Chapter 13: Giggles and Other Music
"What do we do now?" asked Po.
"I suppose we could do what other couples do and… go on a date?" Dai suggested bashfully.
"Oh, I guess we could do that," said Po. He took her hand in his and they both shivered at the contact. This seemed more intimate than the embrace that had happened a few moments prior. This sealed the new relationship like a covenant, a promise.
They went for a walk and wound up in the Musician's Village. Po remembered then when Lord Shen was making chaos and how this had been the place where he started learning about his history. That flashback changed everything.
Today, everything was peaceful. There were no wolves robbing the place of bells and other metallic objects. Of course, considering that past, the musicians were a little wary of Dai. It served as a reminder that Dai still had a long way to go to achieve acceptance and to clear up that old stereotype.
Po noticed how the village folk were acting and decided to lighten the mood a little. He went up to a bunny and asked, "May I borrow this?" It was a small Pipa. "Thanks," he said when the bunny handed it to him.
"Daiyu, you mean so much to me. If I don't express it well, then I'm sorry," he wasn't a very good player nor was his singing voice entirely pleasant. Dai laughed and smiled at him, happy nonetheless.
"Po, I know what you mean. No one else in my company is normally this keen," sang Dai. Her singing voice was better, but it was by no means excellent. Perhaps it was her magic that had heightened her voice to the levels that it was. She was by no means bad at singing now either.
Po's ears perked up. He wasn't thinking of what her voice had sounded like before. He was thinking of the now. "Daiyu, I love the way you laugh and how your eyes sparkle like the stars in the night. There is no reason such a wondrous person should invoke so much fright."
"Po, my dear, I love it when we cook together. You appreciate me and I appreciate you, no matter the weather."
"Daiyu, I know, we could shelter through any storm. I only wish our love hadn't taken this long to form."
"Dear, Po, I agree. There isn't any place better than you here with me."
They sang together. "There isn't any place better than you here with me." Po handed the instrument back to the bunny and they both embraced, never once taking their eyes off of each other.
They were soon broken out of it by the village folk cheering. They expressed their happiness that the Dragon Warrior had found love and they apologized to Dai, since now their perception of her had changed. The musicians then played their instruments and they all danced until dinner.
The village folk offered Po and Dai a chance to eat there as opposed to waiting until they got back to the Jade Palace to eat. They accepted and dined happily. Whenever the young couple had a chance, their hands would touch. They sat close together, not wanting to be apart.
Po and Dai kindly declined an offer to stay the night and headed back to the Jade Palace. Though it was after dark when they got there, they both still felt fairly awake. The streets were deserted as most of the village was in bed. Po and Dai danced through the street and hummed to each other. It had been a good day, overall.
The two kept dancing up the steps and they laughed joyfully, even when their steps weren't quite on the mark. For the most part, however, they seemed to keep in step to the unheard tune. When they got to the top, they finally stopped, but they stayed close together. The hardest part now would be letting go.
"So, I see the two of you have worked out your differences," said Shifu. Dai and Po jumped as they hadn't seen him or known he was there until he spoke. They separated quickly, a little embarrassed.
"Y-yeah, it's all worked out," said Po. He scratched the back of his neck nervously. Dai held her left arm, bashful.
"Yes, Master Shifu. We've taken some time to figure things out and I believe we're both better for it," said Dai.
"So, does this mean we can go on missions together again?" asked Po. They both looked at him hopefully.
Shifu's ear twitched. "Po, I need to speak with you alone for a moment. Daiyu, you may go to bed. We have a long day tomorrow," he said.
Shifu and Po walked off to a corner of the palace overlooking the valley. "Po, do you remember what happened when Lu-Shi was around?"
Po paled. He remembered what happened. The two had so much in common and he loved hanging out with her so much that he was willing to give up being the Dragon Warrior just to be with her. He shook his head. Dai wasn't going to be like that though. Besides, regardless of any "rules", he would do what he could to help people and he was sure Dai was the same way.
"Come on, Master Shifu, that law's not still a thing, is it?" asked Po.
"Yes, Po. Regardless of how much either of you could defend the other, pursuing a relationship like this will put the two of you through more danger than normal," said Shifu.
"Yeah, but it's not like the universe is just gonna decide I'm not the Dragon Warrior anymore because I love Dai. I'm still gonna do what I can to help people and I'm sure Dai feels the same way," said Po.
"There is still her pack to consider too, Po. The Black Jade are a dangerous clan and it is likely we have not heard the last of them."
"I'm not changing my mind and I can't change how I feel. I love Dai, Master Shifu. I'm not afraid of anything that might come against that. I'm ready."
"Let's hope so, Po. I am not going to stop the two of you from being together, because I know how fruitless that would be. I do want you to be careful."
"Thanks, Master Shifu." They looked on at the beautiful, peaceful night, both knowing that it wouldn't be like this for long, but ready for then.
Fluffy chapter for you guys :D I hope you enjoyed and please keep reading and reviewing, thanks :)