Author note: Sorry for not updating in a while. I've been quite busy, and now that school has started again the updates will probably be slower. However, I want to give you guys good content, so while my updates may be less frequent, I will try my best to make the chapters higher in content and quality.
Like always, on to the story!
Read & Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own Dream Works or Kung Fu Panda. I only own this specific plot and my OCs.
Chapter 3: An Old Friend
"Hey Tigress! Wait!" Po called after her, but she was gone.
'I don't like this! This has bad news written all over it!' the voice warned.
He looked at the others, "Come on," and they all took off towards the front gate after Tigress.
Zeng just stood there and shrugged, "Guess I'll just go tell Shifu then," he spoke to no one in particular.
As the remaining members of the five and Po were running, questions were flying through his head.
'Who is Saber?'
'What's he doing here?'
'How does Tigress know him?'
'Maybe he's a family member or an old friend?'
However, as far as Po could tell, Tigress did not have any connections with her family, and this Saber was never mentioned in any of their conversations.
Turning the corner, he and the five were left dumbfounded. All their jaws hit the ground in response to what they were witnessing. Something so inconceivable, that Oogway himself could not have foreseen.
'Well buddy, you better decide where you stand with Tigress quickly. Cause it just got a whole lot more complicated,' Red broke in.
Right before them stood Tigress hugging another tiger, both their tails tangled, with the biggest smile Po had ever seen across her usually stoic face. This tiger was fairly big, maybe Po's height or a fraction of an inch taller. He was Siberian. Covered in glossy black and white striped fur, he was shirtless and wore a pair of red training pants with a gold trim. Sporting a good build, a pair of fiery orange eyes, and a stunning white smile; he was almost certainly a hit with the ladies. Around his neck, he wore a simple string necklace with a Yin symbol hanging from it.
The silence was finally broken.
"Ahem," Mantis cleared his throat.
The two felines jumped apart in shock.
Unfortunately, to their embarrassment and to Po's displeasure, their tails were tangled, and it made their separation much harder. Once untangled, Tigress began to brush herself off, trying to hide the blush that was spreading across her features. After composing herself, she brought him over to the others.
"Guys, do you remember Saber? It's been a while since you all have seen him," she stated, finally gaining back her cool persona.
The tiger rubbed the back of his head awkwardly, before putting on a smile and bowing, "It's a pleasure to see you guys again."
Putting a finger to his chin, he gave a thoughtful look, before addressing them by name.
"You're Viper,"
"Yep," the snake master said bubbly.
Continuing on, he walked up to the tall slender avian.
"Crane?"
"Correct," the avian nodded.
The next master was the golden langur.
Saber smiled, "Monkey, right?"
"Yeah," the primate replied.
Mantis was the last of the five to greet the newcomer. Before the tiger had a chance to speak, Mantis spoke up, "The name's Mantis. I'm sure you've already reacquainted yourself with Tigress," he teased.
Monkey chuckled a little, before getting elbowed by Crane.
Saber laughed, slightly embarrassed. Tigress growled taking a step towards Mantis, only to be stopped by a voice.
"That's enough," the authoritative voice came from the panda of the group.
Po stepped forward to greet the visitor.
Saber turned to Po, his smile gaining a slight look of confusion, "I'm sorry, who are you?"
'Who is he? Here's the better question, who the hell are you?'
Po mentally hushed the voice before responding, "I'm the Dragon Warrior, but you can call me Po. It's nice to meet you."
Saber looked at him and blinked before chuckling, "That's a good one."
'I'm starting to like this guy less and less,' Red grumbled in irritation. Po silently agreed.
The Five were about to cut in, but Po waved them off. Saber looked back at Po to see the panda had just raised an eye-brow at him.
"Oh! You're serious?" the tiger said disbelievingly.
"Yeah, is that a problem?" Po replied evenly, though his patience was running low.
"No, definitely not a problem. I just assumed that someone like yourself would be less of a fighting man. You're awfully…large," Saber said bluntly. That did not go down well with the panda. While he was used to people poking fun at his weight, there were two reasons that this spurred his annoyance. One, he had begun to lose some weight, and he thought he was past the fat jokes.
'Apparently not,' Po inwardly scowled.
Two, this guy was not saying it in a harsh or patronizing way. He was just being honest, even being rather tactful about it. In some way, this bothered Po way more than if someone was purposely trying to degrade him.
The other masters, who had all been watching the spectacle, reacted differently to the tiger's jest.
Crane winced in unease, while Viper watched the two black and white warriors intently.
Tigress remained passive as always. Monkey and Mantis looked at each other in anticipation.
Po was giving an extreme effort to keep the smile on his face at this point.
Red was livid, 'Oh! We have a comedian! Well, let's see how funny you are when I string you up by your-'
Po blocked out Red and continued, "Yeah, I get that a lot."
Po looked up to see the sun glaring down from the highest point of the day. It had dissipated any clouds in the clear sky. The time was roughly two in the afternoon.
"It's so good to see you again. We have to talk about all that I've missed," Saber said excitedly. The five smiled and began a conversation with their long lost friend. Po with uncharacteristic promptness cut off their talk.
"We better take you to see Master Shifu," Po concluded, before turning and motioning Saber and the others to follow him up the stairs. The panda grimaced as Saber started talking again.
A figure stood in the middle of the bustling crowds of the valley, watching the retreating masters and their new acquaintance through his spyglass. Smirking, the being turned around to leave, only to bump into a pig carrying a crate. Carrots and beets spilled out of the broken crate.
"Hey idiot, watch where you're going!" barked the merchant. Next thing the pig knew he was hoisted up off the ground by the throat. Menacing eyes, black as night, met his, as the frightened trader stared into the darkness of its hood.
"I'd watch my tone if I were you," the figure drawled coldly.
The once snarky merchant was now petrified. "S-sorry sir, it w-won't h-happen again," the pig stuttered.
Chuckling coldly, the hooded figure smiled, showing his gleaming white fangs.
"No it won't," the being replied, before throwing the merchant back through the window of his shop. The cloaked assailant then blended into the crowds, disappearing from sight.
It was a long walk back to the Hall of Heroes, especially with the constant chattering between Saber and surprisingly, Tigress. The normally reserved master could not stop talking with her 'old friend'.
"So where have you been all this time?" Tigress inquired curiously.
Po was grinding his teeth in order keep control. She was never this inquisitive, unless it was an important matter, like a mission. The panda had never seen her like this.
"Here and there, mostly in China and Mongolia, but I was in India for a while," Saber replied nonchalantly.
Tigress looked thrilled, "I've never been to India or Mongolia before. What are they like?"
"Mongolia wasn't anything special, lots of war, but India was interesting. There were many tigers there, although none as beautiful as you," he flirted.
Po threw up a little in his mouth.
Tigress just reddened, "What have you been doing?"
'Unbelievable!' Po thought.
Not even a glare? Tigress had just been hit on and she blushed? If he had said anything similar to those words, he'd be taking a dirt nap six feet under!
"I became a bounty-hunter. I get paid to hunt down the bidder's targets. Pretty sweet right?"
He was a payed killer. He was someone that Tigress would usually look at in disdain. All the masters here had a certain reluctance to kill; it was not in their code. However, when involving Saber, Tigress didn't even bat an eye.
"Then, why are you here? Shouldn't you be chasing after those people?" she asked.
He glanced over to her and smirked.
"I'm on vacation so to speak. My last couple of jobs have set me for the next decade."
'Naturally, he's also rich. What a surprise,' Po thought sarcastically. He rubbed his temples in discomfort. Their conversation was giving him a head-ache.
Saber continued, "And besides, my boss gave me the paperwork for one last assignment after my break. I will be set for life; heck my grand kids would be set for life."
Tigress was interested, "Wow, who are the targets?"
He grinned, "Sorry Ti, it's confidential."
Tigress playfully pouted, "You're no fun."
Po meanwhile, having finished listening to their conversation, rolled his eyes.
He closed them and began focused on the silence, since the two cats had stopped talking for now.
His peace was soon interrupted.
'I don't know what's more sickening, the fact that Tigress is opening up wider than the dancers at a strip club, or the fact that you haven't kicked that bastard down the stairs,' Red snorted.
"Do you ever have any useful input?" Po muttered flatly.
'Actually yes I do. While you were busy moping, I've calculated out exactly 104 potential ways to eliminate this idiot. Should I run them by you?' Red responded proudly.
Po was exasperated, "No thanks."
'Well okay then. When you change your mind, just ask,' Red laughed.
Eventually, the group reached the Hall of Heroes and entered through the double doors. Saber marveled at the illustrious hall. Jade Pillars carved with spiraling dragons were erected throughout the hall, with ancient tapestries that hung all the way down from the incredibly high ceiling. Marble and jade made up the polished floor with beautiful designs etched into it.
Furthermore; artifacts, weapons, and other décor adorned the majestic room. By the moon pool stood Shifu, balancing on the jade staff that Po have given him for his birthday, Oogway wouldn't mind; hopefully.
Po announced their arrival, "Master Shifu there's-"
"A guest that has arrived that goes by Saber. Yes I know, thank you Dragon Warrior," the current grandmaster finished for him.
Po's eyes widened, "Woah! How'd you find out? Did the universe tell you?"
Shifu smiled tranquilly, "No, Zeng did."
"That was my second guess," Po replied assuredly.
The red panda flipped down from his staff to greet the Siberian tiger.
"Master Shifu, it has been quite some time," Saber bowed.
"No need for that, you will always be welcome here," Shifu replied sincerely.
Saber looked around the hall in admiration, "Have you renovated since I was last here. It looks even more impressive than before."
Shifu smiled, "Yes, you could say that."
Everyone laughed at the inside joke. Saber was left clueless. Seeing this, Mantis explained, "By renovate, he meant rebuild. This place was leveled by a crazy lunatic from the Spirit World."
This caught the tiger's attention, "Wow! You guys have to tell me all about it!"
Everyone conversed and laughed, it seemed like a family reunion. Po just stood behind them watching quietly.
"I'm gonna get started on lunch guys," Po informed curtly before turning to leave.
"One moment Po, I was hoping that you would show our guest his room and the other facilities," Shifu called.
Before Po could even reply Tigress stepped in.
"That's alright Master. I'd like to show Saber around myself," she said a little too quickly.
"Of course you would," Po muttered, trying his best not to roll his eyes.
"What was that Po?" Shifu asked, being the only one in the room to hear the bear's mumbling. Turning towards the red-panda with uncanny hearing, Po quickly lied.
"Uh…I said that I'll get started on the food," Po answered innocently, before walking out.
Shifu raised an eyebrow in almost a knowing look.
"Well, I suppose the rest of you have free time until evening meditation," the grand master dismissed them. The rare instance of free time left the masters thrilled.
"Race you to the hot springs!" Monkey and Mantis yelled at each other before taking off.
Viper rolled her eyes, "I'm going to the flea market downtown. Care to join Crane?"
"Sure, let's go," he replied. The serpent and avian exited, leaving the two tigers alone. Now alone with Saber, Tigress had a pressing matter that she had to attend to,
"One more thing Master Shifu," Tigress turned around, only to find the red panda gone.
The feline master shrugged. The matter would have to wait, "Never mind then. Come on Saber, let's start the tour."
"Fine by me," he said eagerly before following her.
They stopped at their first destination, the training hall. Tigress opened the doors revealing the familiar equipment and courses.
"Woah, is this new? I don't remember these! Wait, I do remember the wooden warriors and the jade tortoise," Saber marveled. After he walked around exploring the course, Tigress came over.
"We better get going, so we can finish the tour in time to eat," Tigress took his arm and led him out the door.
"I'm not very hungry. Why don't we skip lunch?" Saber suggested.
Hesitating, Tigress thought for a moment before shrugging, "I guess there wouldn't be any harm in missing one meal."
Saber smiled in victory. "Well what are we waiting for? Let's go," the white tiger smiled before taking her hand. Tigress seemed to stiffen for a second before relaxing. The two ventured off to visit other parts of the spacious palace grounds.
Chop!
Po was in the middle of slicing a carrot, with a little more force than usual. While cooking his father's secret ingredient soup, thoughts raced inside his head. The panda was on edge after the events of the day, particularly with the arrival of a certain white tiger.
He wanted to like Saber; okay that was a lie. He hated the tiger's guts. Unfortunately, there was no legitimate reason to dislike their new guest. He seemed nice and polite, besides the unintentional insult about Po's weight, and he even looked innocent while saying it. He was too perfect, and he had Tigress wrapped around his finger without even trying. And Po despised him for those petty reasons, especially the ladder.
Chop!
"Oh! Look at me. I'm so cool," Po muttered in slight malice.
Chop!
"Look at how handsome I am."
Chop!
"All the ladies love me."
Chop!
"Do you like my six-pack?"
Chop!
"I'm so wonderful and charming."
Chop!
"Oh! Did I mention that I was rich too?"
Chop!
Chop!
Chop!
By the time he was done, the poor carrot had been utterly eviscerated. Po's eye twitched before he scraped the carrot mush into the boiling soup. Steam seemed to be rising out of the panda's ears.
"Is everything alright Dragon Warrior?" a voice asked smoothly.
"Gah!" Po shrieked and spun around, reflexively flinging the knife towards the voice in a deadly arc.
Thump!
The sound resonated throughout the kitchen. Buried nearly half a foot into the wall was the knife. Moreover, no more than an inch below the blade was the stoic face of the grand master. Realizing what he did Po was mortified, "Master Shifu I am so sorry! Are you okay? Please don't make me run laps!"
"It's quite alright Po, it was quite impressive. However, try to refrain from doing so again. If I was just a hair taller, I'd be joining Oogway," Shifu broke in, slightly amused.
Po breathed a sigh of relief, both for Shifu's well-being and his. He began to awkwardly shift his weight from one foot to the other. He stared intently at the floor, avoiding the grandmaster's gaze.
Stepping out from under the knife, "You seem rather skittish," Shifu probed.
Now, Po hated lying to his master. And even though he trusted Shifu, his frustration was something he had to deal with on his own. He finally managed to look the red panda in the eyes before responding. "Oh, it's nothing. Don't worry about me master, you just startled me," Po said, trying to sound casual.
Attempting to change the subject Po continued, "Will you be joining us for lunch or dinner?"
Shifu caught a whiff of the delightful aroma that came from the pot boiling on the stove.
Shifu walked over the dining table and sat down, motioning for Po to do the same.
He began, "While that is tempting, I'm afraid I'll have to decline. The reason I came here was to tell you that I will be leaving on a trip to Gongmen City."
"What? Why?" Po wondered.
Shifu sighed in dismay, "All the grand-masters from across the country are gathering for a meeting. Rumors of trouble brewing throughout China have risen. I'll be gone for several weeks at the minimum."
Quickly; losing all signs of his immaturity, "Is there another threat coming?" Po asked, now dead serious.
"It could be nothing, probably is nothing," Shifu explained. There was a slight uncertainty in his gruff voice. As if he was trying to convince himself.
Po was unconvinced, "But if it's something?"
The elder master sighed, "Then we'll be very glad to have one of the greatest warriors in the history of China on our side."
'Wow! Who?' Po wondered.
Po racked his brain. While he respected all of the Five, and while they were the best warriors in China currently, Po didn't think any of them, besides Tigress, could make a claim to being one of history's greatest warriors. Unless Shifu was talking about Saber; he really hoped he wasn't talking about Saber.
"Tigress?" Po inquired obliviously.
'He meant you, you idiot!' Red ranted in frustration of Po's ignorance.
Shifu suppressed a smile, at the combination of Po's humility and incognizance. There was a time where he despised him for no other reason than petty bias and denial. During his time as Dragon Warrior, Po had done the impossible. He defeated Tai-Lung, he stopped Shen and his brigade, he defeated Kai, and he managed to soften the old red panda's heart which brought him peace. The Furious Five and Shifu had been an unstoppable force of justice, a well-oiled machine. But Po had made them a family.
"Don't ever change panda," Shifu said in genuine pride. Looking over the giant panda's shoulder, he saw the soup pot on the verge of overflowing. Deciding to exercise his dramatic exit, Shifu smirked, "Also your soup is boiling over."
Po spun around to find their lunch and dinner spilling out of the bubbling pot.
"Oh shoot!" he swore, before quickly taking the pot off the fire and setting it on the counter. Turning off the stove he made sure that the soup was not ruined.
"Perfect," Po stated in content after tasting it. Wiping a little sweat from his brow, Po turned, "Thanks for the save. I guess we'll see you in…." Shifu was gone.
Po groaned in annoyance, "I hate it when he does that!"
The Furious Five minus Tigress were sitting around the kitchen table ready for a late lunch.
"Where is Tigress? I'm starving!" Mantis whined.
Po, who was busy adding a few finishing touches to the soup, nodded his head silently. Even though he had not voiced his concern, Po was also curious of the ordinarily punctual master's absence.
Crane answered helpfully, "Oh yeah, her and Saber were down in the valley viewing the sights. Viper and I ran into them on our way back up. She said that they wouldn't make it to lunch."
"Impossible! Tigress willingly going down to the valley," Monkey joked.
Viper nodded in agreement, "I thought it was kind of sweet. They were done touring the palace, so she reacquainted him with the valley along with the new buildings since he left."
Po's interest was piqued, having listened to the conversation. Now he really wanted to learn more about their new guest. After filling up the bowls with the steaming soup he asked, "So what's the deal with this Saber guy?"
"Oh that's a story," Mantis mumbled. Viper reached across the table and whacked him with her tail.
Thwap!
"Ow!" Mantis complained.
Giving him a stern look, she then turned to the bear, "It's a story I'll gladly share with you Po."
*Flashback*
'It was several years after we defeated Boar. It was just another day of training, or so we thought...'
A seventeen year old Tigress was making her way through the Swing Clubs. She made it look rather easy, dodging and weaving throughout the course. One false step could cause a fatal injury. After reaching the end of the death trap, the female master fluently flipped out of it, finishing in a split.
"That was great!" a peppy young Viper squealed. Crane and Mantis nodded in agreement, while Monkey gave her a thumbs up. Their approval was heart-warming, but it was not their approval that she was awaiting.
Shifu stood by staring at her intently.
"Master?" she said in respect, a little out of breath.
Her hope was soon stomped on, "Your reflexes need work. You were slow on your turns, your footwork was unsure, and I counted several times when you were nearly hit by the clubs," he listed off. Tigress's perfect posture slumped slightly and her ears drooped almost unnoticeably.
"But…" the red panda added. Tigress's ears perked up again in expectance.
"It was much better than last week," he finished before showing a rare smile.
Tigress gave a small smile back and bowed in gratitude, "Thank you Master."
On the outside she seemed composed, but on the inside she was buzzing. Her master's approval was not something to be taken lightly.
Suddenly a warning gong rang from down in the valley, "Gooooong!"
Already familiar with the proceedings, the Five turned towards their master.
"Training for today is over. Go tend to the Bandits in the valley!" Shifu commanded.
As they made their way towards the door, Tigress swiftly took control, "Crane, you and Mantis go on ahead. Analyze the situation and report back. Viper, Monkey, and I will follow."
"On it," Crane replied, letting Mantis hop onto his hat and quickly taking off. The remaining members of the Five took off towards the steps.
"She's growing up. Like a flower blossoming in the sun," Oogway's voice stated calmly, after appearing beside Shifu.
"She still has much to learn," Shifu responded gruffly.
Oogway smiled, "She does, but she also needs guidance."
"I provide her guidance," the red panda argued.
It was true; Shifu had given the young Tigress the best Kung Fu training in all of China. He was the best at what he did; teaching and guiding younger masters to their true potential.
"Not that type of guidance. Fatherly guidance," the turtle persuaded.
Shifu momentarily had flashbacks of a certain snow leopard. Tai Lung had been his pride and joy; his son. He had opened his heart up to the young feline. The pride he held in Tai Lung had been the young one's downfall. Dedication turned to necessity and necessity turned to obsession. Eventually, his obsession turned dark and led to his exile in Char-Gom prison.
"I'm not sure if that's a good idea. The last thing we want is another Tai Lung."
Oogway still pressed on, "I believe you deserve a second chance at being a father."
"I don't."
The Grandmaster sighed, "If you refuse, this situation will only worsen."
"Thank you for your advice master, but I must make my own decisions. Otherwise I'll never achieve inner peace," Shifu finished.
Oogway nodded in understanding before making his way out the door. As he distanced himself from the Training Hall and Shifu, he shook his head with a sad smile, "Don't worry my friend. When the time comes, the Dragon Warrior will relieve you of this burden."
Sighing sadly he continued, "Unfortunately, even the strongest of beings will crumble under the heaviest of burdens."
A seventeen year old Panda was helping his father in their noodle shop. He went to the storage room in the back seconds before a group of bandits broke in.
"Okay goose; give us your-" the leader bull threatened before being cut off by Mr. Ping.
"Sorry were closed, come back tomorrow," the noodle shop owner answered, not even looking up from doing the dishes. The bull looked indignant at the bird's lack of interest.
"Listen old man, I'm serious," the bull growled.
Finishing up with the dishes, the goose huffed, "No need to be so rude. I'm too tired to cook for you."
The bull's eye twitched and he began to question his decision of mugging this certain establishment.
"What? No I want-"
"I'll have my son cook for you, don't worry," Mr. Ping finished before heading upstairs to bed.
"Oh Po! Come serve these gentlemen some food, I'm heading off to bed!"
"Coming!" came the voice of the young panda.
There was a shuffling noise and sounds of bumping before he emerged.
Po took note of the situation and noticed the bulls waving their swords in a threatening notion.
"Money. Now," the leader snarled in impatience.
Po quickly glanced around the kitchen and noticed a metal pan hanging within his reach. He agreed to the bull's demands and slowly walked over to the register, before snatching the pan and whacking the bull across the head.
Thunk!
The bandit fell like a rock to the ground, unconscious. His two friends were left shocked for a moment before charging forward with their swords, intent on turning the panda into a pin cushion.
Taking a step back, Po slipped and unintentionally dodged their attacks. He then bear-tackled both of them, knocking the weapons from their grasps'. It turned into an awkward wrestling and tumble match. Po and the other two thieves flipped and ran into all the shelves, knocking down countless plates, pots, pans, and other kitchen appliances.
Clang!
Crash!
Thump!
One of the bulls got Po in a choke hold and began squeezing the air out of him.
"Po! What is going on down there?" the voice of a sleepy Mr. Ping called from his room.
"Nothing, don't worry about it. Go back to bed," Po wheezed, before head-butting the bandit off. Using his weight advantage, he grabbed the bull by the tail and tossed him into to other one, knocking them out. Dragging them into a pile outside the restaurant, he noticed that the city was in chaos. There were bandits running amuck throughout the valley. And while Po did feel a need to help, he realized it was a bad idea. After all, it was not his fight; it was the Furious Five's. They would be arriving any second. He took one more look around before heading back inside.
Crane and Mantis returned to the rest of the five by the bottom of the thousand steps. While it was dark, it did not hinder the duos ability to depict the situation perfectly.
"There are several groups of bandits, nothing too major," Crane assured Tigress.
Nodding, Tigress ordered them to split up into groups of twos. She would go solo.
After taking care of the bandit groups the five met back at the bottom of the stairs. It was nearing dusk and although they were not injured they were somewhat drained.
"That wasn't so bad," Monkey said smiling, a little winded.
Unbeknownst to the group, a figure had sneaked up on them. Firing an arrow from his bow the feline had picked out the seeming leader of the five masters, Tigress. Anyone else would have been dead, but after training for years upon years, this was child's play for the female master. Tigress had identified the perpetrator earlier, but she bided her time, waiting to see their course of action. Spinning around, she caught the arrow in midair with ease.
"Nice try, but you'll have to do better than that," she taunted. Viper speedily coiled around the hooded figure; detaining him. Tigress and the others strode up to him.
"Let me go!" the figure struggled against Viper's restraint. Ignoring his protests, Tigress removed his hood to reveal an attractive white tiger around her age. She stood there staring for a second in awe, before the white tiger snarkily asked, "What are you looking at?" Tigress snapped out of her daze and growled, "Who are you? And what do you want?" Her withering gaze usually brought any criminal man or woman to their knees in fear. However, the male tiger just smirked back at her, "Sorry, sweetheart it's confidential." Looking her over he added with a flirtatious wink, "But then again, if you make it worth my while, kitten." Most criminals would never dare to look Master Tigress in the eyes, much less flirt with the lethal feline. A look of shock, anger, and embarrassment, plastered itself across her face. Never taking her eyes from the pompous asshole, she said in a level voice, "Report back to Shifu. I'll handle it from here." The others looked warily at her and the felon. Reluctantly, the majority of the five left up the steps back toward the palace.
The sun had already set, as she dragged the devilish tiger over to a bench and sat him down. She turned to him, letting her anger cool and studied him. While he was a dick, she could not deny that he was a looker. However, judging from his appearance, it looked as if he had not eaten or bathed in days, if not weeks. His eyes were orange, although they seemed dull, almost hopeless. She was always a good judge of character, and he seemed like a good person who was just lost. Feeling a sense of pity for this stranger, she began, "I'm sorry."
That was not something the man was expecting to hear. He was expecting another threat or interrogation. Not an apology. Was he really that easy to read?
Shaking his head, "You know nothing," he lamented.
"Then why don't you tell me?" she probed.
Looking over at her, he weighed his options. 'I guess it wouldn't hurt' he thought.
"Not much to tell really," he began.
"I was an orphan; my parents abandoned me as a child. Even the orphanage didn't want me. I lived off the first decade of my life on scraps. Eventually I got into crime. It pays well and fills my stomach, so I can hardly complain. My life isn't pretty, but I get by," he summarized. After his brief story, Tigress reflected on her own life and how alike they were. Honestly, this could have been her if not for Shifu's intervention.
"How would you like a second chance?" she offered.
He laughed for a moment and gave her a funny look, "And become a goody two shoes?" He was not showing it, but on the inside he began to think, 'Well, she seems genuine and I was bound to get caught and hauled off to prison sooner or later. Maybe I'll give it a chance. Plus she's pretty cute.' "You would do that? Even after I tried to kill you?" he asked in curiosity.
Tigress nodded, "Everyone deserves a second chance. How would you like to become part of our family?"
A sincere smile graced his features for the first time in ages, "I'd like that very much. And please, call me Saber."
*Flashback End*
Po listened intently to the story as Viper continued, "Saber stayed with us for several weeks. At first we didn't trust him, but he grew on us. After staying he told us that he needed to leave and clear his name. Tigress wasn't happy. During those weeks, he and Tigress had grown very attached."
Po frowned at this, though nobody noticed.
"And she moped for months after he had left. I'm sure she's overjoyed to see him alive and well." Viper concluded.
After finishing lunch Po instructed for them to meditate until supper. The five all went to their favorite meditation spots. Viper's was in the garden in the flower bed, the fragrances of the blossoms soothed her. Monkey left to his favorite tree on the outskirts of the palace, the sound of the breeze stirring the branches calmed him. Crane loved the roof of the palace, the tranquility and silence was second to none. Mantis left to the court yard, the bright sun rays comforted him and warmed his spirits. Finally, Po made his way over to the Peach Tree, only to find it occupied. The two missing felines from lunch sat next to each other, chatting under the tree staring at the sky and the nearing sunset. Po watched them for a moment before turning around to leave them with their privacy. That was until his name was brought up in the conversation. Straining his ears he listened,
"So what do you think of him?" Saber inquired.
Po was intently listening now, curious of what Tigress thought of him. After a period of silence Tigress answered, "He's a very nice guy. Noble, humble, sweet and a great friend."
Saber nodded, satisfied with the answer. Po sighed in disappointment from behind the tree.
'Wow ouch! Still trapped in the friend-zone I see,' Red guffawed. Po was not amused at the pleasure Red got from seeing him suffer.
"Whose side are you on anyway?" Po asked angrily.
He was beginning to get fed up with this voice. Unfortunately, there was not much he could do about it. What was he supposed to do? Go down to the village psychologist and say 'Hey can you help me? I have this voice stuck in my head.' This was definitely not something he wanted to advertise to the world. It was bad enough he was probably going crazy; the rest of China did not need to know.
'I'm not on anyone's side. I just give you necessary perspective which you seem to lack,' Red stated matter-of-factly.
Po ignored him and turned away from Tigress and Saber before heading down the steps. On his way down he looked at the lush green hills that filled the landscape above the valley. The sun was setting, leaving a beautiful combination of orange, pink, and red lighting across the darkening sky.
Heading towards the kitchen, Po entered through the door way; passing the kitchen knife still embedded in the wooden wall. After having tried to remove it several times, Po had eventually given up on removing the seemingly permanent wall ornament. Sharing its recent history with the Five during dinner would probably earn a few laughs.
Warming up the soup on the stove, the Dragon Warrior took in the silence of the kitchen. He had begun to enjoy the stillness, nothing but the faint sounds of the boiling water and the slight crackling from the fire in the stove. He had begun to wonder where his friends were before the silence was broken by the loud voice of Mantis, "I'm starving!"
Po sighed and looked over to see the small master zipping through the door and onto the table. He began to hear the voices from the rest of his comrades as they chatted in the halls. Soon, they entered the kitchen and they all sat down at the table. With his back to them he prepared the soup. Luckily, the leftovers from the pot had just enough to fill all six bowls for the Five and himself. Balancing them on his arm, he turned and headed towards the table. Po then realized a tiny detail he had overlooked; Saber their guest. He was also the same person who happened to be sitting in his chair while chatting and laughing with the Five.
'Oh! Look who decided to show up!' Red scoffed. Po was about to tell him to drop it, but Red wasn't having it, 'No! Taking our seat is where I draw the line! Tell him to move or you'll kick his ass into next week!' Po shook his head at the antics of his "conscience". He gracefully walked over to the table. He put on a fake smile, "Order up!" the panda announced.
Everyone looked delighted as he served out the bowls. With the final bowl in his hand, Po was debating on what to do with it. Saber made the decision for him. Taking the bowl out of the Dragon Warrior's hand, he dug in.
"Thanks man," the tiger said after his first spoonful.
'Calm yourself! Happy thoughts, Inner peace, Inner peace, Inner peace,' Po chanted in his thoughts.
Red exploded in a storm of rage, 'Screw that! Skin him alive! Gut him like a fish! Turn him into a rug! Make him feel pain!'
While he internally debated with Red over the benefits of killing Saber, Po stood there silently. Viper noticed this before it dawned on her, "Oh Saber you're sitting in Po's seat," she informed. The Siberian Tiger looked at her and then at the panda in realization.
"Oh sorry man, you don't mind do you? I can get up if you want."
There were a number of responses that Po could have answered with. Maybe something along the lines of: "Yep, could you please move?" or "Yeah, I'd appreciate it. My legs are tired."
However, what came out was not even remotely close.
"No it's fine, you guys enjoy. I wasn't even that hungry anyway; I had a big lunch," Po said almost automatically.
'Damn you and your Martyr Complex,' Red huffed.
In truth Po had barely eaten all day. He had skipped breakfast to meditate. He had eaten a small lunch; barely half a bowl of soup. He was planning on having a substantial dinner, but Saber had just taken the last of the soup.
"Are you sure?" Viper asked in concern.
Po was quite touched that she cared as much as she did. Viper was always the one to worry. Even from the first day he met her. While the others made fun of him or thought he was a fool, she was the only one who had concern for his well-being. She was like the older sister he never had.
Po put on a genuine smile for Viper's sake, "Yeah I'm a little tired. I think I'll call it a day."
Viper nodded and returned a smile before looking back at Saber, who had begun to share one of the stories from his travels.
Before leaving, Po turned back around, "Night guys."
Po's bid good-night was left unanswered. The group had just broken out into laughter with Saber about an incident from his story. Letting out a quiet sigh, Po exited out the kitchen discreetly. The amber eyes of Tigress observed his retreating figure as the panda eventually made his way out of sight. Though she was not nearly as vocal as Viper, Tigress still cared a tremendous amount for Po and she was worried. Brushing off the feeling, Tigress returned her attention to Saber as he continued telling about his journey to India.
Po made his way up the cold stone steps toward the peach tree. The sun was long gone, replaced by something just as beautiful, the moon. As Po reached the top of the steps, he sat down in front of the Peach Tree. Staring up at the sky he took in all its beauty. The moon glowed so vibrantly, and the stars sparkled like little diamonds in an obsidian black sky. Admiring nature had become one of Po's favorite pastimes. No matter how many times he saw the night sky, the sunset, or the sunrise, it never got old.
"I don't know if you can hear me Oogway, but I could really use some guidance," Po called out softly into the night air. Visions of apocalypse and destruction had become more and more frequent in the panda's dreams and meditation. And now Shifu and the other masters around the country were sensing something evil. It couldn't be a coincidence.
"Is something bad going to happen? I'd appreciate some kind of sign," Po asked halfheartedly, he didn't actually expect something to happen. So when a peach fell down from the tree and smacked him on the head, he jerked apprehensively.
"Is that the sign?"
Another peach quickly dropped down from one of the higher branches onto his head.
"Ow! That one actually hurt!"
The panda already knew that Oogway was smiling in amusement from the Spirit World. He could almost hear the wise turtle's calming voice in the wind, 'Pain is an illusion of the mind and senses.'
'Bullshit!' Red retorted.
Po just ignored Red's badgering.
Po quietly thanked Oogway for his assistance and left down the stairs towards the barracks.
As he arrived at the dorms, he noticed that the Five and Saber were not present. It was getting late and the masters were usually very punctual when getting to bed. Po became slightly worried before shaking it off. He came to the conclusion that they were still talking in the kitchen. Shrugging, he entered his room and lay down on his cot, trying to cast away negative thoughts and assumptions. Not ten minutes later, the others came into the dorms in a crowd of laughter. Po let out a breath he had not realized he was holding, in minor relief.
'They seem to be having a dandy time without us,' Red huffed bitterly. The voice was less concerned with the well-being of their friends than Po, unsurprisingly. The bear was about to retort, before a comment by Saber from out in the hallway ceased his current train of thought and put a deep frown upon the panda's formerly tranquil face.
"He really collects Action Figures?" the white tiger wheezed in between his laughter. The others were roaring in laughter.
"I mean, the Dragon Warrior, one of the most revered people in all of China, plays with dolls," Saber continued.
Now, Po, who was lying down in his room looked slightly peeved, but on the inside he was hurt. The Five were sharing things with Saber that were kinda personal to him, but it wasn't that part that hurt. It was the fact that they were all making fun of him again behind his back. He thought they were past this. He thought that they were all his friends and the teasing was in the past.
'Back to square one,' Red said flatly.
For a moment of sheer horror, Po wondered whether the teasing behind his back had ever stopped. Have they always joked about me behind my back? Did they ever stop? After his moment of paranoia, Po dispelled the ridiculous notions.
'Of course they don't. All those moments of friendship and kindness can't be faked,' the good-hearted bear thought with resolve. He was willing to forgive and forget, because Po was that type of guy. However, Saber's next sentence, froze his heart.
"Yeah, but I guess you can't blame him. He must've gotten a pretty abnormal childhood. You guys said it yourselves. It must have been harsh having his mother murdered and his race subjected to genocide. I kind of pity him," Saber conceded.
Po's eyes widened in shock and disappointment, 'They told him about my past!'
You see, right after Kai, Po had invited the Five over to his dad's noodle shop to share his childhood secrets with them. He had almost died for the third time in his life now, and he didn't want to pass away with any regrets. They deserved to know, so he told them everything. Every moment and every detail, from beginning to finish, he told them what he learned and remembered with the soothsayer and Li Shan's help. It was a personal moment, where he had confided in his 'friends' and he had emphasized how special it was to him. He had entrusted them with his private memories and they stomped all over it.
Presently, Po was in bed with a typhoon of emotions swarming over him like a colony of wasps. Filling him was pain, anger, regret, melancholy, and just plain shock.
Outside his room, the group calmed down before heading for their dorms.
"Night," Viper said softly, as if it would change the fact that they'd been howling like a pack of hyenas seconds earlier.
"Night," said Mantis, Monkey and Crane as they headed to their designated quarters.
Po watched through the paper thin walls of the two felines, who were left alone yet again.
"Night whiskers," Saber said before rubbing his cheek against his female counterpart. Po caught a growl that had almost slipped from his throat. Tigress reddened in embarrassment, not used to physical comfort.
"Night," she squeaked, completely failing to keep cool. Tigress swiftly left and soon disappeared into her room. Chuckling, Saber turned and left to his temporary residence at the end of the hall.
Po watched as their shadowed figures both exited from his sight. The panda was wide awake now, with thoughts racing through his head. Trying to force himself to sleep, Po closed his eyes. After nearly half an hour later, he had made zero progress. Eventually the bear gave up and started to stare at the ceiling, an empty look occupying his features. Hungry, tired, miserable, Po said in defeat, "Do you still have those...100 plans?" There were a couple moments of silence before he was answered.
'I knew you'd break sooner or later,' Red answered smugly. Po was too tired to care at the moment.
"Whatever. Just run them by me," the panda sighed.
'Okay, okay. First, we need to go buy some fireworks; some reinforced rope, and some super glue from down in the valley. It's gotta look like an accident. After that-,' Red continued to eagerly instruct in disturbing detail.
Po zoned out as Red continued to ramble on and on about his 'foolproof' plans. He wasn't sure when it happened, but seconds passed, then minutes, then hours, and eventually, the panda slipped into a sleep devoid of dreams and devoid of peace.
A/N: Wow! Red really has no chill. I imagine he'll just make things worse or better (depending how you look at it) for Po. Speaking of which, poor Po. Even I feel bad for him...and I'm the one who's putting him through all this. Unfortunately for him, this is just the beginning. There's way more in store for him, the story, and you guys...just wait and see.
Hope you guys enjoyed this installment. I'll see you in the distant future.
Frost2001 out.