Author's note: Wooo! Next chapter here! Hope I haven't taken too long. Anyways, time for some insight on the main characters. Now this may not begin in the way you'll probably be expecting, but I feel that this chapter feels right towards the characters involved. Plus, there's some stuff I think everyone will like here.
Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN KUNG FU PANDA (I'd be lucky if I even got near a real panda let alone an animated one.)
Enjoy.
A New Legend
Row upon row of stone and wooden buildings line the streets of a humble valley, these man-made structures melding in with nature's caring touch as multiple trees compliment these rustic homes. For all intents and purposes, this place looks to be an ideal spot for a simple, uneventful life. Unfortunately, its citizens have been shaken recently, a mysterious set of disappearances putting the safety of all inhabitants into question. Xiwang Valley, in spite of this horrifying prospect, had managed to pull through this with the help of their six noble guardians. The dragon warrior and the furious five.
Though this event had passed almost a week ago, the name behind these disappearances had managed to imprint itself onto the hearts of everyone residing within this homely place. Nuba. That horrid white tiger had hatched a wicked plot to destroy China's warriors from the inside, taking many innocent lives in the process. But now that she is gone, the valley had finally found some relief, completely unaware of Zhongcheng's brutal attack on the vessel that had occurred three days ago.
Blending in with the simple atmosphere of these houses is the village's inn, its pristine condition being a sign of honest, hard work rather than affluence or superiority. An orange glow emanates from its interior, the softness of each lantern's flame bringing warmth to one's soul without even needing to feel it. One of its inhabitants can be seen looking out of a window, his jade orbs admiring the subtle enchantment of the plushie clouds hugging the sky as the sun's rays pierce through these gentle veils, creating a beautiful mosaic of white, blue, and gold. Something incredible coming from what many would call a regular day.
These eyes belong to none other than one of the valley's saviours, a panda chosen by destiny to guard the lives of many without fear or hesitation, to never falter in bringing light to souls that linger in the darkness. Po, the dragon warrior. He is adorned in his white robes, lined with a black dragon pattern, and topped off with a golden dragon with green eyes on the back alongside his usual patchy shorts. His mind wanders around as his eyes continue to stare at the sky with his usual goofy grin plopped onto his face, unconsciously taking a bite out of a dumpling in the process. Time flies so fast, huh? In almost three years, the panda had not only been able to save the entirety of China four times, he had not only been able to master techniques that many had spent years trying to even attempt, but now he's truly become a master in his own right. He had managed to help his friends find inner peace when they were at their lowest point.
Do you have any idea how lucky you are?
His smile is promptly wiped off his face as Jingxi's final words echo in his head. Though he had never really taken things for granted, her words had truly humbled him to how many blessings he has received over the years. Loving parents, an altruistic foster father, the trust of the founder of kung fu, friendship from some of the greatest warriors in China and now…
I have everything I need, everything I could ever want, right here. My home. My family. You.
From this sweet memory, his smile returns to his features, now brighter than ever. Tigress' words caress his heart, his best friend, now the love of his life, bringing him a warmth that he cannot describe. On that day they had given their hearts, their souls, to one another and he couldn't be happier. All his life he had heard about the magical feeling of love and passion from many tales, but looking back, those stories barely seem to scratch the surface. For the past six days, he had seen a completely different Tigress to what he was used to. She never hesitated once to shower him with affection, to let him know how much he means to her. Whether it be from subtle pecks on the cheek every now and again, to cuddling with him for what seemed like hours. I guess it can get tiring to hold your heart back for that long… Though he had rarely ever done so himself, he can certainly understand why she had barely restrained herself this week. I just hope she doesn't change too much by training time. Silently wishing that she doesn't try to hold herself back again.
His thoughts are soon interrupted by the whistle of the tea pot, forcing him to dart his head over to the stove. As he heads over to pour the jasmine tea into a cup, the subject of his affection practices her tai-chi in the bedroom with eyes closed, wearing her repaired golden robes and black kung fu trousers. When arriving in their neighbouring valley the night before, the two warriors had ordered a single room for both of them. Of course, they had to immediately explain to the hen in the lobby that it wasn't for any particularly devious intentions, but she still maintained a disbelieving look as she gave them the room key. Despite the room's increased size, it still maintains its humility, the lack of ornamentation within satisfying the orange tiger as she continues her elegant dance.
Her signature small smile is present on her face, the tiger master's heart feeling freer than it had ever felt before. She thinks back to the moment when Po had admitted his love for her, the moment she had finally gained inner peace. A moment she will never forget. Her mind begins to transition to some more recent memories as her stance soon transforms into the inner peace stance. For most of their break she had pretty much never left the panda's side, wanting to stay with him for as long as she could. It isn't as if she's lost her independence, she's still the tough, no-nonsense warrior she has always been. But now, she no longer feels like hiding the gentler side of her. Especially when it comes to Po. Considering how close they had come to dying, she felt she deserved to let loose. Although, she'd be lying if she didn't think she went a bit overboard these past six days.
These thoughts are mildly interrupted by the sound of Po opening the door to the bedroom, Tigress' jasmine tea in one paw and a dumpling in another. A light, content hum rumbles her throat as the aroma of her beverage reaches her nostrils. Before she can move out of her inner peace stance however, the panda master's robes get caught in the door, forcing him to accidentally throw her tea up in the air. Jade orbs widen significantly and close immediately, afraid of his feline lover's reaction to his clumsiness. He waits a moment, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion at the absence of the sound of the cup breaking. Po slowly opens his eyes only to shoot open, completely awestruck at the impressive display in front of him.
Master Tigress stands on her left leg, her right leg high up in the air with the cup of tea balancing on her foot, practically filled with the jasmine brew. Her arms are outstretched with a droplet of tea balancing on each paw. To top it all off, her eyes remain closed. Unable to contain his shock, Po's jaw practically drops to the floor at just how quickly Tigress has been able to improve upon finding inner peace. As if this action isn't enough, the tranquil tiger transfers the droplet from her right paw over to her left before kicking up the teacup and catching it in her right paw, not even spilling a single drop from the cup. She finishes her graceful act by letting the two tea droplets roll down her left paw and back into the cup before taking a sip. With her taste buds satisfied, she lets out an appreciative hum as her amber orbs open up, entrancing the dragon warrior as per usual. "Thank you, Po." This gentle gratitude kisses the dragon warrior's ears, making the panda swoon over her smooth, silky voice.
"You're the most awesome woman in all of China." He breathily whispers, the panda stuck in a trance from her abilities that never disappoint.
Her small smile widens at his never-ending admiration, the fire in her eyes matching the loving flame in her heart. "I try." She tenderly coos to him, a beautiful melody to his lovestruck ears. As she approaches him, she softly rubs her cheek against his, lightly chuffing as she does so. This snaps him out of his trance just as his tiger lover rests her back against his chest, the panda hugging her from behind in the process. They stay in this position for a few moments, captivated by the warmth brought by their embrace as Tigress sips her tea and Po eats his dumpling. "Are you ready to head out?" She inquires after taking one last sip of her jasmine tea, their reason for being in their neighbouring valley asserting its way into her mind.
For the past few days, she couldn't stop thinking about the Zhanshi clan. Or at least, what remains of them. Though the prospect of her potentially being the last tiger in China was certainly harrowing, she had managed to find peace with it fairly quickly. What she couldn't get over, is how little she actually knows about her own flesh and blood. She has no idea what their customs were like, their values or what they really did in Xiwang valley. Sure, they did protect the place in secret thirty years ago, but why did they do it in secret? Why did they hide? From what she could remember about them, they clearly were a warrior tribe. So again, why hide if their whole village was physically capable? She also guessed that some part of her wanted to imagine how her life would've been if tragedy hadn't struck this place. If she would've ever come in contact with the Jade Palace. If she would have had all these adventures. If she would've met Po. Though it goes against Oogway's principals of keeping one's mind in the present, her curiosity simply cannot help but run wild. This wondering, this curiosity will end today as the two have planned to head back to the village and truly explore it.
Po nods in response to her question, his mouth still chewing on a dumpling. "Good. I just need to get something." They break from their embrace as Tigress heads over to the bedside table, opening the drawer to take out her medical supplies.
Jade orbs wilt in concern as they look upon the orange feline, remembering her mental breakdown when she had discovered where she had truly come from. That pain that was in her eyes that day, a pain that he had unfortunately experienced himself, was one he never wants her to feel again. She had asked him to travel her a few days prior, but he was hesitant, knowing how rough it could be going back there. As per usual, she was persistent and didn't stop talking to him about it until he agreed. "Are you sure you want to do this?" Amber orbs shift towards the panda with a quizzical air, "I just… I mean… *sigh*" Po pauses for a brief second, trying to find the right words, "I know what this means for you… And… I just want you to be okay." His voice trembles into a caring whisper, never breaking eye contact with the feline he adores so deeply.
At his worry, the tiger warrior straps the medicinal bag onto her waist band and saunters over to her panda, her eyes still focused on his as her questioning look is now replaced with one of admiration. To the panda master's surprise, she plants a soft kiss on his lips before placing her head underneath his chin. "I'll be fine, Po." She chuffs out as she amorously rubs her head under his chin, a small smile finding its way onto Po's face at her affectionate action.
He delicately wraps his right arm around her waist and embraces her for a few seconds before both warriors make their way towards the door leading out of the bedroom. "Is that why you're bringing the first aid kit?" Po jokingly points out, his tiger giving him a smug smirk in response.
"The foundation of the village could be unstable, after all, you did punch a hole in the floor… And almost caved us in." This counter results in the dragon warrior's eyes widening, the panda almost completely forgetting about that reckless tactic he used to escape Nuba and Jiangshi.
"Oh, right… Heh heh." He scratches the back of his head before giving his tiger partner an embarrassed chuckle as they head out the door of their room.
Once they leave the inn, they attempt to retrace the steps they had taken in finding Nuba. From the crime scene of the first victim all the way to the dilapidated shack that had once belonged to the necromancer that had brought back the vile tiger. As they pass each ominous monument, flashes of those days they spent trying to catch Nuba haunt their minds. Their anxiety, their anger, their fear; All brought back momentarily from this path of death. Death that they could've prevented if they had arrived in the valley sooner, or at least, that's what they believed at the time. At the end of it all, they realised that this was something they could no longer change and instead, need to accept.
They head past the miserable shack, their destination jutting high into the skyline, a mountain housing the Zhanshi clan village hidden from prying eyes. For almost an hour they walk through a massive clearing consisting of nothing but dead leaves and shrubbery, nature's memorial for all the souls that had been lost all those years ago. This haunting reminder of that devastation silences the two warriors as they trudge over to the right side of the daunting mountain, the contents lying within being far more intimidating than its height.
With the sun's rays acting as some form of heavenly blessing, they arrive at the mouth of the cave leading into the maze-like tunnels, its oppressive darkness fending off the celestial body's caring light. Jade orbs gaze into amber as they share a look, the panda master wordlessly asking her if she is ready. Tigress nods in response to this silent concern as she picks up a discarded branch and lights it up by striking her claws against the mountain's rocky surface, creating a makeshift torch for the panda to see within the obsidian caves before them. They head inside the Zhanshi clan's seemingly endless tunnel system, trying as hard as they can to not get lost within the maze of stone. After traversing these igneous paths for almost half an hour, the orange feline manages to see a light auburn glow shining from a hole in one of the cave walls. As they head inside that hole, they see the dreaded flight of stairs that only just hide the devastated village from their view, its torches lit just as brightly as they were before.
"We did mark our way back, right?" Tigress inquires to her panda, though she is confident that they did, there is no harm in making sure. Po pops his head back outside the secret entrance to the hidden village and looks along the wall, noticing four distinct claw marks layered onto it. He turns back to Tigress and gives her a thumbs up, though the look on his face turns serious as the two masters look up the stairs. Knowing that some harrowing, repressed memories may be brought back from going up these steps, Tigress takes a deep breath and whispers, "Let's go."
They climb up the cobblestone steps, Po for once not falling to his panda asthma as each step they take echoes off the cave walls. An uncanny aura flows through the two warriors as they reach the top of the stairs. Surprisingly, they are greeted by darkness, the torches that were once lit around the cavern village now snuffed out. Feline eyes look around the blackened village, just able to pick out the torches circling the Zhanshi clan's home turned tomb. Tigress takes the makeshift torch off Po and pounces up onto the cavern walls before running around the village's perimeter, lighting up every torch with this flame in the process. Once finished, she jumps down from the cavern wall only to see the rows of skeletons littering the streets.
She takes a shaky breath as the phantom wails and cries of her clan ring in her ears, forcing her to close her eyes. Noticing this immediately, Po runs over to his feline love, making sure to avoid accidentally stepping on any of the skulls and bones left on the rocky floor. "You alright?" He gently implores as he delicately lays his paws on her shoulders, instantly regretting his decision on letting her come here.
Her breathing begins to calm down as she lays her right paw on his, the dying screams of her tiger brethren fading away thanks to her panda's gentle assurance. Giving his paw a slight squeeze, Tigress' amber orbs open back up to her lover as she whispers, "I'm fine."
"Are you sure?" He asks again, hoping that she isn't trying to put on a brave face for him. Unexpectedly, a small smile occupies her face as she nods her head at the panda master. Though there is a clear level of sadness within her expression, the eternal determination burning within her eyes is not extinguished. Knowing that she will not want to leave this place without her answers, he looks around the ruined village. "Well… Where do we start then?" Genuine curiosity fills his tone as he allows his paws to slide off her shoulders, the feline glancing over to the multitude of shattered buildings.
Unfortunately, the only real way to distinguish the buildings would be their size. Or at least, the size it used to be. As they continue to look around the place, two skeletal buildings stand out in particular. One near the middle of the main road, clearly large and spacious. Hopefully a library or some information centre of sorts. The other lies near the back end of the valley, a building that can barely even be called that anymore. Though it is far more damaged than any of the other ones, Tigress' keen eyes pick out the finer material used for it. Potentially the chieftain's home, but that is yet to be seen. "I say we start with these two buildings." A calm, commanding tone takes over the tiger master's voice, her mind now seemingly settled as she points out the two structures to the panda. "You go search in the larger one near here, I'll head towards the one farther down the street."
Finishing her demands, the tiger master begins to make her way down the main village street, hearing her love quickly call out, "Okay, be careful!" A miniscule smile briefly finds it way onto her face at the dragon warrior's concern as she hurries her pace slightly, her heart wanting to leave this place as soon as possible. Whether it be because of her memories or simply because of the unsettling atmosphere within the village could be anyone's guess.
She reaches the far end of the village square before something catches her eye. A broken-down hut with a skeleton lying on its front porch, which forces a memory of her sapphire eyed mother to flash in her mind before she is brought back to the morbid reality. With a mourning expression on her face, she hollowly walks over to the broken-down hut, what could've been her home, and kneels down towards her mother's remains. Amber orbs pick out the tiger plush nearby, the tiger now gently taking it in her paw. Another flash from that fateful day crosses her mind, the sight of her parents looking down at her with heartbroken eyes.
I love you, my little angel… Don't ever forget that.
A sniffle escapes the tiger master's maw as a tear rolls down her cheek, her father's words striking a chord with her heart once more. Though instead of pure sadness, there is a sense of happiness within her as well. Her parents truly did love her, and that is enough to banish her melancholic expression. This memory no longer tormenting her mind, Tigress wipes the tear off her cheek and stuffs the plush toy into her waistband before heading off towards the somewhat affluent wreckage further down the stone street.
Venturing into the dishevelled corridor of this building, yet another skeleton fills the tiger master's view, as if the ones out in the village square weren't enough. She takes note of its crumpled-up position, clearly cowering in fear before their demise. Pity surges into her heart as she continues walking forward, looking around at the violently dismantled walls of the decayed structure. Whatever place this was, it is clear that Nuba had truly despised it. But why? She needn't look too long for an answer as she reaches the end of the corridor and enters the throne room. A throne room? For a chieftain? Clearly their power must've gotten to their head. Amber orbs glance at the remains slunk onto the throne, battered, and dismantled beyond recognition. It had taken her a couple of seconds to even realise the white shards littering the throne were once parts of a skeleton. She looks closer, seeing its mangled skull and torn open ribcage that is only modestly concealed by the chief's robes, blackened from dried blood. The sheer brutality that Nuba must've expelled onto the village's chief disturbs the tiger master as something replays in her mind.
I had to live my whole life knowing that my parents… despised me… That they never cared… That they never will…
Tigress' eyes widen in realisation of just who Nuba's parents were, the white tiger's pained confession burrowing its way into her mind. Despite the fact that she feels some sympathy for Jingxi's troubled past, her heart still cannot find any way to forgive the maniac for murdering so many people. Not wanting to look at the horrid sight of the torn apart chief for any longer, the tiger warrior's eyes shift their focus onto the walls of the throne room. Or what's left of them. The chief's wooden throne lays bare to the elements as the interior is almost completely destroyed, leading the tiger master to believe that their archives will have most likely been ripped to shreds. As she considers leaving the ruinous home of the Zhanshi clan's late chief, a toppled bookshelf right at the far end of the room catches her eye.
Amber eyes narrow in curiosity as the feline warrior approaches the toppled shelf and flips it over. To her dismay, almost all of the scrolls within the bookcase are either shredded to microscopic fragments or lathered with so much blood that they've become illegible. A mild growl rumbles Tigress' throat, the feline warrior distressed that all the information she has come here for may be forever lost to time. She continues staring at the now worthless contents of the bookcase until she notices something peculiar about the top shelf. Placing her right paw onto the back of the shelf, her fingertips can feel the inconsistencies of the wooden case. Quickly unsheathing her claws, she slots them into the tiny gaps in the case and rips out the small plank of wood meant to conceal something. Her eyes widen slightly at the sight of two scrolls, one jade and one amber. She gingerly takes the two scrolls out before swiftly coughing at the amount of dust billowing from their hiding place.
First, she examines the jade scroll, noting its extravagant golden dragon seal as she reads its inscription with a proud smirk. 'The Dragon Warrior' It seems even they were anticipating your arrival, Po. Her curiosity taking hold, the tiger opens the scroll and quickly skims through its contents, smirking and chuckling at the outlandish things they had expected from destiny's greatest warrior. No doubt Po will enjoy this. After carefully closing the scroll and placing it into her waistband, she looks upon the amber scroll, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion at its inscription.
'The Phoenix Warrior'
Her eyes shift towards its matching golden phoenix seal, mesmerised by the very idea that there could be another fated warrior. Though her mind yells at her to read it right here, part of her gets the feeling to inform Po about this first. After all, if there are any potential mysteries or legends, the panda would certainly want to be one of the first to hear about it. Her mind decided, she swiftly places the amber scroll in her waistband alongside the jade scroll and dashes out of the chieftain's skeletal hut.
As the tiger warrior makes her way back through the desolate village square, the dragon warrior reads through yet another scroll on a lopsided desk with a few other scrolls piled up next to him. Broken and beaten-up bookshelves line the perimeter of the tarnished building, confirming Tigress' suspicions of it being a library. Jade orbs scan the words of the scroll as if the panda were a child reading his favourite story, the orange glow of the torches outside pouring in through a hole in the library's ceiling. Though none of these scrolls are a guide to the Zhanshi clan culture or anything, they certainly provide an interesting insight to the deceased village's customs. Upon hearing footsteps, Po yanks his head away from the scroll and looks towards the splintered doorway, smiling widely at the sight of his love walking towards him. "Looks like you've found quite a bit." She points out, motioning towards the multiple scrolls piled onto the table.
"You bet, check this out!" He replies with his usual overenthusiastic timbre, this innocence being music to Tigress' ears especially after witnessing the devastation that was the chief's home. Leaning towards the scroll laid in front of the panda, a curious expression lines her face at reading its heading.
"Rules of the ring?" She asks as her eyes scan the rest of the parchment, with each rule if it sounding more familiar as she glosses through them.
"Yeah, they have like a coliseum… Thing like out towards the east side. They held tournaments in there, trained guards… Its so sweet!" His fanboying tendencies bring a smile to Tigress' face as she reads through the scroll further, now identifying that they were indeed rules for a monthly tournament they would hold.
So, they really were a village of warriors. Though they had been referred to as the 'secret warriors', the lack of information anyone had about them had made the tiger sceptical about who they really were. As far as anyone knew, they were merely farmers that had kind hearts and helped their valley. This, however, dismantles that notion entirely. With this confirmation in her mind, another thought comes with it. "Whether or not Nuba had destroyed this place… I would've been a warrior regardless." She quietly voices her epiphany, her absentminded voice making her panda look at her cautiously, worried of how she will take the fact that her fate, her destiny, had been decided from the very start.
"And… How does that make you feel?" He warily implores to the pondering tiger, clearly rummaging through her heart as the weight of this realisation sinks in.
Much to the panda's surprise, a small smile fills his tiger's face after a few moments, "Proud." Amber orbs look to her love, his eyes coated in bewilderment, "This is who I was always meant to be, Po. I knew from the day I started training that it felt right. That I really found myself. This just makes it even more true." A chuckle escapes her lips, causing Po to smile at seeing the happiness brimming within her eyes. "I literally have the blood of a warrior flowing through my veins." She states with joy as she looks towards her right paw and clenches it, proud of her warrior heritage.
Po's goofy smile widens at seeing how overjoyed she is about her clan's past, at seeing her experience the same feeling he had when Li-Shan had introduced him to the panda village. Though unlike him, she is experiencing it just through hearing about the clan. Her choice to brave through her trauma and find the closure she needed mesmerises the panda, who never had the courage to venture back to Gongmen, to go back to the place where his mother had died. Within his silent admiration for the feline, she looks towards him with her prideful smile and inquires, "What about the rest of those scrolls?"
Snapping him out of his muse, Po darts his head over to the pile of scrolls next to him before meekly replying, "Well, I haven't read most of those yet, but…" He picks out one scroll out of the bunch before rolling it open on the slanted table, "Here's one that's a bit… Interesting."
As the tiger master reads the title of the scroll, a confused expression fills her face, "The benefits of a bar brawl?" Amber orbs skim through the parchment as both warriors are somewhat tempted to laugh at the practically insane heading of it. To Tigress' surprise however, it has a few well-made points about using the environment to one's advantage and of thinking quickly on their feet. These warriors, her people, truly did live and breathe through battle. "They may not be… Wrong… But it's still a bit strange to encourage brawling in a bar." She comments, mystified by how they managed to incorporate their will to fight into everything they did.
"So… What d'you find in the… Uh… Far place?" Po awkwardly asks, not entirely sure of what that building was.
Seeing the panda now finished with his showing, Tigress reaches towards her waistband to pull out the two scrolls that she had found earlier, "That 'far place' used to be the chief's hut." She clarifies to the dragon warrior, gaining a sombre nod in response. In spite of the horrible things Nuba had done to them, the compassionate panda still feels a sense of pity for the poor white tiger and how she had been practically abandoned by her parents. Noticing his sorrow, she decides to lighten up the mood and tosses him the jade scroll, "I managed to salvage about two scrolls, and I think you'll enjoy this one."
Po's melancholy is soon purged as his jade orbs quickly glances at the scroll's inscription, "Ooh, it's about me!" He squeals in delight, his paw reaching over to the seal until he notices its prestigious nature, "Aw, you've gotta be kidding me! A golden dragon seal! This is so cool!" After fanboying over the scroll for a few more moments, the dragon warrior finally pops the scroll out of its seal and opens it like a child opening a massive present. However, his face falls at its contents, "Hey… This isn't me…" Instead of there being a panda, there is instead an illustration of a black dragon with red eyes and heavily defined muscles, the legend of the dragon warrior written in a caption on to the left of it. As the panda disappointedly pouts, Tigress chuckles at his childish reaction. "Man, everyone expected me to have like…" He concentrates his sight towards the dragon's chest, counting each defined muscle there. "Eight pack abs and a chiselled jaw…"
His complaining murmurs are caught by his feline love, who still smiles at the panda who had defied everyone's expectations, "Well, you don't need any of that, Po." She rubs her cheek onto his as she hugs his neck from behind, "You're perfect just the way you are." To top off her sweet compliment, the tiger warrior lightly kisses his cheek, resulting in a meek giggle from the dragon warrior.
"Aw, c'mon." He whines in embarrassment, his humility clear in his voice as he reciprocates her affectionate action. After having their little moment, Tigress releases her hold on him as she presents the amber scroll and opens up the seal. "Ooh, that looks super cool too. What's that one about?" His astonishment causes the reserved tiger to smile again, that never-ending excitement too adorable to not enjoy.
"I'm not too sure…" She admits in her gentle tone, "I suspected it as some kind of story or something, so I thought it'd be best if we read this together." With Po instantly nodding at her suggestion, she slides the scroll out of its seal and rolls it out on the table. Both masters' eyes widen at the very title of the scroll as they begin to read the parchment carefully.
'The legend of the phoenix warrior:
It has been said for centuries that the guardians of the Gods will bring forth the fabled phoenix warrior, to bring light and salvation to China when it is needed most. The prophecy states…
They will be born from greatness, torn down and thrown into the darkest depths imaginable. But when they are condemned to the darkness, when all hope seems lost, they will rise from the ashes and banish the forces of evil with a holy fire. They will hear the call of justice and answer with the overwhelming might of the phoenix, restoring peace to China in its direst need, acting as the Gods' most powerful guardian.
… None know when this day will come, but when it does, the phoenix warrior will be there to save us all.'
Both warriors are stunned into an awed silence, the weight of this prophecy stealing any possible words they could say. They ruminate on this information for a few moments before Po finally yells out, "Woah! That is so… I don't… Guardians of the gods… Phoenix warrior… I just… I-it's so awesome!"
Amber orbs continue to stare at the scroll in complete disbelief, the tiger for once ignoring her partner's expected reaction. "Have you heard of this legend before?" She hollowly asks, her focus still pinned on the prophetic parchment.
"Well… Um…" An awkward stutter escapes the dragon warrior's mouth as he finds himself at a loss for words again, "Uh… No, but… But it's still cool though…" With this admission, a question pops into his head, "Have you?"
To his chagrin, Tigress shakes her head as her eyes read over the prophecy over and over again. "I've never read about this in any scroll, book or child's tale before… It's concerning." Her voice adopts a serious tone as her mind remains baffled as to how something so important could be kept a secret from the rest of China.
Pondering on this mysterious information, the panda master finds a potential solution, "Maybe it's another Kai situation?" Tigress turns her head to Po with a quizzical countenance, "Like maybe its somewhere deep within the archives and only Oogway knows about it, y'know?"
Taking this explanation into consideration, the tiger master's features shift into one that commands her panda's attention. "If that is the case…" She rolls the scroll back up and places it back into its seal, "Then we need to hand this to Shifu, hopefully he'll be able to find something about it within the palace archives." At her soft, but calculated voice, Po nods before gathering the rest of the scrolls up and placing them in his robe pockets.
They head out of the decayed library and make their way back towards the staircase leading into the village, ready to head back home in the search for answers. Just before they leave, however, Tigress takes one final look at the desolate Zhanshi clan village. A burning sense of longing fills her amber orbs as she imagines how this place used to be, filled with tigers going about their daily business. For a brief second, the eyes of her mother and father pierce their way through the rest of the crowd as her dreamy image of the village fades away. Ripped away from her fantasy of what could've been by the harsh claws of reality, the tiger master feels Po's paw delicately resting on her shoulder. They look into each other's eyes, a silent exchange of empathy travelling between them as they melt into a gentle embrace. After staying in this embrace for a mere moment, they separate and head back down the staircase, the flames of the village torches paying eternal respect to the souls that had fallen so many years ago.
Well, well. TiPo stuff, insight on the Zhanshi clan and a new prophecy... Hoo boy am I gonna have fun with this. As for the 'phoenix warrior' I first thought of putting in phoenix guardian so it doesn't sound too similar to dragon warrior but I found it didn't roll of the tongue quite as well. Anyways, I hope you've enjoyed this chapter and I'll see you next time :)