...I guess I'm not one to talk about proper priorities, am I?~"
"Speaking like a theif. I knew I'd like you better once I got to know you." Mei Ling the Fox beamed slightly. "Treasures foor the taking, that's going to be quite fun~"
"Pllease do not do anything of the sort. I really don't want to have to get in trouble for rescuing you." Shifu deadpanned.
"...So are you saying that you'll come to my rescue no matter what?~"
"Knock it off."
Po yawned as he approached the group, rubbing his neck casually with one paw and patting his belly with his bandaged prosthetic one. "Alrighty then, guys! I've had my share of breakfast, lunch, and dinner!"
All at once?! The Kung Fu Council once again sweatdropped.
"I do believe it's time we start moving, for real this time. Think we've overdone it on the preparation time since we've been held back one more day. The Emperor isn't gonna greet himself, ya know!~" Po beamed, tightening his scarf around his neck while Mr. Ping held a bag behind his back. This didn't go unnoticed by Monkey and Mantis.
"Hey, Mr. Ping. What happened to your noodle cart?"
"...It was slowing us down far too much...so I had to discard it with a heavy and regretful heart..." Mr. Ping whimpered as he wiped fake tears from his eyes. "It was on it's last legs. There was simply no carrying it further! It's such a darn shame! A shame, I say!"
"Our fellow cart shall be missed in it's entirety...I mean, we still have the rest of our precious treasures...but our cart will be remembered as the trooper it was..." Po beamed as a river of tears escaped both his eyes, as he and his father began crying. Everyone watched the scene, and everyone began sweatdropping as a result of it. They thought about their future trip to the Imperial City, how they would be appearing before the Emperor and his family. As well as many other Kung Fu Masters. They might ostracize Shifu and fenghuang for abandoning their titles and living as wanderers. What would they think of Po and the others? WIll they look down on them? Maybe even criticize them as well?
Master Yao smiled calmly. A lot was going to happen. Not all of them were going to be good experiences. However, that meant some expotential growth for when these times end. This was becoming one of the most exciting times of his life. Much more than anything can he can ever experience inside of that cramped box of his. After all, it's been a long time since he's visited the Imperial City. Especially since he's never seen it outside of his box. And he'll also be watching to see how well the youngsters fare in this latest challenge.
I do wonder. How will Po react to seeing the Royal Family, and vice versa? Everyone will be in for a big surprise. A surprise I'll be sure to see for myself. This more exciting than ANYTHING that I could witness within my box!~
And now the thoughts of Master Ox at the prospect of Po meeting the Emperor face to face, now that he's gotten a proper read on the panda's mannerisms and overall attitude, aside from his obviously kind heart. These things, and that he convinced everyone to allow Lord Shen to live. Not to mention that Tai Lung and Mei Ling the Fox were still technically wanted fugitives, Shifu and Fenghuang have discarded their titles, and the group as a whole were ridiculously unpredictable.
...We're doomed.
Master Yao changes his mind about staying behinhd...there's no way in heck that he's willing to miss something of this magnitude. Po certainly seems excited about the event, and hopefully the others don't feel so overwhelmed...maybe it's just Crane. He's ready. Reluctant, but ready. Mei Ling the Golden Cat is there to help him through this!
...Let's all worry about Crane. He's a bit shy...
See ya later!~