The Meeting


Po crashed into his room and paced in a small circle. His hands clasped to his head and his mouth babbled on, "Aahhh! How? How?! She can't be one of them! She can't be! How is this happening?! NYAAAHHH." He pulled at his head fur and screamed with his mouth closed.

"Okay, okay, okay, okay. Calm down, Po. Calm down." He crashed onto his bed and took deep breaths. "It's okay. It's okay. You just learned that one of your best friends is a part of a secret clan that the emperor is trying to wipe out of China! NYAAH Calm! This isn't calm!" Po took another deep breath. "Okay, okay. Now, let's think." He stood up and began pacing again. "Tigress is a part of the Jai-Yin. Since she doesn't know about the tattoo, she probably doesn't know anything about the Jai-Yin... except what I told her. GAH!" Po slapped his head but took another breath.

"Okay, okay! So she's a part of the Jai-Yin. And Wolf's probably looking for her. But why?" Po didn't have an answer. "Ugh! What am I gonna tell Wolf? Heck! What am I going to tell Tigress! How is she gonna take being related to a criminal, a traitor, and a bandit! UGH!" Po crashed back onto the bed. His arms covered his eyes, hoping that he could just unsee everything he thought of, but there was no overcoming it. Po sighed. Thoughts raced over his stream of consciousness while the panda's heart sped like an arrow flung from a crossbow. "I need to get some air." Po stepped out of his room and out of the barracks. The sinking sun slowly made its journey across the horizon, and the air chilled the panda's bones. Shoving his hands into his pockets, Po looked down at the village under the mountain's shadow.

"I can't tell Wolf or Tigress. Not yet. I don't know what to do yet. Besides, I don't even know what would happen if Sho and Platon knew. And I don't even know if it is the same thing. She said it was a birthmark but... It could be a different kind of feline Wolf's looking for... UGh! Why is this so complicated!?" The night couldn't answer. Po hung his head with a dismissive sigh and turned back.

ZIIIINGGG!

"Dah!" Po flinched out of the way of an arrow with a message tied to its shaft. He looked around but couldn't find the shooter. "Hello? I think you... accidentally... fired this at me?" No answer came. Since no other arrows flung past him, Po figured it was a message, but for who? Po opened the scroll, and his eyes jumped out of their sockets. "Sho," He slightly growled as he read the letter. "A meeting?" Po pressed his lips together, scanning the floor. "Why would he..." He looked up at the Jade Palace. The sun's rays made a backdrop for its dazzling jade splendor. The panda could see a little light flickering from the palace, meaning Wolf was still up.

The pain in Po's teeth sharpened as he crushed them together. A bad thought came into his head, but the consequences could be even more dangerous than the gamble he kept putting himself in.

Either way, the letter was explicit. He had to do this.

******FFF*********

Two cloaked figures walked on rocky roads as mist rose into the air from the river about two stone's throws away. The two climbed upwards, passing shady figures on their right and left. Wolves, boars, large yaks, and gorillas glared at the two figures, and as the mist cleared near their destination, the two stepped before a large gray mountain wall with a metal door embedded in its stone. One of the figures, the larger one, knocked on the door. A little viewer opened and two beady eyes stared at them. "Password?"

"Bendan Huangdi Fu" (Loosely translated this means Idiot Emperor Fu) The viewer closed and the door opened up. The two cloaked figures walked in. A massive chamber filled with lanterns, torches, and vile bandits, thieves, and gangs with a bar right in the middle of the circle stood before them. The room was on a slight incline with the two figures standing at the bottom. "Whoa..." Said the larger cloaked figure as they took off their hoods. "I didn't think this place existed. Are you sure this is the place?" His canine friend nodded. "Wow. Hehehe, it's a tavern in a cavern." The dog only blinked at his joke. "Nevermind, let's go." Po and Wolf walked around the tables of laughing hordes of bad men, finally getting to the center where the bartender was; a small duck tended it. "Uh... do you know where the..." Po looked around and whispered, "the Bandit King is?" The duck pointed to the higher part of the cavern. The two walked over to the elevated part, glaring at the two figures at the square table.

Sho stood next to a tall red-cloaked figure with a demon mask on, matching his cloak; the same figure that roughed up Sho near Mr. Three and Mr. Four's house. The big brown bear stood with a smug grin as Wolf glared up at him and sat down. Po took his seat as well with the others following suit. Po and Sho faced each other on the left side of the table while the mysterious cloaked figure and Wolf sat on the other.

"We're glad to have you two," Said the cloaked man in a low yet uneasy voice. "We have a lot of business to discuss."

"Like?" Po asked.

"The fact that you and your meatheads have been keeping this runt around the Jade Palace!"

"Sho," Scowled the masked man. Sho's loud attitude simmered down.

"Soooo, I know Sho, but... who are you?" Po asked, playing dumb. The masked man sat quietly with his gloved hands folded over each other on the cheap Balsa wood table.

"You can call me... Tai Yang (Which loosely means sun). Now, we're here to discuss the reason why... this criminal isn't at Chor-Gom Prison. Why have you housed a criminal?"

"We've been waiting on the royal guards to pick him up," Po said. He rose his eyebrow. "Why do you care?"

"Hm?"

"I mean, anyone who knows Sho personally can't be a good guy."

There was a long silence.

"Chubby's got a point," Sho mumbled, earning a low growl from Tai Yang. The wolf shielded his snigger with his hand.

"It doesn't matter why I care," Tai Yang grunted. "What matters is that you're harboring a highly dangerous criminal, an action I'm sure the emperor wouldn't take lightly."

"I told you, we're waiting on the guys from the emperor," The panda's eyes narrowed. "Why did you guys call us here?"

"To take the wolf off your hands," Sho grunted.

"And give him to you? Ha! Like I'd do that."

"Careful, panda," Tai Yang said, "You're right to not fear Sho-"

"HEY!"

"But there are other forces involved with keeping the wolf. Forces much stronger than you can ever hope to fathom."

"And you're one of those forces, huh?" Po asked. The hooded man nodded. Po crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair. His head thought over some possible routes, but his gut spoke for him.

Growl!

Literally. "Could I get some food here?" Po called. Wolf facepalmed himself while Sho laughed heartily.

"You didn't eat before you left?" Tai Yang grunted out the question.

"You try focusing when an arrow nearly kills you with a message to meet up with a bandit and a creepy mysterious hooded li... uh... thing." A bowl of fried rice was brought before the panda. Po greedily rubbed his hands together and started eating with his chopsticks already in hand. Sho rose an eyebrow at Wolf. The K-9 shook his head and shrugged. Neither of them was used to Po's actions.

Actually, I don't think anyone is.

When the panda finally finished the bowl, he slammed it down, exhaling loudly. "Wow! That was some good rice."

"Let's stay focused here, please," Tai Yang grumbled.

"What's the rush?" Sho sniggered. "Let chubby finish the place out while he's at it. HAHAHA!" Po would have bolted up had Wolf not held his arm. The panda slowly rested back into his spot. One glaring look from the masked man shut up Sho's mouth though.

"As I was saying. He is dangerous."

"Isn't everyone at this table?" Po asked leaning his elbows on the table.

"That's not what I meant," Tai Yang said slowly, leaning forward as well.

"We're waiting for the guards. Platon, specifically," Po smirked just a bit. "In either case, I'm not giving Wolfie to a bunch of criminals."

"I- Platon doesn't know that the criminal is here."

"How would you know?"

"That's not the point, chubby," Sho grunted, annoyed. He wrapped his fingers around his longhammer behind him.

"My point is that giving us the criminal will restore peace as well as ensure your safety," Tai Yang uttered. His voice slightly shook the table. "The wolf belongs to a secret organization of-"

"We know he's the King of Demons already," Po finished. Sho furrowed his eyebrows, looking at Tai Yang for an answer. A smug smile crossed the panda's lips. "And don't worry about me and danger. I'm used to it. Hehe. Oooh that sounded so cool. I've got to remember that."

Wolf held his peace, only glaring into the masked man's eyes. Everything from the red of his cloak to the mask itself seemed to anger him. His red eyes glared slightly up, though he growled lowly at the position. He had to stare up while Tai Yang stared down.

"Heh," Sho snorted, calling everyone's attention to him, "I can't believe a 'hero of the people' is so blind." He looked straight at Po. "And you call yourself a warrior? Heh, please."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Do I have to spell it out?" Sho grunted, "It's obvious that you're way in over your head, yet you persist? Why? Because it's the 'right thing to do'?"

Po's lips tightened together. "Hey, I'm used to being in over my head."

"Ha," Sho snarled. "And I guess you're used to messing up so badly that you nearly get your friends killed. It's any wonder they're your friends."

Po bolted out of his seat, glaring down at the brown bear. "I protect them!"

"You hurt them," Sho shot back, jumping up from his seat, too. "Because you're acting more careless and reckless than I am. A true warrior would have figured out a different solution by now. Or at the very least you should've gotten more help." The bears glowered at each other. Sho was right, though, which is something Po didn't expect. Where was that bear's wisdom when he was fighting Wolf?

"At least I don't cause the hurt!"

"And yet you let it happen day in and day out."

"So do you!"

"It's my job!"

"Your job," Po scoffed, "Thanks to you, my friends are so hurt-"

"Some friends you have," Sho laughed. "They break too easily. By the way, how's that tiger friend of yours? Hehe, I hope I didn't damage her too badly."

Suddenly, Wolf growled up to his feet and threw Po back with murder written in his blood-red eyes. He snarled at Sho. Tai Yang threw the brown bear onto his back and stood between him and the murderous canine. Po looked up. The wolf growled endlessly as he glared at Tai Yang's emotionless mask. The tavern stood quiet. Bandits shuffled under tables. Cups and glasses started to hum. Wolf's claws dug into the table to keep him "calm". It suddenly snapped in half, and dishes and cups clattered to the ground. The wolf and masked man growled at each other. One a canine, the other distinctly feline. Lines formed around Wolf's muzzle, rage pouring out of his mouth with his glistening sharp teeth. The fur on his back prickled up as his growl threatened to go louder into an all-out roar. The masked man stood still yet bold. His back was a perfectly straight line towering over the wolf, though no one could see his eyes. The dull humming grew louder.

"Thiiisss is... scarily awesome," Po whimpered. He saw Sho scoot away, clutching his hammer, but not like he was preparing for an attack. He held its handle close to his chest, like a baby with its toy.

A loud crack from the roof called Po's attention back. A massive stalactite fell from the cave's top, heading straight for Tai Yang. "Look out!" But Po's words didn't reach.

They didn't need to.

The masked man simply rose his fist above his head and the four foot long rock arrow shattered into pieces. The wolf and the masked man were unmoved, and the humming grew.

"Call off your bugs," Tai Yang slowly ordered.

GGRrrrrrrrr Hrmmm.

Suddenly, the humming stopped. People slowly emerged from their hiding places. Po lay sprawled on the floor, gasping at the scene. His eyes were wider than teacup saucers. His throat filled with dryness and fear; no words could come out. His heart's racing pace could outrun a cheetah. "Now... that's power," He gulped.

Somehow, Po's voice called both Tai Yang and Wolf's attention for they looked at him and then at each other. "This is your last warning, panda," Tai Yang said, calmer. "The Emperor will not be happy if he finds out that you're harboring a stolen criminal."

"We didn't steal him," Po grunted as he got back up. Wolf stood by Po's side, crossing his arms; his glare still rested on the masked man. Sho rose to his feet, raising an eyebrow along with his hammer slung across his shoulders. "And we're not giving him to you. Why should we give him to two criminals who haven't shown that they're with the Emperor in the first place?"

"Hmmm," Sho grunted, almost like he agreed with them. "You would go against the Emperor for this brat?"

Grrrrr!

Po looked at Wolf and then at the other two. His mind still tried working out any sort of plan... or the resemblance of a plan that could possibly work. Slowly but surely, a small idea sprouted in his head, but he held his serious face on for the moment. "I help out China, not just the Emperor. Something you two should know." Sho's eyes grew wide and his features softened, but Tai Yang's 'face' remained unchanged. "If there's a problem between the two I'll go fight the Emperor."

"Even if it costs you your life?" Tai Yang asked.

"Heh, my life is always in danger," Po chuckled a bit. He watched a small smile cross Sho's face, though it didn't look like one made out of derision. "Besides, what if Wolf disappears? The Emperor won't have anything to worry about."

"You plan to give him asylum?" Tai Yang grunted.

"A... what?"

"It means keep him safe," Sho grumbled, rolling his eyes. "Try to keep up, panda."

"Oh, uh.. yeah!"

"Why?" Tai Yang asked.

"Because I know what he's actually looking for," Po said. "And I have an idea of where it is." All eyes fell on Po. Sho dropped his jaw. Even Wolf's head whipped at Po. "Anyway, we'll wait for the official royal guards to find him. I'm not giving a criminal to criminals. I'll just have to wait for Platon." Tai-Yang nodded in acknowledgment. "I think we're done here. Stay away from Wolf and my village." The bears glared as the wolf and panda slowly walked out of the shaken, messy cavern. Sho sighed and rested back in his chair, laying his hammer by the side.

"What?" Tai Yang grunted.

"What? I can't sit?"

"You normally make a cocky joke or some loud declaration of your strength," The masked man said. Sho glanced up at him but simply breathed.

"No," He said heavily. "Not this time."

"Why?"

"This panda... he's different," Sho said. Tai Yang crossed his arms. Sho's eyes stayed on some spot on the ground while he clenched and relaxed his fingers on the end of his long hammer. It was rare that Tai Yang saw Sho serious like this, and if he was serious, it had the power of showing Sho's true heart, something he rarely showed.

Especially around Tai Yang.

"When have you been bothered about his protectors?" He asked, referring to the wolf. Sho glared up again and sighed.

"This one isn't the same."

"Why?"

"Because this one is becoming stronger than all of us," Sho said. Tai Yang didn't have time to ask any questions for the bear rose from his chair, grabbed his hammer, and slung it across his arms. "Now, let's raise Youdu, shall we?" Tai Yang stood quietly for a moment and then nodded. (Youdu is the underworld)

"Yes... I'm sure the underworld is eager to have us," The masked man uttered.

Continued...