Chapter 12: The Argument
Since Espio was the only one who witnesses the demise of Eggman, the others are somewhere else. But sooner or later, they will receive the news of Shadow returning to Station Square in a few days' time and Eggman death. Right now, the Furious Five are all joined in the Jade Tower's main kitchen which it is located a few stories below the rooftop. Set with clear view of the Station Square with its clear window, the heroes were sitting on their table that was place in the centre of the room with the kitchen located on the right side completed with the state-of-the-art kitchen appliances which Sonic was star-struck. He has been using the ones he has at home but these appliances actually beat out the rest.
Cooking their next meal was the blue hedgehog himself. He offered to rustle something good to eat so he cooks up Chilli Dogs that he and his dad, Vector have been making for many years now and was one of the best fast-food in the city.
Only being in the Jade Tower for two days, he was starting to miss his dad. And no doubt his dad was missing him too. Sonic bet Vector would be missing his little blue waiter and didn't want to replace him. He knows Vector will always have a place in his heart for him. Because that what dads are for: being there for you even if you are not there.
With the Five sitting around the table, Sonic was in the kitchen cooking while telling stories. And by "stories", he meant his dreams. He was telling the one with where he and the Five were against Sir Harry Triton of the Hammer Fist Clan that invaded the Kingdom of Mercia
As he was stirring the Chilli mixture, the others are listening to Sonic's story with amused scepticism. All excerpt Amy who ignores him completely. She couldn't believe she was hearing a story from a fan's point of view. Although this has happen to them, they never remember Sonic being there with him but they decided to hear his perspective. Over the short time, most of the Five have beginning to warm up to their new comrade.
"Yeah, so I'm like, "Fine, you may be a wolf, you may be the scariest leader to invade the Deerwood Forest in the Kingdom of Mercia…" Sonic said as he continues to stir the mixture, "…but you're a lousy tipper."
"Really?" Tails wonders; being all sceptical like everyone else. "So,… how'd you get out of there alive, anyway?"
Sonic pauses his stirring for a second. Should he tell them how, exactly? Maybe not. After all it was just a dream. "I mean, I didn't say that, really," he said; picking up five small plates with the cooked Dog in their buns and poured the mixture into each of them, "…but I though it… in… in my mind." With his hands full of their dinner, Sonic casually walks over with no trouble to the table. "If he… could have read my mind, he'd have been like, "What?"
He then puts the plates out in front of his customers; minus Amy, who already has a bowl of her own salad. "Order up! Hope you'll like it," he said; placing his own plate in front of him. The others take a bite out of the Chilli Dog and begin to savour the food. Sonic watches them; waiting for the results.
"This is really good!" Chip exclaimed.
The blue hedgehog was now bashful. He couldn't believe that he was cooking for his heroes and they were starting to like this fast-food that they have heard a lot about that they never tried it. "No, c'mon. You should try my dad's secret ingredient mixture for Chilli Dogs. Only he actually... knows the secret ingredient." For him, it would help but to the Five, his skills have already proved him enough.
"What are you talking about? This is amazing," Kate beamed before taking another nibble.
"Wow, you're a really good cook," Knuckles acknowledges.
"I wish my mouth was bigger," Chip desired.
Sonic was now touched. They all loved his cooking. Guess spending most of his life cooking in his dad's catering business with his old man wasn't a total waste. He manages to bring the smiles to his heroes by serving them a fantastic dinner.
"Amy, you have got to try this," Tails suggested to the pink hedgehog sitting beside him before taking another bite of the mouth-watering meal.
"No thanks," she answer. She picks up her bowl of salad and stabs a piece of lettuce with her fork. Sonic offered to cook her Chilli Dog but decided not to. Maybe it's because he does NOT want to get on her bad side. "Also, I heard that the Dragon Warrior can survive for months at a time on nothing but the dew of a single gingko leaf and the energy of the universe," Amy quotes before taking a bite of her greens and glares at the blue hedgehog.
There was absolute silence in the room as everyone realises that Sonic has once again, been put down. The hedgehog shrugs it off before answering.
"I guess my body doesn't know it's the Dragon Warrior yet," Sonic chuckles. "I'm gonna need a lot more than dew. And, uh, some of that… universe juice."
He picks up his Dog and takes a giant bite. When he lowers the food from his mouth, the mixture was left on his face... appears to turn into a short drooping moustache; very similar to a certain chameleon. Chip spots this and snickers.
The hedgehog turns his attention on the red creature. "What?"
"Oh, nothing..." he then bows to Sonic, "Master Espio!"
The other starts laughing when they saw the hedgehog's "moustache". It was true. The Chilli mixture on Sonic's face looks like he has got a moustache on him. If he can produce the dinner, he can bring on a show. He sits up from his seat and picks up a fork; pretending it's like Espio staff.
"You will never be the Dragon Warrior, unless you lose 100 hundred pounds and brush your teeth!" Sonic imitates the old chameleon. The Five all laugh at this piece. Looks like they don't mind laugh behind Espio's back. Amy, however, stays silent. She raised her eyebrow as she looks at her comrades. How can they find it funny when she doesn't? Well, she hardly laughs. It's either she finds it immature or she doesn't like to disrespect her master at all.
Looks like Sonic winning them with his sense of humour. The blue hedgehog pressed on. "What is that noise you're making? Laughter? I never heard of it! Work hard, Hedgehog. And maybe, someday..." he then grabs two empty bowls and holds them up like ears. "... your ears will grow bigger than the sun of the east!"
Sonic's joke has nearly got the Five in hysterics. They were about to hear another joke when they all stopped laughing. Why?
Unbeknownst to Sonic who was still holding up his "makeshift ears", Espio was standing right behind him. Holding Eggman's staff in one hand and has one heck of a scowl on his face. Guess he didn't like the joke as much as Sonic did.
The blue hedgehog couldn't help wonder why his new friends stopped laughing. "Ears," he spelled it out. "It's not working for you? I thought they were pretty good."
By the stone-faced look on the Fives', they all know that Sonic is going to get the stick. And by the look of Eggman's stick, it's going to hurt. A lot.
"It's Espio," Tails whisper. He was hoping that Sonic would notice Espio is standing right behind. Or perhaps he has been there the whole time.
"Of course it's Espio. What do you think I'm doing?" he wonders; not aware that Espio was near.
Gaping, Tails points in the direction as they others did the same but with their eyes. Sonic turns to the direction. He finally sees the fuming chameleon standing there in the doorway that leads to the hallway, doing a slow burn. He then realised that he was standing there listening to his little joke that he made about him. In mortification and shock, he quickly slaps the bowls onto his chest.
"Oh! Master Espio! I..." Sonic noticed the mixture on his upper lip and used his tongue to lick it up. He then lowers his arms… as the bowls that he grabbed earlier sticked to his chest like a bra. The four other warriors all burst out laughing because of this.
"You think this is funny?!" Espio demanded; stepping into the kitchen. "Shadow has escaped from Prison Island and you're acting like children!"
Sonic was shocked to hear this "What?"
"He is coming for the Dragon Scroll," Espio turns to the hedgehog beside him, "and you are the only one who can stop him!"
It felt like an eternity when the bowls from Sonic's chest fall off. They clatter on the floor; not making them fractured. A beat as this sinks in. Sonic looks at Espio… and then starts to laugh. He was hoping that the chameleon was teasing him.
"And here I am saying you got no sense of humor," Sonic joked. "I'm gonna... stop Shadow..."
But Espio just stares at him, deadly serious.
Sonic's smile dropped in a second. "What? You're serious? And I have to... uh..." he stutters for a bit but then realised how Shadow was defeated the last time. "Master Eggman will stop him! He did it before; he'll do it again, right?"
"Eggman cannot!" the chameleon snaps at him. But his voice softens as he looks down at Eggman's staff. "Not anymore."
Realising what he just said, the Five looked up in shock. They can't believe it. Master Eggman is gone. One of the greatest masters has left the planet. They couldn't help but be saddened by the news. Like Espio, they have all greatly respected the human for almost all their life. Right now, they don't what to do now that Shadow is on his way here to finish what he has start before but Espio knows that there is another way to stop him.
The chameleon turned to face his students. "Our only hope... is the Dragon Warrior," Espio declared.
Amy raised her eyebrow. "The hedgehog?" she sarcastically asked.
Espio nodded. "Yes, the hedgehog!"
Angrily that Sonic was going to the only fighting against, Amy pushed her chair back as she stands up. "Master, please! Let us stop Shadow, this is what you've trained us for!" Amy loudly begged for her master to change his mind. It's true that she and the others have trained all their lives but her plead wasn't enough to make him changed his decision.
"NO! It is not your destiny to defeat Shadow, Amy, he barked at his student. "It is his!" he dramatically points Eggman's staff to the one and only Dragon Warrior. Their only hope to stop the menace… has already left the building. Muddled by his disappearance, Espio raised his eyebrows and looks around him.
"Where'd he go?" the chameleon wonders.
To answer Espio's question, Sonic has already made his way outside on the rooftop of the Jade Tower, screaming at the top of his lungs. Upon hearing the news that Espio that Shadow was coming and he was the only hope to stop the rouge hedgehog, Sonic lost whatever confidence he had left inside of him, panicked and left the kitchen. Ok, being named the chosen one was enough but going up against a skilled but deadly fighter like Shadow was too much. He didn't expected – no – wasn't expected to go and fight him. Sonic was no warrior. He couldn't beat the Furious Five and Espio at once. So then, why was he chosen?
Just when he was almost to the top of the stairs; the same one that leads down to the city and hopefully, to home, if he wasn't halted by a certain chameleon who suddenly jumps in front of him out of nowhere. Surprised, Sonic skids to a stop and was now a foot away from him.
Espio points Eggman's staff at him. "You cannot leave! A real warrior never quits!" the chameleon quotes the same words that Sonic said earlier that day.
"Oh, yeah! Watch me!" Sonic exclaimed. He tries to manoeuvre around Espio, but is redirected back with the help of staff. He takes a few deep breaths before facing Espio again. "Oh come on! How am I supposed to beat Shadow? I can't even beat you to the stairs."
"You will beat him because you are the Dragon Warrior!" Espio said. He pokes Sonic in the belly with the staff, trying to keep him back.
"OW! You don't believe that!" Sonic barks. Espio whacks his hand away; causing Sonic to retract his hand back. "OW! You never believed that! From the first moment I got here, you've been trying to get rid of me!" He attempts to go for the stairs again but Espio sweeps Sonic's legs from under him; causing the blue hedgehog to fall on his back this time. The master points the staff at his face.
"Yes! I was! But now I ask you to trust in your master as I have come to trust in mine," Espio requested. He was hoping he would be on the same page as the hedgehog but he thought wrong.
Sonic pictures an angry expression at the chameleon. "You're not my master," the blue hedgehog sneers at the chameleon. He shoves the staff away. "And I'm not the Dragon Warrior."
"Then why didn't you quit?!" Espio demanded; nearly up to his peak. "You knew I was trying to get rid of you, but instead, you stayed!" The chameleon did everything in his power to make him give up but he doesn't know why any of them hadn't work. Well, Sonic has a good reason why he never left.
"Yeah, I stayed," he said, gets to his feet. "I stayed because though every time you threw a brick at my head or said I smelled, well it hurt..." his voice grows a bit softer as Espio stares at him, "…but it could never hurt more than it did every day of my life just being me."
The hedgehog pauses for a second. The chameleon just watches him in stunned silence. He never knew what Sonic's life was before they met. Espio thought his life was different from what he thought but it was not. He never knew how miserable Sonic's life can be.
Sonic pressed on. "I stayed because I thought if anyone could change me... could make me... not me, it was you!" he points to Espio; referring to the only person who can help him. "The greatest kung fu teacher in all of Mobius!"
"But I can change you! I can turn you into the Dragon Warrior! And I will! I promise Master Eggman!" Espio loudly avowed. He would never go back on his late master's wish.
"Oh come on! Shadow is on his way here right now!" Sonic points out the time limit before the danger hits. "And even if it takes him a hundred or so years to get here, how are you... gonna change this..." he points to his overweight belly, "...into the Dragon Warrior?! Huh?"
Espio opens his mouth... but says nothing. For once in his life, how was he going to do this? He freezes up as he tries to come up with an answer.
"How... how?" Sonic asked once again. Silent, Espio doesn't say anything. He closed his mouth, still speechless.
Sonic has nearly reached his breaking point. "HOW?!" he screamed.
"I DON'T KNOW!" Espio yells out in frustration. After taking a second and realized what he said, he signs deeply. For once, he doesn't know. He looks up to Sonic as hope has already let his eyes. "I don't know."
Anger changes to sadness as Sonic signs as well. He knew that they were nothing Espio can do for him. It was hopeless. "That's what I thought."
With no other way to change Sonic into the Dragon Warrior, Espio was now officially out of ideas. Hewalks away; leaving the path open to Sonic in case if he wants to leave the Jade Tower and his new life behind. But for some reason, Sonic just stand there with his head down low.
High above them standing on the edge of the roof of the Training Arena in the moonlight was a certain pink hedgehog. After Espio and Sonic have left the kitchen, Amy sneak outside to witness what just transpired between them. She has overheard Sonic admitting his own lack of confidence and seeing that neither her master has a solution to defeat Shadow nor how Sonic could possible defeat him, something has to be done. For many years, Amy has felt unaccepted by her kung fu master and foster father due to what happened between him and Shadow years before she joined the Jade Tower.
With a resolve look on her face, she turns away. With her back straighten and one mighty push off her feet, she leaps off the roofs. Amy was soaring through the air; heading towards the pavement ground of Station Square. Remaining calm as usual; she was getting closer to the earth by the second. Just when she was only four second away, she spots an oncoming lamp post.
Three seconds, she whips out her hammer out.
Two seconds, she holds it out in front of her.
One second, her hammer makes contact with the steel pole. The end of the hammer hooks onto the pole as she spins in a full circle. Once her hammer is disconnected from the lamp pole, she perfect it with a double flip before landing in a bow stance with one hand on the ground for support. She finds herself in the streets of this great metropolis. She looks up the horizon to see the main bridge leading out to the country. Not to mention the Rope Bridge of Hope out in the country side where she was hoping to disconnect it just in case. The journey will only take her a few days, it will be long and hard but at least she has one mission in mind.
To stop Shadow.
She looks back up to the Jade Tower before taking a deep breath. She knew Espio will not like this one bit but they don't have a choice. "This is what you trained me for."
She takes off running through the streets before transferring to the rooftops to avoid being seen by a visible eye. But her absence did not go unnoticed. As she soar over the city fountain showing off her reflection, four more were right behind her not to far away. They knew what she is up to.
"Amy!"
Still running, Amy looks behind to see her Dradian comrade flying right behind with the help of her dragon wings. The others were not far behind her. They must have spotted her leaving the Jade Tower and was on her way to stop Shadow. They know this mission was dangerous and they know that she would be crazy enough to go by herself. The pink hedgehog does not stop running. She keeps on going and they give chase.
"Don't try and stop me!" Amy demanded while gracefully landing on another rooftop. The chase still continued through the city. The more steps they take the closer to the bridge they get. But for some reason, they didn't stop he—
"We're not trying to stop you!" the Dradian answered
Amy was then surprised. "What?"
Kate flies closer to her without taking her eyes off the bridge. "We're coming with you! To stop Shadow!"
They are coming with her… to stop Shadow.
Baffled, Amy looks over to the other side to see the others have caught up with her. With the help of his two-tails, Tails gives out his thumbs up to their leader while flying at high speed. Knuckles and Chip both smiled at the pink hedgehog. She knew then that she was not the only one thinking about this. They wanted to help her in any way they can.
This is the reason why they became the Furious Five, the reason they became comrades: to protect the city that they love.
Amy did something that she has never done for so long.
She smiled.
The next second, they approached the bridge and run off into the night. If Shadow wants to get to Station Square, he has to get through them first.
Author's Notes: Man, the more chapters I get done, the closer we get to the end. With the Five heading off to face Shadow; hoping to slow him down, the next adventure we'll see is where Espio will train Sonic in hopes for him to become the Dragon Warrior and defeat Shadow when the time comes. By the look of the next scenes, they will be pretty short, I think. But I'll never know once I start writing them up.
So, with nothing left to do, I leave you with this week's chapter. So, stay tuned for the next one!
Until we meet again,
TheDragonLord2912
I do not own any Kung Fu Panda or Sonic related characters. They are property of Dreamworks and Sega. Other character who appeared in this FanFic belong to me.