A/N: Ha! Writing another story at the same time as Ritten in Blood, great. I told myself I'd never leave a story unfinished, and this is a prime example of how to leave a story unfinished. But you have my word, both stories will be completed, no matter how long it may take! Hopefully y'all enjoy this, it's a different fandom than I'm used to but I don't think us Zoot fans are all that different. Big thanks to Th3F4lc0n-Bl4ckBlu3 for beta-reading! The cover is concept art of the valley of peace, credit goes to Dreamworks.
Anyway, Enjoy!
The air was hot but the ground was still cool from the night. She opened her eyes to see the red sky, lit by the rising sun, casting an orange hue over the valley below. She was in the shade of the peach tree, her black and orange camouflaged by the light and the shadows. She felt like rolling in the cool earth to escape the terrible heat, but meditation was probably a better option, and she had someone to help her with that.
"Well you're up early," Po said, panting and gently tapping his staff against the ground as he walked towards her.
"I didn't sleep much. I never do well with high temperatures."
"Same, I was tossin' and turnin' all night long. I hope the supplies from the Empress help, I can't keep doin' this. Pandas were made for the cold!"
"So were tigers… we can only hope the supplies are useful," Tigress said, looking at Po as he sat next to her, legs crossed. "So, what would you like to discuss today, Master Po?" She asked with an emphasis on the last two words, a hint of sarcasm in her voice. Their relationship was only slightly formal.
"Why don't we start where we always do; have you had any feelings recently?"
"Not much… nothing significant anyway."
"Well, even a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step," he said, tipping his staff towards her. "Something is better than nothing," he said. She wanted to question his use of two cliches at once but decided not to.
"I did feel some.. anticipation, and possible joy the other day."
"Really? What was that about?"
"It… it was over a cookie," she said, Po snorting in response.
"Ha! A cookie is gonna bring Tigress inner peace! What a way to bring about personal change, huh?" He said, to which she rolled her eyes.
"Yes, very amusing. I was just… hungry, I guess, and I wanted something sweet, so I decided to have a cookie. When I brought it to my mouth I just had this… wave of feeling, like it was going to be the best thing ever, that cookie. I sort of... relished in it, I was trying to feel it, and it worked! It felt good… for a cookie, at least," she said. She smiled slightly, it crept onto her face as she remembered how good the cookie was.
"That's great!"
"But it was just a cookie..."
"It's not about the cookie, it's about the way you felt! You are chipping away at that cage you put on your emotions, Tigress. Here, let me try something; close your eyes," he said. She did so and he watched her expression carefully. "Now imagine you are on a mountaintop, sitting on the snow, the cold air against your fur," he said. She understood what he was trying to do, but the heat made it hard to let her mind wander in the direction he was leading it.
"Imagine rolling in the nice cold snow, or heck even eating some of it!" He said. Her face twisted, not into relief or joy but into confusion.
"Why would I eat snow?" She asked, her eyes still closed.
"Because it's cold…"
"Oh, right, and it's very hot so that would be relieving…"
"Yes… uh, so that did do any of the feely-dues on you?"
"No," she said, yawning soon after. "I don't think I can concentrate well enough."
"Oh come on Tigress, you aren't a quitter!"
"No, but I am hot, tired, and hungry," she said. He made a silent 'oh' and quickly stood up.
"Let's eat breakfast then!"
"Well that was easy…" she mumbled, slowly standing. Po was already running, yelling at her to hurry up. They arrived at the barracks' kitchen to find the rest of the five at the table already, lethargically eating bean buns and dumplings. Po noticed the lack of energy and suspected that they were all having the same issue.
"Let me guess, nobody else slept either?" He asked, a chorus of "no" replying. As tired as he was, he was excited for food and still had his usual energy. Now the problem would be restraining himself to avoid angering the Fatigued Five. He carefully slid into his seat and, with the voice of an angel, asked Viper to pass the bean buns.
"No problem Po," She said cheerily.
"You sound like you're in a good mood," he said.
"I am! I actually slept, but I am hungry, I can tell you that," she said with a small swish of her tail. She grabbed a bean bun in her mouth and swallowed it whole.
"Joining the party I see," he said, taking a bean bun and eating it in one bite as well.
"Would you guys keep it down! I've got a headache! Man, can't a guy get some peace and quiet every once in a while!" Mantis shouted. The two were stunned, but Tigress wasn't having any of it.
"You couldn't just ask politely?" She chided.
"Tigress is right, Mantis, cool it," Monkey said, also irritated. Po wasn't ready to let the breakfast table devolve into yelling.
"Let's all just calm down and-"
"Cool it! Cool it? You cool it!" Mantis yelled. Po sighed, the situation escalating. Mantis then got into a fighting stance on the table. Crane shrunk away in his seat, not wanting any part of it.
"No fighting at the breakfast table!" Viper shouted. The rest were stunned by the angry outburst from the mild-mannered snake and silence ensued very quickly.
"Are you ok Viper?" Po asked, the change in attitude strange, especially for her.
"Yeah… I just got really angry…" she said, confused.
"Welcome to the club," Tigress said.
"It's just the heat... probably," Crane said, unsure. She wasn't bothered by heat though, being a totally different type of animal than her furred friends. Before she could say anything Shifu spoke up from the doorway.
"The supplies from the empress have arrived, I suggest you put your tempers away while you deliver them to the villagers," he snapped, quickly walking away.
"Our tempers…" Mantis mumbled angrily, hopping out of the room.
"It probably is just the heat," Po said, feeling like he was powerless against this foe. Monkey, crane, and Tigress quickly left, leaving him and Viper.
"But… I'm a snake, heat doesn't bother us," Viper said.
"Huh… well, it is unusual … let's get these supplies out to the people though, I'm sure they'll help," he said, the two nodding to each other and leaving the barracks. As they stepped outside the heat hit him, the indoors having been much cooler. He looked around at the boiling hot landscape and noticed that some of the vegetation was dying, the green grass and colorful flowers turning brown. "Man, this heatwave is worse than I thought, even the grass is having a hard time."
"Some plants seem to like it," Viper said, noting the purple flowers that seemed to be growing wherever they could.
"Yeah… there's been so much rain though, why are the others dying?"
"I guess it's just too hot," Viper said.
"Which is why you need to get these supplies down to the valley," Shifu said to them, clearly irritated. The two had stood around, talking about plants while the rest had readied the carts.
"Come on guys, we get to use some of the supplies for ourselves when we get back," Tigress said. That was enough to entice Po, and Viper followed. They began the arduous process of bringing carts down the giant staircase into the valley. They were full of very lightweight garments and small hand fans but that didn't make them easy to carry down over a thousand steps. Sadly, the burden was on Tigress and Po, the strongest of the group. They had the carts pressing into their backs, using their legs to walk down the steps.
"I don't know… if I… can keep going… Tigress," Po complained, struggling and out of breath.
"Po," Tigress said, also strained. "We've gone down twenty steps."
"I'm gonna die!" He said.
"Come on Po, maybe the villagers, ha! Maybe they're made of chocolate!" Monkey shouted, struggling to contain his laughter.
"Come on Po! Dragon master!" She shouted. He nodded.
"That's right, I'm the dragon master."
"Yes you are, you're the big, fa- strong! Big, strong, dragon master, and you can do this, ok Po?"
"I got this!" He said. He then slipped, taking the cart with him as he fell the absurdly long way to the bottom. Tigress winced as she watched the cart land on him repeatedly.
"That may have been my fault," she said. Monkey laughed even harder.
"Good job!" Mantis said.
"I'm good guys! I'm all good!" Po shouted from the bottom, the rest joining him long after.
"Sorry Po," Tigress said, her ears down. Po looked at her, confused.
"I'm the one that slipped, Tigress," he said, slightly concerned for her.
"Ugh, nevermind, let's just get these supplies out," she replied, noticeably irritated. Po backed away while she pushed a cart forward.
"Looks like someone's finally losing it," Monkey joked, nudging Po.
"I'm not so sure that we all aren't," Po said.
"It's just the heat, Po," the simian assured him. Po wasn't convinced, but they had things to do other than to ruminate over the causes of their irritability. They started moving the carts through the town, handing out the fans and clothes that Empress Xiao had sent.
"It's about time we got supplies! What are you knuckleheads doing up in that palace of yours?" An old goat prodded as Mantis and Crane gave him equipment.
"Grandpa, you big goof! Ha! be nice to them, so silly," his granddaughter said.
"Listen to your offspring, grandpa!" Mantis said angrily. The granddaughter laughed again, and mantis threw a bundled up shirt at her face, knocking her back into the house. A crash was followed by more giggles. "What a bunch of nutjobs!" He said as he left. Crane cautiously looked in to make sure everything was ok and had the door closed on him. Tigress was at another home, dealing with similarly nutty villagers.
"Thank you so much! I didn't think we were gonna make it, but you give me hope…" a pig said to her, tears in his eyes as she handed him a bundle of clothes and fans. The distraught mammal's wife then consoled him.
"It's ok, we're all gonna be just fine, shhh," she said, hushing him as he wept. Tigress was, to say the least, dumbfounded.
"Uh… glad I could be of service in your… time of need," she said, quietly walking away. Po reached his father's shop and immediately heard the goose call for him.
"Hold on dad!" He said as he grabbed some shirts and fans out of the cart.
"Po! How good to see you!" Mr. Ping said as he left the kitchen.
"Yeah, great to see you too, it's been what, a few days? Man how time flies!" Po joked. The two met in the middle of the courtyard and shared a brief hug.
"You know how much I love to see you," the goose said sweetly. "And you also know how much help I need in the kitchen! I'm worried about staying afloat, Po!"
"Oh come on dad, your shop isn't going anywhere!"
"Is it, Po?" He said angrily.
"Woah dad, what's the matter?"
"Oh, I'm just worried, like always… it's so hot. What if people don't want hot, spicy noodles if their whole life is hot and spicy?"
"People are still gonna want your noodles, even if it's hot outside! Maybe you could do cold noodles," Po suggested.
"Cold noodles, who would ever… Po, you're a genius! I could sell the noodles that sat out too long as a special for the weather!"
"That's the spirit dad! Now, I'm sorry, I can't help with the cooking, I gotta keep delivering supplies, ok?"
"Oh ok, you have a job to do. But please, help in the kitchen later if you can!"
"I'll see dad, we might be busy today."
"Ok… see you later, son!"
"See ya dad!" Po said as he rejoined the group. He started pushing his cart again and Tigress pulled up alongside him.
"People are acting crazy, Po," she said discreetly.
"We are too, If you haven't noticed," he replied.
"You guys think its just the heat?" Crane asked, nervous.
"I'd sure hope it is," Viper said, equally nervous. Monkey took the opportunity to tease them.
"No, I think it's an evil mastermind using mind control to make everyone crazy!" He said. Crane gasped and Viper rolled her eyes.
"It's just the heat, idiots! Now let's hurry up so we can get back to the palace." Mantis shouted.
After another few hours of dealing with the maniacal villagers, they were free to return to their home. They all went to their quarters and put on the lighter garments, each also taking a hand fan and dipping it in water for extra cooling. Mantis and Viper were still without clothes while the rest all had pants and a shirt made of very thin, white fabric, and they met in the kitchen for dinner
"Seems cooler to me," Tigress said as she moved her arm around, not used to the style of clothing.
"Definitely better than burlap," Po said.
"Better than silk, even," Crane said.
"I still hope this heatwave is over soon, listening to Shifu and mantis rage is getting annoying," Monkey said.
"Not as annoying as being around all you!"
"Hey!" Viper snapped.
"Guys, what is up with you?" Po asked.
"It's just the heat Po. We're doomed to be all over the place until this is over," Tigress said, looking down into her soup bowl, her ears down in despair. Po was going to say something until Crane gave his sentiment of agreement.
"She's probably right, Po,"
"No, I don't think she is. Even Viper is acting weird but she isn't affected by heat. Tigress, you aren't just angry, I've seen you being sad, that's weird for you. Crane, you are more nervous than usual, Mantis you are angrier and more impatient, and Monkey is teasing and joking more than usual too. It's weird, ok."
"You are pretty fixated on figuring this out, that's a little odd," Viper said, starting to agree.
"And the people in the town, what about them? They're acting crazy too, but how are we supposed to protect them?" Crane asked. Mantis slammed his plate on the table.
"Protect them from what, the heat goblins? You're crazy! You're all crazy!" He shouted storming off. The rest were left either irritated or dumbfounded. Tigress was, expectedly, irritated.
"Well, seems like dinner is over," she said, standing up to leave. Monkey and crane shrugged to each other they both left. Viper was about to leave when Po stopped her.
"Wait… you agree, that something is weird, right?"
"Yes. Something is off with everyone but…"
"Then we better find out what. If all they want to do is blame the heat, fine, but we have to figure this out," Po said, determination clear in his voice. Viper took a moment to think.
"Ok… let's start tomorrow, we'll ask Shifu what he thinks."