Chapter 13: Sonic's Training Pt.1

Night time has already dissolves to dawn and the citizens of Station Square have woken up to experience another day of their lives. The sun has risen for today in a shroud of pink in the horizon.

Anyone who was wake at this time of day would be amazed by the beauty of the sunrise. Including this particular person but unfortunately, after what has happened with last night's events, he didn't bother to either look or peek. Other than that, he didn't even bother to find his students and prepare them for another day of training. I guess after hearing the news about the passing of Eggman and Shadow returning, the chameleon decided to let them enjoy a day off. He was even unaware of where they are at the moment.

Espio was sitting under the peach tree with Eggman's staff is deep in thought. More like he was in deep meditation. He was hoping to ease the pain of losing his late master. Agony was clouding his heart as he continues to think about his teacher.

Before he passed away, Eggman gave Espio the role to not only watch over Station Square but to believe in the Dragon Warrior in hopes to defeat Shadow one day. But how can Espio do it? How can he believe in Sonic when he doesn't know how to do it? For many years he has trained the Five who were more serious in their Kung Fu but when he met Sonic, he was partially the opposites of it. And even if Sonic wants to do Kung Fu, how was he going to transform him. For once, Espio doesn't have a clue.

"YAH!"

The chameleon stirs from the sudden yell in the distance. It was then followed by a "HAI!". Espio looks up at the direction of the source.

Is it the Five? No, it sounds a lot different. Like…

He decided to investigate the noise. He went to the only place where he would usually expect to see kung fu: the Training Arena. The chameleon makes his way to the room and opened the doors; expecting to find the source only to find the room…empty. No-one but him were the only thing that was moving in this area. Strange.

Espio looks over to his left to find the training dummy still in the same corner; untouched. Very strange.

"YAH!"

There was the noise again. But it's not coming from the Training Arena. Espio looks over to his right to find the source a lot closer. It was coming from… the stairs?

Curious but puzzled, Espio left the Training Arena and followed the noise. Once he got down the stairs and into the Jade Tower, the sound that Espio was trying to locate was getting closer. After a few turns and down a level to where the main kitchen was located. The chameleon sees that the main door has been broken through and the lock was shattered. Were they been robbed? If they have, why was the thief still here? Espio also heard pot clattering, wood breaking and a shadow… doing kung fu?

Thought it was Chip looking for food like he usually does, Espio knows it doesn't sound like the red creature at all. The shadow itself was much bigger than him but smaller than Kate. It must be…hedgehog? Nah, he can't do kung fu. Espio saw it by his own eyes. More grunts and "hai ya" were making by him as Espio enters the kitchen to find the hedgehog… punching through a cupboard… with his bare hand. Sonic pulled his hand back to reveal that he has grabbed a cookie from the cupboard and proceeds to stuff his face. After taking a few chews, he stops to see Master Espiojust staring at him in the doorway. They eye each other in silence. Sonic does a few chews before shallowing while still staring at the chameleon.

Espio couldn't help but be… astonished. He didn't knew how strong Sonic can be. Then again, he never gave Sonic the chance to do so. He surveys the entire room. Beside the broken lock and smashed-up door, all he sees was the place totally trashed…made by Sonic. Cabinets were unhinged from the walls, fist-size was made in the cupboard doors from both high and low ones and baskets that were hanging from the roof are now dangling on a wire. Can the useless hedgehog have completely trashed the kitchen? All by himself? Espio brought his attention back to Sonic who lets out a belch.

"What?" Annoyed, Sonic wipes his mouth while it was still full. "I eat when I'm upset, okay?" he angrily admits. Great, Epsio knows something uncool about me.

But for some reason, Espio gets a glimmer in his eye and just smiles. Is this what Eggman meant you must believe in Sonic? Well, only one way to find out.

"Oh, no need to explain," the chameleon brushes it off before walking out of the room but turns back to face the hedgehog. "I just thought you might be Chip." Espio points to the cupboard from where Sonic was standing. "He hides his chocolate chip cookies on the top shelf."

Once Espio has calmly exits the kitchen and out of Sonic's sight, he hides behind the doorway. He was waiting to see if his hunch was right. Although he thought Espio has left completely, Sonic looks to the cupboard and smiles. He then tip toes out of sight and heads for the cookies.

From behind the doorway, the chameleon hears more pots and pans clattering together. He raced back inside the kitchen to find the hedgehog no longer where he was before. Sonic is now… perched atop the high shelves with his legs in a full split that are resting on the shelves, his left hand grabbing hold on the shelf above his legs for support while right hand is grabbing a number of chocolate chip cookies from the jar and jamming them into his mouth. As he continues to eat, Espio's disbelief turns into a wise smile as he watches the hedgehog. He couldn't believe what he was witnessing. He never knew an untrained creature like Sonic can do something so advance like this. It took the chameleon years to master it while for the hedgehog; it only took seconds to perfect it.

Maybe Master Eggman was right. Sonic could be what be the Dragon Warrior that the human was taking about.

Sonic was taking a few more cookies before he finds Espio back in the room. He stops eating in shock and stares back at him in shock. Crumbs fell off his face before he speaks up. "Don't tell Chip."

Amazed by this, Espio steps forward. He just had to asked. "Look at you…"

Sonic's surprise look falls to disappointment while still holding on to the rail. "Yeah, I know. I disgust you. I guess it runs in the family…"

That's not what Espio was thinking about. "No no, I mean… how did you get up there?" he asked.

Sonic reached for another cookie as he shrugs. "I don't know. I guess I…" he looks at the cookie and then back at Espio, "I don't know. I was just getting the cookie, that's all…" he answered before eating the cookie and went back for more.

Espio looks up and down to see how high the hedgehog is. "And yet you are ten feet off the ground… and you have done a perfect split."

Sonic grabs the last cookie from the jar and looks around to see what Espio meant. He was ten feet off the ground and he has done a perfect split. Sonic scoffs at this. "No this. This is just an…" a creek was made as Sonic's eyes widen, "…accident."

His feet slip off the rail and he crashes to the kitchen floor as the chameleon flinches on impact. The hedgehog groans in pain as the cookie from before rolls over to Espio. The smiling master grabs the cookie before its hit the ground and looks at it. Just then, he finally understands what Eggman has been saying to him since Sonic was chosen.

He looks back at the hedgehog on the ground in a pile of pans before quoting the same words that the great master has been saying to him. "There are no accidents."

The chameleon takes the cookie and begins to walk out the kitchen. "Come with me," he said. Sonic picks himself up and removing the wok that was on his head and watches Espio leave the room.

To where exactly?

On the high highs of Mobius Mountains far from the Jade Tower and Station Square, the morning mist was still taking a toll as two creatures find themselves walking along the edge of these ancient mountains. With Espio ahead of the pack, he leads Sonic; who is weighed down with a large backpack. Up the rocky path, the hedgehog was wheezing hard like never before. Never in his life had he had experience an expedition like this one. During the walk, he stumbles over a small rock but manages to gain his footing by placing his right hand on the wall for support. While taking deep breaths, the hedgehog looks up to see the chameleon; already way up head of the poor creature with his hands on his back.

Before they left, Espio didn't bother to tell the Dragon Warrior about the place that the master was going to take him. And since they don't know how days that they were going, he takes a backpack with him with the essential items and dang, was it heavy for Sonic to carry it.

"I know you're trying to be all mystical and kung fu-ey and all…" Sonic asked. He was still panting like there is not tomorrow, "…but would it kill ya to tell me where we're GOING?"

But the chameleon did not answer. He simply pressed on; ignoring the hedgehog's question. Annoyed, Sonic groans and continues to follow him.

Seconds turn to minutes and minutes changed to a hour but finally after what it seem like an eternity for the hedgehog, he finds the master sitting on a rock in front of a still crystal pool. The morning mist is partially obscuring the still area. Already winded and wheezing for the past hour, Sonic staggers his way next to the chameleon. Knowing that he can't take another step, Sonic collapses onto the ground and discards his heavy backpack. The tired hedgehog looks up to see that Espio who was breathing into the morning mist and his eyes are closed.

The chameleon has taken him… to a pond. After an hour of walking, he takes him to a pond. He crawls over to the edge of the lake in disbelief.

"You… dragged me… all the way… out here… for a bath?!" Sonic wheezy said. Once he has got to the edge, he lets out a sign and dips his hand into the water… and begin patting his armpits with water.

Espio lets out a sign. "Hedgehog, we do not wash our pits in The Pool of Scared Tears."

Realising what the hedgehog was doing, Sonic quickly stops washing his armpits and turns to Espio; all stunned and in awe. "The pool of—" he quickly shake the rest of water off his gloved hand. Another kung fu detail that he has heard and known but never would he be here. The chameleon hops off his rock and walks over to the pool as Sonic stands up.

The mist around them begins to thin. "This is where Eggman's ancestor unravelled the mysteries of harmony and focus," Espio begins to tell a very important history that Sonci would not dare to believe it. "This is the birthplace… of kung fu."

As the sun shines through the morning mist, so does the news for Sonic to sink in. In pure amazement and disbelief, Sonic slaps his hand where his heart. On the same ground that resembles a yin yang symbol, Sonic imagines one of Eggman's ancestors; perfecting one of the very first kung fu moves on the small but high rock which it is replaced by Espio who leaps atop one of the same rock and looks down on the gaping hedgehog.

Espio ease himself from his fighting stance. "Do you want to learn kung fu?"

Awestruck, Sonic knows the answer to that. "Yeah…"

"Then I am…your… master!" Espio announced.

Sonic smile was beaming. "Okay!" he exclaimed. Tears of joy well up in the hedgehog's eyes as he sniffs.

Rather than annoyed like always, Espio's expression did not change. "Don't cry."

"Okay," Sonic nodded as he wipes his nose and smile. He was finally going to trained in the art of Kung Fu. Something has waited for all his life. Maybe he was meant to be the Dragon Warrior after all. A little while later, Sonic and Espio now find themselves in an open field of long green grass; facing each other with the chameleon sitting on a different rock. Sonic was the only one standing proudly with his fist up on his sides. He was ready for his first lesson.

"Now," Espio begins, "when you focus on Kung Fu… when you concentrate at your very best… you suck… big time."

Sonic's face fell but Espio was not done yet. Ever since this morning, Espio has found a way for Sonic to learn Kung Fu in order to defeat Shadow and become the Dragon Warrior. "But perhaps that is my fault. I can't train you the same way that I have trained the Five. I realized that the way to get through to you…is with this." With his hands behind his back, he pulled out the one thing that Sonic was dying for a while now: Espio produces a bowl full of dumplings.

So, the first lesson is to eat? Sweet!

Sonic's mouth becomes watery. "Oh great, 'cause I am starving!" he said; heading for the food. Sonic thinks he is going to like this lesson. But that's not the first lesson. Espio has other plans for these dumplings. The chameleon chuckles as he pulls the bowl out of the hedgehog's reach.

"Good," Espio pulled out his chopsticks and takes a dumpling. "When you have trained, you may eat." The hedgehog scowls when Espio eats the dumping. The chameleon hops off his rock and walks away. "Let's begin."

Sonic couldn't help but have one thing on his mind. When I have been trained, I can eat? I'LL BE DEAD BE THE TIME WE'RE DONE!

The next few days of training were about to be unfold. Espio finally knows how to train Sonic to make him become a Kung Fu warrior… by using food as a motivate.

The first part of training for Sonic was doing sit ups while dangling on a tree branch by his legs. Not to mention that there was a long drop below so if Sonic makes one false move, he going to have one massive bump on his head. And a whole lot more. Being a skilled martial artist, Espio was balancing on the same tree branch while holding a staff in one hand and the same plate of dumplings in the other hand but much closer to the hedgehog-in-training. Every time that Sonic does a sit up, the tree branch begins to break until the branch snaps partially. Sonic falls but manages to grab onto the fully bent but not separately branch and manages to rescue the dumplings that Espio dropped before because of the branch. But then…

SNAP!

The tree branch becomes separate from the main group and along with the branch, Sonic falls out of sight. Using his staff, Espio manages to save every single dumpling with the bowl himself.

A while later after the fall, Sonic and Espio are now in the camping site where the chameleon master hands Sonic a bowl of Won Ton Soup. Now very hungry, Sonic licks his lips. He throws away the chopstick and proceeds to drink his lunch. But once he gave him the soup, Espio attacks him with a staff. Surprised from the sudden attack, Sonic does manage to fend him off…

…for about three seconds when Espio comes into the opening and easily smashes the bowl in Sonic's hand, even though he tried to block it.

Back in the long green grass field during sunset, the chameleon holds the sole dumpling in his grasp. The hungry hedgehog lunges for the food but Espio keeps tossing the elusive dumplings out of the hedgehog's reach. This pretty much went on for hours.

By the time night has fallen, the master and student make their way back to the camp-site. Espio pushes the bowl of Vegetables Soup on the ground towards Sonic but the hedgehog was having trouble attempting to taste the soup with his tongue. Why? Because there was a bed of hot coal underneath his stomach as he is forced to do push-up to avoid getting burned.

Early the next day, Sonic and Espio find themselves on top on rocks as the hedgehog is trying to copy the same position that the chameleon is doing while balancing several bowls of soup with the help of his hands, leg and head.

Back at the campsite, a pot was cooking in the clearing. Have only been training for a day, Sonic manages to do forward roll and tip toe into the camp-site as he looks around for any sign of life.

Good. Espio is nowhere in sight. Now, it's time for me to get som—

Just before he even reaches for the pot with his bowl in hand, Espio leaps from behind him out of nowhere and whacks him on the butt with his staff. Although he was hit, Sonic manages to block more of Espio's attack several times with the help of his legs and arms. He manages to gain a portion of the substance during the attack. He was just about to take a sip but Espio was too quick for him as he jabs the hedgehog in the stomach with his staff. This caused Sonic to lose his grip on the bowl and the kitchen item falls into the hands of the chameleon as he leaps up, grabs it and balance on his staff. Espio sneers at the hedgehog; proceeds to slurp the soup. Angry, Sonic tries to knock the staff from under him with his foot; hoping to knock him off… only to get smack on his nose in the process and returns to its position. Sonic still has a long way to if wants to eat something or else he'll starve himself to death.

But as the training progresses, Sonic steadily becomes efficient at kung fu. He was able to mimic Espio's elaborate kung fu moves at a very fast speed. Rather than the usual push up, he was pushing up with just one finger and he has manage to block and counter all of Espio's attack, one after another.

Early next morning, he was now performing lightning-speed Kung Fu on top of the same rock that he started on his first day. As he comes to his final stance of the form, he smiles at his achievement. Through determination and with Espio's training, Sonic has become more confident and more skilled than he was before.

After what turn out to be a tire week for him, Sonic has finally become a Kung Fu master.

Author's Notes: Wow! Looks like Sonic has achieve his dream. Now, there is just one thing that remains: Will he be able to defeat Shadow? Well, only one way to find out once we get closer to the final. Next will be the second part of Sonic's training and let me tell you, this is one of my favourite scenes of the movie. I love how Po and Shifu fought over just one dumpling. Would we see something like that? Wait a see.

It also reminds me of a similar scene in a certain game between a blue hedgehog and a small red creature. If you guys know what I'm talking about, then you would have either played or have the game which I do as well.

Anyway, with another chapter down, we are getting closer to the finish. Man, I can believe it has been more than maybe two years since I have started this story but now, all good things must come to an end. I know it's sad, right? But never fear, I will write the sequel for this one in one year time when I have finished this.

So, you guys know what to do, right? Review, comment, PM me or whatever. As Tigger would say "TTFN: Ta-ta for now!" (Love that character)

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.