Chapter 23
Days had passed, and Jian was pretty confident to say that Po was improving greatly. As training ensued, Po seemed to take it in his strive; every knockdown was a reason to get back up again, to prove to himself that he could do it. When sparring in the woods at night, instead of jumping out of the way of a fist or a pole, just to run away, Po jumped in and fought them off. Jian was by his side, encouraging him through every strain. He kept with his pace when Shifu made him run from one end of the meadow to the other; now, the panda was almost catching up with him!
Finally, after running to the end of the meadow, both of them found Shifu setting four bowls on a boulder that acted as a table; three of them were empty, and one was full to the brim with dumplings. Picking up a pair of chopsticks, he watched the duo sit down; Po was opposite him, while Jian was between them on the left-hand side. Both were equally suspicious.
"After you, panda." He said.
"That's it? No situps? N-no... no ten-mile hikes?" Po voiced his thoughts, and Jian's eyes narrowed towards the red panda.
Shifu chuckled. "I vowed to train you... and you have been trained. You are free to eat." He gestured his free paw towards the food. This was the open invitation Jian needed to see... but Po still seemed a little sceptical. He cautiously picked up a pair of chopsticks, eyeing Jian. The leopard just shrugged and picked up his own pair. "Enjoy."
Jian didn't move; Po smiled and picked up a dumpling. He closed his eyes and went to put the dumpling into his mouth.
WHOOSH!
"Hey!" His eyes reopened, and Shifu had just finished chewing.
"What?" The red panda said. "I said you are free to eat. Have a dumpling."
Po narrowed his eyes again, picked up another one, and watched Shifu. When he made no intention to move, Po tried again- this time his eyes were open.
WHOOSH! CHOMP!
"HEY- huh?" Shifu hadn't moved from his spot... but Jian was chewing with a smirk on his face. Traitor, the panda thought. They all glared at each other.
"You are free... to eat!" Shifu emphasized.
"Am I?!" Po rejected.
"Are you?!" Jian retaliated; they all ready their chopsticks... with Po sounding off a 'rrrrrra!' rattling his chopsticks like a snapping crocodile. Quick as a flash, Po slammed his fist on the makeshift table, which sent the bowl of dumplings airborne. Jian grabbed a few as they flew, while Shifu jumped up, and managed to eat all of them... bar for one.
Po leapt up to catch it... with his mouth... before Shifu grabbed it with his chopsticks.
Once they landed... well, once Shifu landed, holding the dumpling, Jian got into his fighting stance, while Po hit the ground. Shifu smirked.
"Fetch." And tossed it casually over his head.
Jian and Po eyed each other, before noticing Shifu running ahead of them, and from there a battle ensued- it was Master vs Master vs... well, Novice. Back and forth the three of them spared one another, vying for the final dumpling. Jian leapt for it but yelped in surprise when he felt Po grab him by the tail and pulled him back down. Once he landed on all fours, Po swung over his shoulders and ran down the path. Jian was taken aback slightly, but noticing Shifu speeding past him, he was ignited into a feline sprint and picked up on their trail almost right away.
The sparring led them back up the hill where Po kicked the dumpling, sending it flying. Shifu, in the nick of time, was doing multiple backflips in the air, with Po and Jian on his tail. Shifu caught it but sensed the two of them behind him. Quick as a flash, he stashed the dumpling under one of the bowls, before overturning the others. Before Po and Jian could breathe, Shifu started shuffling the bowls, watching their eyes lock into the action of the moving bowls. Jian was completely lost, but Po looked more focused. Po was quick to triumphantly find the dumpling the first time. With an ecstatic "WOO!" The three of them continued fighting over the dumpling, using their chopsticks against the other opponents.
Mid spar, Shifu used his fingers to attack Po and Jian's, both of them briefly reeling their paws away to relieve themselves of the sharp pain. But at that moment, Po slides the bowl off the surface, catching it with his foot. By doing this, he kicks the dumpling in the air... which allowed Shifu to fire one chopstick as if it were a dart. This sent the dumpling up towards the nearby tree, skewering it into the bark.
Shifu leapt up towards it using Po's shoulders as a level, but Po caught it by the foot and pulled him back down. When Shifu felt the ground beneath him, they all looked up to see the dumpling was starting to slip. With Po distracted, Jian grinned before leaping over both him and Shifu- but Shifu still had the other chopstick in his paw. This prompted him to use it as a dart again, to practically nail Jian to the tree by the shoulder of his shirt.
The dumpling fell, Shifu was pushed to the side and Po opened his mouth to eat it... before Shifu kicked it away. Po raced after it, and Shifu followed him, grabbing a bamboo stick that was hidden by a rock. Jian sooner forfeited, and as he pulled the chopstick out of the tree, he freed himself just in time to see Po catch the dumpling.
At last.
Shifu smiled and gestured to the panda silently, and Jian grinned at the breathless panda. He did it! He thought in disbelief. He actually did it!
Jian felt his smile wipe away with a look of confusion when Po tossed the dumpling into Shifu's open paw. "I'm not hungry." He said with a determined smile.
Shifu smiled back and tossed the dumpling away in Jian's direction, which he caught as he plopped down on a rock. Both turned to look at him, popping it into his mouth. "If no one's going to eat it..." He said with a full mouth.
To both the panda and spotted cat's surprise, Shifu chuckled, before Po bowed to them both. "Master..."
Jian grinned, before sliding off the rock and bowed in unison with Master Shifu.
He couldn't wait to rub this in Tigress' face.
Meanwhile...
Six bodies were racing towards the Thread of Hope, a rope bridge that stretched widely between mountain peaks- five of them were close together in one direction, while one raced along on his own. He wasn't completely alone- he had company on some part of the journey, but she was left behind a while ago. He would see her again soon, he was sure of it.
When they hit the start of the bridge, they met him at what would have been the final section for him. Eyeing each other, Tai Lung watched as they got into their stances, a little breathless. He only took a second to register the determined looks on their faces, grinning.
Tigress, who stood in front of the group, growled at the sight of him. With a loud roar, he started racing across the bridge, towards them. "Cut it!" Her order was swift, and their reactions were swifter- as she slashed the final rope securing the bridge, just as he was starting to close in on them. But he was too close. He jumped as the rope began to give way beneath him-
YAH!
A sharp kick to the chin sent him back, as she launched herself into the air. The rest of the five, in sheer panic, grabbed the ropes they just cut, pulling hard and clinging on for dear life. Tai Lung landed heavily on the bridge, which lurched the four warriors forward, but they didn't hesitate to pull back harder, just before Tigress landed. The rope bridge swayed uneasily as Tai Lung stood on the handrails, but Tigress managed to maintain her combative pose. Tai Lung, however, leans heavily on the rope on the other side, as if it were a supportive railing.
"Where's the Dragon Warrior?" He asked, looking a little bored.
"How do you know you're not looking at her?" Tigress said firmly, which received a laugh from the spotted leopard. Hearing his laugh briefly brought her back to when she was a kid. The memory was unclear.
"Do you think I'm a fool? I know you're not the Dragon Warrior." Crap. "None of you are!" Tigress narrowed her eyes, baring her teeth. If he only got out of jail, there was no way he would know exactly. In an effort to keep her bluff going, she stood her ground. "I'd rather you tell me the truth..." Tai Lung raised a brow, clearly amused. She watched his ears flicker, as if he heard something... or someone, behind him. Smirking, he turned his head. "So much for Master's honour..."
Before Tigress or the others could flash confused looks at one another, they saw a blur at the end of the bridge where Tai Lung materialised from. It was a clash of grey, purple, and pink. They were panting, breathless as she caught herself against the pillar, eyes falling directly towards the felines on the bridge. Tigress' eyes dilated dangerously as the others gasped. Tai Lung chuckled, before turning to face Tigress again. "Lucky for me I have a reliable source..."
Azure.
Her ears moved as if she heard one of them calling her. Raising her head, she saw Tigress shaking her head. Obediently, Azure stayed put, head bowed slightly in shame.
"I heard how he fell out of the sky on a ball of fire..." Tigress' comrades took this opportunity to exchange quick, worried looks as Tai Lung sauntered along the rope with perfect balance. "That he's a warrior, unlike anything the world has ever seen." Tigress' paws were raised a little higher, one being over her head, snarling again.
"Po?" Monkey said in confusion, practically voicing what the others were thinking.
"So that is his name... Po." Tai Lung took his name in, raising his head towards the clouded sun. The breeze around them ran through his fur, as he breathed in to accept the battle as if it were requested of him. He opened his eyes with a wicked, yet excited look on his muzzle. "Finally, a worthy opponent. Our battle will be legendary!" He declared, raising a fist over his head. Grinning still, his fist dropped to his side, eyes locked on Tigress, before looking at Azure. He turned his body, facing the gaps between the mountains, greeted by the cloudy canyon that went on for miles. Looking at Azure, he extended an arm invitingly, in the direction of the five. "After you."
He didn't say anything else.
Azure glanced at Tigress as if to ask for permission to move. Monkey answered for her, waving his hand frantically for her to move in their direction. She did so, moving slowly past Tai Lung, but only stopped a few steps behind Tigress. "While we're on the topic of warriors... where's my son?" Tigress felt her heart tighten, as the spotted cat moved his head as he looked behind her, behind Azure, and far behind the other Masters, as if to wait for Jian to pop out of nowhere. "Are we waiting for him to make a grand entrance?"
Tigress' claws were out. "He's not coming,"
"And you know that how?"
"You won't see him either," Azure muttered.
"And why is that, my dear?" He knew what buttons to push, before straightening his back, and pretended to think pensively. Eying Tigress, his grin contorted into a knowing smile. "Oh that's right, Sying left them both in your care. Must have done such a good job, that my daughter found her way back to me." Azure's eyes widened, shaking her head at his words. She felt Tigress' tail brush the ground inches from her feet, which she took as a warning and stepped back. "You should never keep a father away from his children... us parents can get very protective, see. But you wouldn't understand that-"
RAH!
She charged at him- and so their battle began. Every punch she threw at him, he punched back harder. Jumping to catch him around the neck with her legs, both paws gripping the railing firmly, she threw him over the bridge- but not far enough. He grabbed the rope, pulling the bridge down with his weight. Azure felt her body being pulled forward with gravity and clung to the railing tightly. This made Tigress lose her balance, and fall back onto the boards beneath her feet.
The others lurched forward too, so they all pulled the rope back with all their strength.
This propelled Tai Lung up into the air, disappearing within the thick clouds. "Get back!" Tigress shouted at Azure, who remained frozen on the spot. "NOW!" That time, she moved and started running towards Monkey and the others, as Tigress squinted her eyes to try to locate him, but he came back down as quickly as he disappeared. Before he got any closer, she used her body weight to turn the bridge upside down, and she dangled over the great abyss. As soon as he burst through the wood, she started kicking, and he started punching, until he seized the right moment to grab her by the leg, and rip her away from the boards she was holding onto. Pulling her through the boards, he tried swinging her away from the platform, to watch her fall to her death. Tigress caught herself by latching onto his arm. "DON'T!" Azure started to run for them, but Monkey got hold of her wrist, begging her not to go out there. "You won't win!" Unsure of who she was talking to, they continued fighting as if they never heard her in the first place.
Holding onto the underside of the bridge, Tigress dodged and delivered punches. She was putting up a good fight, but Tai Lung was starting to get the upper hand. He was moving faster, his punches suddenly began to get heavier. "STOP!" Azure's pleads were getting ignored.
"Azure, grab hold!" She ignored him and ran back out onto the bridge.
Both hanging off the boards, Tai Lung sent a series of vicious kicks- one catching Tigress off guard as it caught her on the jaw, and another sending her up through the boards. Before she could register what was happening, Tai Lung burst out in front of her, kicking Tigress through dozens of boards.
"We got this. Help her!" Monkey instructed Crane and Viper to hand over their ropes, leaving him and Mantis to hold the ropes. "And get Azure out of there!"
Only when she ground to a halt, did he cut the hand ropes, which supported Azure. Wobbling, she nearly toppled over if Viper hadn't wrapped her tail around her waist and pulled her back, landing on her bottom in front of Monkey and Mantis. As if to sense that Azure was out of the way, he leaned forward, grabbing the ropes, and with the weight of his body, he twisted them until they wound around Tigress' neck. Crying out for air, Tigress' paws instinctively clung to the rope in a desperate attempt to free herself.
As he watched on sadistically, Tai Lung didn't see Viper lunging for him, causing him to let go of the ropes. Tigress broke free but plummeted down into the gorge, but Crane was hot on her trail and caught her. As Viper wrapped herself around Tai Lung's arm and neck, she proceeded to punch him several times knocking him 'over board' but he caught his foot in the gaps of the bridge, so as she slithered off of him, he quickly grabbed hold of her 'throat'. "Monkey!" She choked.
"Go!" Mantis said to Monkey, he passed him the rope quickly- forgetting he was not left to hold up the bridge... and its occupants all by himself. "Ack! What was I thinking?!" He panicked. "AZURE!"
"On it!" Azure sprang to her feet and took two of the ropes. Taking a deep breath, she heaved, feeling every part of her body straining with the effort. Monkey leapt across the bridge and right into the action, baiting Tai Lung right in the chest, as Viper slipped out of his hold. "Mantis, get on my shoulder, and keep hold of the rope." She wasn't sure if she made sense to him, but he did what he was told without questioning it. The weight of the bridge was pulling them closer to the edge, but they couldn't drop even an ounce of strength.
"Mantis!" The bug looked up to see Tigress above them, dangling from Crane's legs. Azure watched as Tai Lung began racing for them, leaping from one rope to the next.
"Go-" he instructed Azure, and together, they whipped the end of their ropes, sending a sine wave towards not only Tai Lung but Monkey and Viper too. Luckily, they leapt out of its way, as it whipped Tai Lung clean across the face, stunning him temporarily.
This was their chance.
"Now!" Tigress, Crane, Viper and Monkey charged at him. And working as a team, they kicked his butt every which way; Monkey swore from under the rope, screeching instinctively as his feet hit Tai Lung in the chest. Knocking him back, Viper launched herself using Monkey's arm to coil her body and thrash him across the face. Crane cut one side of the ropes and tangled the leopard up in the ropes before Tigress jumps on his back, hitting Tai Lung's chest with both palms, before cutting the rope that connected the bridge. They held onto their side of the rope as it fell. They heard him yelling as he plummeted down... and down.. and down, disappearing into the mist below.
With whatever strength they had left, Mantis and Azure whipped the rope together, bringing the others back to safety. They landed flawlessly, as Azure fell back with the sudden weight lift and exhaustion.
There was a distant crunch, as Tigress, Monkey, Viper and Crane watched the battered bridge crash into the far mountain. Breathless, they kept watching, just in case, as Mantis rolled onto his back, panting heavily. Azure lay on her left side, hauling herself up, groaning as she grazed her fingers across her forehead. Her groaning got the attention of Master Viper, who spun around breathlessly, slithering towards her. "Azure sweetie, are you alright?"
Crane and Monkey turn and ran to help her and Mantis up off the ground, all of them asking her heaps of questions, including Mantis once he got his breath back to a steady rhythm. "I'm fine..." She assured them swiftly, before looking at the ledge. Tigress hadn't turned to look at her, or ask if she was okay, which was alien. The tiger's paws were by her side, curling into fists. Azure swallowed uneasily, before saying softly. "You shouldn't have come here."
Their rigid stances fell into folds of disbelief as they all backed away from her, all pulling confused expressions. Her sentence turned Tigress' fists hard before she turned and marched directly for the girl.
"What the hell were you thinking?"
"I'm sorry-"
"Sorry?!" Her paws were planted firmly on both her shoulders, nearly shaking her. "Azure, do you have any idea what he could've done to you? He could've hurt you."
Azure shook her head to disagree, but before she could retort, the others decided to intervene when Tigress let go of her shoulders, holding her head as she walked back to the edge. "Tigress is right. He could've harmed you. Held you for ransom... something!" Crane squawked.
"We don't know what he was capable of Azure," she looked down at Mantis as he landed on her shoulder. Her ears picked up as his past tense. "We're only looking out for ya kid-"
"Is." She said.
Everyone bar Tigress pulled a face at her. "What do you mean?" Monkey asked. Tigress' ears picked up on what she said, but before she could turn to react, she noticed something stirring at the other side of the bridge.
"We don't know what he is capable of."
"Azure, he's gone- I'm sorry but-" She shook her head fiercely. Pushing past whoever stood in front of her, she reached Tigress' side, the others not far behind, and they all watched the end of the severed bridge circling about the mist.
Azure gripped Tigress' paw, as the striped feline's eyes widened with dread. The rope whipped up and snapped-
Nothing appeared. Only a trail of mist followed the broken rope. "Tigress, we need to go. Now-" Her words froze on her lips.
Something crashed behind them. Stone crumbled to dust around them, but as they whirled around, startled, Monkey shrieked and hit the ground, his body stiffened painfully.
"Shifu, taught you well..." a voice echoed around them." Azure jumped as Crane was struck in the chest, hitting the ground. Soon, he was followed by Mantis and Viper. With each strike, dust was kicked up into the air, clouding her focus as they hit the ground almost lifelessly at her feet. "But he didn't teach you everything." Twisting her head frantically, Tigress unhooked herself from the girl's grasp and suddenly wasn't there. Azure heard grunting and fighting, but couldn't pinpoint where, so she stepped forward into the cloud, spluttering and coughing, fanning the dust out of her face.
"You're too innocent." His voice came from behind. Feeling her shoulders stiffen, her whole body spun around in the direction of his sound. "Soon, I have you understand who the real villains are."
Tigress, where are you?! She thought in a panic. It's not like you to run away from a fight...
She heard someone struggling, and as the smoke cleared, her heart dropped.
There Tai Lung stood with Tigress, her paws gripping both sides of his wrist as his paw hugged her throat, holding her over the edge. Why wasn't she fighting him?! Azure thought almost furiously... before realising he paralysed the lower half of her body. Her legs swayed with every move he made. No matter how hard she dug her claws into his arm, he didn't seem to be bothered by it.
Azure raised her arms in neutrality. "Don't..." She said quietly.
"What was that?" He said in mock sympathy. Azure's fingers started crunching in towards her palms, eyes darting between Tigress and Tai Lung. "I didn't quite catch that."
"Don't hurt her!" She spoke louder this time, feeling her eyes well up. Bowing her head, she added a shaken, but clear 'please' at the end. Tai Lung narrowed his eyes, before glancing at Tigress, gasping for air.
"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't." He extended his arm further, mercilessly. Azure knew this game all too well; he wanted her to beg him for mercy, to fall to his feet. To swear loyalty to him...
"Alright... I'll give you two..." her arms lowered and fanned out to the other Masters. "One, you don't hurt family," she watched him scoff like her reason was pathetic... maybe it was. "Two... if you kill her... or harm any of them... I will make sure you never come near Sying, Jian or myself, ever." Her paws solidified into fists, as she heard Tai Lung growling. "We will run, and run. I'll always know your next move. I will take us somewhere I know you will never, ever find us." For a second, he didn't seem to care... but she noticed his ears twitching, and she could almost imagine the gears turning inside his head... and slowly pulling the paralysed tiger back towards, and eventually onto solid ground. "That's all you ever wanted, right? Not just the scroll... but you want Sying back... but this isn't the Tai Lung she remembers."
For a split second, she thought that she got through to him- but he threw Tigress to the ground, and pounced. "DON'T!" She screamed- but he struck her in the chest, paralysing what was left of Tigress' moving limbs. His claws brushed over her throat, before she watched in horror, Tigress' body contort painfully into the fetal position. Throwing herself down beside her, she briefly ignored him as he strolled past, closing in on Crane's frozen body. Azure tried to steady her anxious breathing as she checked Tigress for signs of life- thankfully she was breathing still, but wasn't alert nor responsive. "I'm sorry..." Azure whispered. "This wasn't supposed to happen."
Twisting her head to the sound of a pained squawk, she found Crane suddenly mobile. His wings spread, but before he could fly away, Tai Lung grabbed hold of his neck. "Take them back home, and warn Shifu that I'll be in the Valley, very... very soon..." Pulling the disoriented bird to his feet, he pushed him to his feet and let go of his neck. Turning to Azure, as she held herself over Tigress protectively (like that was going to help anything), he walked back over to her. "Go with him, and warn my opponent of what is to come... if he doesn't hand the scroll and Jian over to me." Azure glared at him before Crane ushered Azure to get going. "I'm feeling charitable... I'll give you all a head start."
Hey... how y'all doing?
It's been a long long time ahahaha
I finally gave you chapter 23! Long-awaited I suppose, but a lot has been going on since my last update. I'll spare you the details.
Chapter 24 is already in the works, and will be out sooner than this chapter!
Please review!
