Chapter 24: Love Competition
"I'm really glad that we're doing this, we haven't had near enough time to ourselves," said Dai.
Po laid out the blanket as Dai held the basket. "What, you don't like how Monkey eats his noodles?" he asked.
"He is, quite possibly, the loudest slurper in China. Of course, the cook always does an excellent job."
Po blushed. "Well, I can't let what Dad taught me be for nothing. Before I found out that kung fu was what I wanted to do, I thought I would inherit the restaurant and cook. I don't really mind doing it, but it's not really what I'm into."
"I can understand that," said Dai as she helped set out the food. "I think the best lesson my dad taught me was how to help myself. Our pack was approached to help Shen take over China. Dad said no. He just had Ling and me. He wanted to provide for us, not go to war. I suppose staying out of it is just as condemning though."
"You don't blame him for the killings, do you?"
"No. I think Mom would have convinced him the pandas needed saving. If that happened, we might not have met. Dad always kept us moving. I got to see a lot of China that way so, whatever the circumstances of our past, it led us to now. I have no regrets."
They smiled at each other. For a few moments, they didn't talk. The only sounds were those of the gentle breeze and the food being enjoyed. As they were sipping their tea, they heard a horn coming from the remains of the Jade Palace. Po and Dai decided to cut the picnic short to investigate.
When they got there, the builders had ceased rebuilding. They were focused on the visitors: Temutai and four of his warriors. "I am here for Daiyu! Where might I find her?" asked Temutai.
"Right here, Temutai. What are you doing here?" asked Dai. Po stood at her side. He looked ready (in case things got crazy).
"I am here to declare for you," Temutai replied, as if it were obvious.
"Temutai, I-" Dai started.
"At least listen before you answer, please?"
"I will hear you." Dai nodded, ready for pretty much anything.
What she wasn't prepared for was what happened. The warriors each took out a different instrument and began playing. Temutai got on one knee and began serenading her. "Daiyu, what a name; as pretty as the spring," he sang.
"Pretty as the spring," echoed the warriors.
"I'll bring you flowers, we'll talk for hours."
"Flowers for the hours."
"You're kindness and grace, passion and war."
"Passion and war."
"So, here I am upon one knee."
"He's on one knee."
"To give you an offering."
"He's got so much to give you."
"If you will be my queen, I will be your king."
"Be the queen to our king."
Temutai presented a long box. He opened it and, in it, was a colorful wedding dress. He held this in one hand and a bouquet of flowers in the other. The flowers matched the colors on the dress: red, blue, pink, orange, and yellow.
"Temutai," said Dai.
"Yes?" asked Temutai, he and his warriors eagerly awaiting an answer.
"I am deeply flattered. You have an unexpectedly great singing voice and I found your proposal very charming. However, the answer is still no. I am in love with Po. I am sorry I cannot return your affections, but I do not feel the same way you feel. I sincerely hope you can find someone. I am sure she will be very lucky."
"Yes… yes, you will be." He snapped his fingers and his warriors charged at Po. Po was easily able to beat them off, but Temutai already had Dai slung over his shoulder and was running down the steps.
Dai kicked and tried breaking free, but Temutai turned out to be quite strong. Temutai growled in frustration. He took a chain that had been hanging from his belt and tied up Dai. Being bound freaked her out. The more she struggled, the more futile her attempts seemed. By the time Temutai had secured her and threw her back over his shoulder though, Po had nearly caught up with them.
"Dai!" called out Po.
"Po! Help!" she called out.
"I'm coming!" He fell forward and let himself roll down the steps. The stairs were shattered in some sections, but this worked out for Po. As Po rolled into one of these craters, he was sent flying straight for Temutai. As he was launched forward, he had a foot out and ready to kick.
Unfortunately for Po, Temutai had brought more warriors than he thought. More than a dozen jumped out and stood between him and the still retreating Temutai. The warriors were not a threat, but they slowed Po down enough that Temutai and Dai had long since disappeared.
Temutai's warriors had met up with him and they stopped briefly. Temutai tied Dai's muzzle shut with rope. She growled in reply. Temutai pulled her up by the chains and held her aloft in one hand. He said, "You will be my queen whether you consent to it or not. When Lang finds out his little Daiyu is married to me, he won't dare steal from me again."
Dai wanted to say many things: why have you waited this long? What made you think this was a smart idea? My dad won't bother me anyway because he basically disowned me. The only thing Dai could do at this point was glare.
"Temutai!" came a voice. They all turned and saw it was Po. Dai struggled once more against her chains, but she got thrown to the ground. Her head hit a rock and she slumped, knocked out. "You're gonna pay for that, Temutai!"
"I'd like to see you try!" Temutai charged at Po along with his warriors. Po had defeated Temutai and his army before, but now he had more incentive to defeat them. The whole fight was a blur, but he didn't stop until all of the warriors were on the ground, unmoving.
When Po came to his senses, his hands shook and he fell to his knees. "What have I done?" he said. They weren't dead, but Po had never beaten people this badly. All of the warriors would be in a lot of pain when they woke up. He held back his tears when he noticed Dai waking up. He untied her, picked her up, and shakily said, "Come on, let's go home."
That was a lot. On the plus side, everyone's okay! I hope you enjoyed it. That's all for this week. I have a new update schedule located at the bottom of my profile page. Look forward to more regular updates! As always, please keep reading and reviewing, thanks :)