This narrative was molded around the short story I recently posted in my other fanfic 'Elegant, Graceful, and Clumsy'.Because of a recent fic posting by fellow author Merk (you may know her as Mrs. Mercury Megatron, now calling herself BuddhaBooty), I was compelled to draft a similar set of quickie-shorts based on ten randomly shuffled songs. More details on how it works can be found on her set of shorts in '10 Typos for Awerewolf'.
The inspiration for this one story in particular was a song performed by Chicago by the name 'Hard Habit To Break'
Important Note to Readers: Well folks, here it is: the long-awaited and much anticipated final piece of HHTB. I could have had this story done sooner, but unfortunately college (and the Architecture Program) has differing views in mind. So I sincerely apologize for the wait, but better late than never, right!?
Read, Review, and Enjoy!
Hard Habit To Break
Part Seven
--
The sun seemed to rise earlier than usual on this particular morning.. or at least, that's what he believed.
For three months it had rained almost constantly, but, it was normal for this time of the year, as the rainy season had always come during the winter months.. specifically to central China. Although it was a major annoyance, it was still a far-cry from what he was used to, being one of the few individuals in the area to be from the icy northern mountains of Mongolia.
He smirked—Vachir was a fool not to take this position.
Taking a deep breath to clear his sinuses, the man, a rather large Javan rhino, began the usual movements of the day—unlocking the entrance gates to the valley. Looking over his right shoulder to the other watchman, he sent a stiff nod, and immediately the two began pulling the large iron latches from their locked position. But something didn't seem right…
He ran a hoofed hand over his face. What could possibly be off beam this time—
"Hao!" he shouted, "what's wrong with this blasted lock now?!"
The other rhino simply shrugged his shoulders, and after a moment of checking over the lock, shouted back, "It's stuck!"
"Oh really…" He muttered under his breath, and then yelled out, "Try pulling harder, genius!"
Again, the other rhino pulled on the handle with fervent strength…and, nothing. It had apparently rusted over from the months of non-stop driving rain.
Shit…
Of ALL the days that this has to happen. On MY goddamned shift.The large rhino sighed and proceeded to cross the road to his colleague, only to be taken back by the sight of a strange figure just a stone's throw away from where he was standing.
"…Oh, wonderful" he muttered.
He turned towards the figure, which was now standing just a yard or so away. The guard looked the traveler over once or twice; other than his exposed feet and hands, the figure—who he had guessed to be male by the stocky appearance—wore a simple woolen green cloak over what appeared to be a pair of black silken pants. The better part of his face was concealed behind a wide brimmed straw hat. His facial expression, at least from his perspective, showed only on his lips, which formed nothing more than a grim line.
For him, this was definitely an interesting case. Usually those who passed through the gates were from neighboring villages in the valley—mostly geese, swine, and sheep. This person was certainly none of the above. Pushing a held breath through his nostrils, he cleared his throat, and cautiously approached the cloaked individual.
"Pardon me, sir…" he fell silent for a moment, "we seem to be having a little trouble opening the gates this morning. Seems that the iron latches are stuck…" The traveler remained silent, much to his chagrin. Instead, he took a few steps forward, and rather gruffly passing the Javan rhino, advanced to the gate.
"Hey, didn't you hear me!? I said they were stuck—" The man held up a paw to silence him.
The rhino eyed him warily from behind as the figure thoughtfully inspected the iron latch holding the gate shut. With a rather loud controlled breath from his mouth, the figure swiftly pulled his hand out from underneath his cloak, and, with one quick movement, struck the rusted latch with the broadside of his paw. In mere seconds, the hinges, lock, bolts—the entire assembly—fell clean from the large door.
Locked within a state of shocked silence, the two guards watched the man push the wooden gates open, and pass seamlessly through without so much as a word to either of them.
The two looked at each other, and then back at him, watching as he slowly vanished behind a nearby hill.
"Did you—?" Hao started.
"I think so…" he thought for a moment before he said, "…it must be a visitor for Master Shifu."
For the Jade Palace, the silent morning air heard nothing more than the sigh of an exhausted red panda…
Under the protection of the pavilion, Shifu looked out towards the distant mountains, still remaining shrouded in a thick fog that had settled in the night before. He sent his gaze down the steps towards the courtyard, and then over to the bunkhouse, where the Five were assuredly sound asleep in their rooms.
The gong would sound in thirty minutes, just like it had every other morning. The aging master placed his hands behind his back, and with a drained yawn, began his decent to the courtyard to the place where he had made a habit of beginning his daily rituals: the Sacred Peach Tree.
Shifu gave a tight-lipped smile as he spotted the old fruit tree in the distance; it glimmered in the morning sun, still dripping wet from the dew and rain that had fallen yesterday evening. He still wasn't sure—and was certain that he never would be—why he began his days meditating under the ancient tree. It could have been the majestic scenery that drew him there, or the scenic vistas of the village below that enticed him to the rocky overlook. Or maybe it was his way of reconnecting with his old Master…
The red panda smiled.
The spiritual connection between Shifu and this tree was in no other words incredible. It was where he began his training under Oogway's teachings, and it was also the place where he watched the olden tortoise depart from the world of the living. His smile faded.. Thoughts of the old sage always brought back memories of those days of unrest before his death, the most unwelcome return of his son, and his numerous failures as both a Master anda father—
He shook his head to clear his mind. Master Oogway might have had the best intentions when he said that the Dragon Warrior would bring him peace, but unfortunately that was only true when the Dragon Warrior was present and accounted for…
His thoughts were interrupted when he spotted Tigress on the small plateau, standing on the tips of her toes, picking…he squinted. Peaches?
He called out her name, and just like clockwork, she immediately stood at attention, palm in fist to greet her Master good morning. She blinked twice when he held up his hand to stop her. "No need for the formalities…I'm not your Master until the gong sounds." He took a seat and patted the moist earth next to him.
"Come, have a seat," Shifu grinned, and looked thoughtfully at the peach in her paw when she sat down. "Now, enlighten me on why you are picking fruit from the Sacred Peach Tree?"
A look of guilt spread across her face.
"My sincerest apologies Master, but I simply was—" Again, his hand went up to silence her.
"Tigress, you are not in any trouble, so please, drop the bloody formalities."
She lowered her head, "Sorry."
He nodded, "So why are you picking peaches?"
"Mr. Ping suggested that we make some porridge for breakfast, and I thought that peaches would be a nice addition."
Ah, of course, Mr. Ping and his wondrous cooking skills. As much of a pain it was to admit, over the past year and a half he had grown to enjoy the old goose's company, not to mention he was the best mahjong player he had ever seen, perhaps even rivaling the skill of Master Oogway himself…
"I've never seen you eat peaches in the past." He added, a wry smile etched into his features.
Tigress smiled fondly, "No…it was actually more of a special request on my part. Po used to make it for me on occasion."
Shifu turned to her, "Po made you breakfast?"
"Yes, he always made it special for me, when the peaches were in season, of course. He'd always heat up the oatmeal just right, adding just a dash of cinnamon and nutmeg…the peaches were just an experimental ingredient he added. When I said I liked it, he started using them every time he made it…could you believe that he would always bring it to me before I had even gotten out of bed…?" Now it was Shifu's turn to be amazed. Never in his years training her had he seen the feline so at peace with herself.. and just in fond remembrance of the panda.
He sighed and stood up, realizing that his time for meditation would have to wait; the gong would sound in less than five minutes.
"Tigress?"
"Yes Master?" She pushed herself from the ground.
"Go rouse the other Masters for breakfast, and when you've finished, I have a few errands for you to run."
She nodded and bounded off towards the Palace, with the same energy and enthusiasm that he could only remember from her youth. Shifu couldn't help but smile. Even though it had taken an incredibly long time for her to move past the pain, it seemed that she had finally overcome her loss.
He could see that certain gleam in her eyes... she had finally moved on.
That spark of determination that she had lost for the longest time was there again. She had started her training once more and reignited her desire in studying the remaining scrolls in the Hall of Heroes. Tai Lung may have mastered all one thousand, but she was at a close second—821 and counting. Shifu was proud of that fact, and had with the others celebrated in recognition of her incredible achievement.
He himself had stopped at scroll 804.
Perhaps she could be the one to teach him to be at peace with himself. After all, the very same panda they had mourned over hadlabeled him as the 'least Zen-Zen Master'. He laughed to himself and started making his way back to the gates…at least Po's sense of humor would never leave him.
In her opinion, breakfast had passed rather quickly, but as far as she was concerned, it was back to the same old routine.
The Furious Five slowly trudged their way from the kitchen to the bunkhouse, idle chitchat and broken pieces of conversations between them to break the silence. Crane and Mantis were arguing over who's calligraphy was better—with Crane obviously winning the battle, and nothing more than a couple of words and cackles from their simian comrade.
Between her and Viper, well, it was girl talk as per the usual, with Viper doing most of the talking. She made her way to her bedroom with her female confidant close behind, and shut the door. The tiger sat down on her bedroll, and stared at her friend as she mindlessly slithered about the room, rummaging through the tiger's personal effects.
Tigress sighed and pulled a piece of parchment from her pocket; on it a list of some items that she needed to pick up from the village by the request of Mr. Ping and Master Shifu.
She figured some of these items she could pick up from Ping's shop, since he still maintained a well-stocked pantry there…she scribbled down a few characters and placed the paper back into her pants pocket. Her attention then focused on Viper, who had by now found her way into her nightstand drawer.
"Viper," she started, sounding rather annoyed, "what are you doing?"
The snake sent her a sly smile, "Oh nothing, just invading my best friend's privacy is all."
"Don't you know that it's rude to—" the tiger spied her taking a scroll from the drawer, "Viper! Put that back!" She barked, and watched in slow motion as the scroll fell from the shocked serpent's grasp…and hit the floor with a resounding thud. Immediately she jumped from the bed and snatched up the rolled up parchment, protecting it as if it was her infant child.
"Tigress! What is the matter with you?" Viper snapped, "It's not like I was going to read it or anything!"
"Can't you just keep your hands to yourself for once?!"
Viper rolled her eyes, "Uh, hello? No hands!"
"Why don't you just—"
"HEY! Will you two cut it out!?" Crane interjected by pulling the doors open, effectively quelling the argument. From Tigress' vantage point she could see Mantis and Monkey just behind the red crowned crane, perplexed looks on each of their faces.
Great. Now she was angry andembarrassed.
"I have errands to run." Tigress muttered, and pushed her way past Viper and the others. They all sat in virtual stillness until they heard the hallway door slam shut. Three sets of questioning eyes straight away went to Viper, who held the same look of shocked silence.
It was unusual for the noodle shop to be empty at this time of morning…
By this time there would be throngs of customers waiting to be served. But, not today—the tables sat empty and unused; the interior courtyard, usually embellished with paper lanterns and other effects of Ping's were gone..
Po removed the straw hat from his head, and placed it on one of the tables. He had versed this countless times on his way back. He would see his father first, and then bring himself and his father up to the Jade Palace. At least then he would have a witness when Master Shifu orTigress murdered him for vanishing without a trace..
He called out his father's name once… No answer.
The panda took a few steps forward and looked around. The serving counter was boarded up, and the door was shut tighter than the gates of the Imperial City. This can't be good. He rushed forward and burst through the kitchen door…
It was dark.. and unoccupied by his father.
Po began to get frantic. His father was always in the shop, always in the kitchen, alwayshere. Why not today? The place looked like it hadn't been in use in months. Dust was collected on the windowsill where his father's prized orchids typically sat, and every single cabinet—save for the pantry where Mr. Ping had always kept his spices—were all but unfilled.
He ran up the stairwell to his father's bedroom, and to his utter shock, it was completely empty. Po began to fear the worst. He ran across the hall to his own bedroom with the same result. Everything he had here—his bed, his room, his overwhelming kung-fu memorabilia collection, his life…had all been swept away.
Maybe it had been a huge mistake to come back. His father, the lovable old goose had probably bartered off his belongings and left the valley, or worse. The panda fell to his knees and pounded his fist up against his bedroom wall.
This is all my fault.
Tears began streaming down his face; three months it had taken him to come back, and for what? Everything he knew was gone. Why did this have to happen? Why did he leave? It was all wrong. He was wrong. Everything was wrong—
His thought process deflated when he heard rummaging in the pantry downstairs.
His sorrow immediately turned to anger. Someone was trying to take what little was left of his father's possessions. Quietly he made his way down the steps, but before he was able to turn the corner, a sandaled foot found itself landing right in the startled panda's chest. He yelped and fell backwards. He tried to get back up, only to find himself pinned to the floor by his arms, unable to move for the moment.
"Get the hell off of me!" Po grunted, and with a renewed sense of determination, catapulted himself up by his feet, effectively throwing his assailant to the ground. The figure didn't stay down for long and jumped back up, taking a battle stance, one that looked appallingly familiar…
Po's eyes widened. He knew that stance. But it couldn't really be—he couldn't finish that thought, however, because without a moment's notice, a fist collided with his face, sending the panda back down to the floor.
"T-Tigress?" Po said weakly. He wasn't really sure what to make of the situation. Maybe he was dreaming again. There was no way it could be her… he wanted to know, but, the pain was too much. The panda felt dizzy, light-headed.. and then he heard a voice call out through the darkness…
"…Po?"
That voice—it was unmistakable.
But before he could do anything further, he blacked out from the pain.
--
It was dark, practically pitch black. And he didn't know what was happening.
He did know two things though.. His head was throbbing—as was his entire body—and he was definitively hungry…
But what time was it? And where was he? And the pain… it was almost unbearable, but, for the moment, for one reason or another, he felt safe… Safe.His subconscious mind wrapped itself around the precious word. That somehow comforted him. He could hear muffled voices off in the distance, but he wasn't too sure who they belonged to, or for that matter, if they were real or not.
And what of the voice he heard.. was that something genuine, or was it just a dream?
He wasn't really sure of anything anymore.
Several hours passed. Master Shifu walked out into the hallway, with four pairs of curious eyes intently focused on him, anxious to hear about how the panda had fared his injuries.
"So…is he awake yet?" Mantis inquired. The red panda simply shook his head.
"Can you tell us how he's doing at least?" Monkey added.
"Well physically, other than a few abrasions and cuts he received from his travels, and a mild concussion from a very serious punch to the face, he should be just fine. But he's still exhausted and needs plenty of bed rest." He visibly stopped himself in thought, briefly averting his gaze behind him. "Is there anything else?"
Viper jumped in, "Can we see him?"
"No. You will all be the first to know when he wakes up. For the time being, I want you all to let him be."
Master Shifu sent his four students a glare, and with different expressions of dissatisfaction, the four warriors slowly dispersed into their respective bedrooms. Stepping out from behind him, Mr. Ping put a wing on the red panda's shoulder and nodded, a fleeting smile on his face.
"I think we should leave them alone for now." The avian said in passing. Within a few steps, the goose was through the hallway door and gone.
With a heavy sigh, Shifu turned to his only remaining student. "Alert me when he awakens."
"Yes, Master Shifu."
He prepared himself to leave, but then turned around once again, "Tigress?" The tiger looked up at her Master. "Take good care of him." Tigress nodded. With a small bow, Master Shifu put his paws behind his back and walked out, shutting the door quietly behind him.
The feline let a held sigh escape through parted lips and looked back down, gazing upon the sleeping panda.
The world seemed to come to a halt as the reality of the situation slowly started to sink in.. she wasn't completely certain if she could believe her own eyes yet. Po was back. How long had it been now? Two weeks, two months or..? No. Two years it had been since he left, and now, without any warning, here he was, his unconscious form lying in her bed.
Pulling the blanket back, she let her crimson eyes scan across his chest, thoughtfully looking over the wounds Shifu had so painstakingly worked on for hours to stitch closed. Tigress reached out a single finger, withdrawing it several times before finally letting it touch his fur. She ran it across his torso, and silently cringed.
She could feel dozens of old wounds.
They weren't visible underneath his coarse fur, but she knew very well that they were there. This definitely wasn't the same panda she remembered him being.. he looked like he had returned from the depths of Hell; from the last time she laid eyes on him, his face had thinned considerably, and his stomach had shrunk to the point where even the subtlest of muscles showed through.
His usually bright and warm jade eyes were shallow and devoid of the enthusiasm and joy she once knew.
It looked as if he was dying from the inside out…
A pang of guilt struck her. She had so many questions to ask him, about what he had seen or where he had been, but she would have to wait until he awoke to ask him. Tigress had for a time managed to bottle up her pain and continue on without him, to swallow her emotion and focus on her training, and she was never alone in doing that…
Shifu had long since shed his cold demeanor from that night three months ago and had embraced her openly as a daughter. The Five had made a point to do anything in their power to keep her drive and determination up. Mr. Ping had taught her the dealings of the kitchen, and in her own right had earned a place beside the avian as a chef of the Jade Palace—something that she was rather proud of…
But all of that, no matter how wonderful or grateful she felt, paled in comparison to this. Po was back home again. She didn't have to dream about him anymore. He was here. And that, she reckoned, was nothing less than a miracle.
Of course she had told the others that she found a way to live without him, but that was a lie. Master Shifu had said that it would take time to heal; she would never admit it to him, but that was also a lie. Truth be told, she knew exactly what she needed.
And what she needed, was him.
Po's laugh, his voice, his enthusiasm and his joy was the medicine she needed to heal.
Fighting the urge to rouse the panda from his sleep, Tigress leaned over him and wrapped her arms around his lithe form, whispering incomprehensible words of comfort into his sensitive ears.
She had made an executive decision to stay by him until he woke up…
Maybe it was a bout of amnesia…
He could have described this as being among one of the best catnaps he had in years, but for the count, nothing could compare to what he felt at the moment. The warm comforting feeling of the sun's rays across his body, the crisp, smooth silken blanket wrapped around him, or even the softness of whatever he was lying on; well as far as he was concerned, it all was worlds apart from the cold hard ground he was used to. Sure, he occasionally found a nice tree or a smooth boulder, but this was heaven!
It took him some effort, but slowly Po pulled his eyes open to take in his surroundings. The timber post ceilings, the rice paper walls and the rich mahogany floors…not to mention the intricately woven Persian rug that sat square in the middle of the rather cozy room. It seemed very familiar, even down to the small wooden figure of the Dragon Warrior on the nightstand…
His thought process came to a dead stop.
Wait..my action figure? But I thought that they only sold those things in the Valley…
Then it hit him. He wasin the Valley of Peace. He wasin his father's restaurant, wasmaliciously attacked and knocked out cold by... Tigress. His eyes widened. So that had to have meant that he had somehow gotten up to the Palace—
I'm in the Jade Palace!?
Almost immediately, a look of dread fell upon Po's face. This was not the entrance he had been intending. Ripping the blanket away from his body he stood up, almost collapsing from the shooting pain that erupted from his stitched up wounds. He stopped with his paw against the delicate door handle, but Po had to pull himself from opening it, alerted at the sound of a soft footfall from the corridor. Sure enough, in a matter of a few seconds, the double doors pulled themselves open, and standing in the doorway was..
He looked down. "S-Shifu…"
The red panda's face flared in anger. "Lie down, Panda! You have not recovered to the point where you can stand on your own," his voice seemed to rise as he took a few steps closer to the giant bear, "NOW SIT!"
And like clockwork, Po was tucked away under the protection of the wool blanket. Shifu sent him a glare and shut the door behind him, plodding over to the nightstand. Gently the red panda placed a steaming bowl on the small table with what Po imagined was soup, letting a small sigh escape his lips before he spoke again,
"It has been quite some time, Dragon Warrior."
Po said nothing; he simply watched the Master's movements until he absentmindedly took a seat next to the giant panda.. chopsticks in hand. Shifu drew a long breath, and thoughtfully ran his forefingers through his grayed beard, setting the wooden eating implements to the side.
Shifu closed his eyes, "For the longest time I believed that Master Oogway was right." He paused in mid-thought; his left eye, though closed, was twitching. "That you were the Dragon Warrior. Then you disappear, a-and…and—" Again the red panda paused, his facial features were twisted in rage, but he managed to control himself, "Your actions were inexcusable; not only did you forthright abandon your training here, but you also betrayed the trust of one of my students. So I will be direct with you, Panda: In my frank opinion, you should be banished from the Jade Mountain, to never set foot on these sacred grounds again…"
Po swallowed hard. Maybe Su Lin had the best intentions when she had at last convinced the headstrong panda to return, but unfortunately she didn't know Master Shifu as well as she should have. But at least now he had the peace of mind knowing that he had tried.
"I understand, Master." Po started, "As soon as I've gotten back on my feet, I'll be on my way."
Shifu opened his eyes, and although it didn't seem it at first, Po could have sworn he saw the faintest trace of a smile on the old sage's lips. "Ah, but I never finished. Because of course, that was nothing more than a distrustful old father's opinion."
Their ears twitched to the sound of the bunkhouse door opening.
Shifu took to his feet, and finally sent the weary panda a small grin. "You will be on your way in time Panda, but only to the training hall." The door opened, and when Po lifted his gaze, their eyes finally met. "Tigress, please make sure that the Dragon Warrior eats his soup. I'm sure that the head chef will want to see his son well-fed." And with that, the small Master disappeared through the doorframe.
A warm rush of relief washed over the panda. His father was safe. And it didn't take much for him to connect the dots on who it was that brought the aging goose up to the Jade Palace. Po lifted his eyes just enough so that he saw her face again, and caught her gaze a second time.
Neither of them said a word.
The awkwardness of the situation drilled into them both as seconds turned slowly into minutes. And finally, after what seemed like hours of nothing but dead silence, Po mustered the courage to say something.
"…Hi." His voice cracked. Real smooth, genius.
"Hi." She clapped her two paws together and finally broke her position from the doorway, walking slowly to the nightstand to retrieve the bowl. "Are you hungry right now, or should I—"
"No. I-I'm fine." He quickly retorted.
"Alright." She whispered.
Again, silence fell between them. Tigress watched him intently from the corner of the room while Po, just as anxious as she was, looked back at her, unable to let one word come to his mouth. Thousands of unanswered questions filled both of their heads, just aching to be let out…but they ultimately fell on faltering voices. But then again, they didn't need words to speak; their eyes spoke volumes to each other…
Why did you have to leave? My life is nothing without you.
I never wanted to leave..You know I loved you.
Tigress saw the look of regret in his eyes. Po found the look of shame in hers. It wasn't long before she felt her eyes beginning to glaze over with tears, and although she tried valiantly to hide them from him, he already knew. There was nothing to hide from him; there was nothing that she wanted to hide from him. Because the moment that she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around him, she understood every answer to every question…and none of it seemed to matter anymore. Po on the other hand was a bit appalled at her being so quick to forgive him, but nevertheless hugged her back, very much enjoying the feeling of her in his arms again.
"It's alright Tigress, I'm here now." He assured, holding her close.
Although his tone of voice was drained and not much higher than a whisper, it was joyous. He broke down and cried, allowing himself to have that freedom for the first time in what felt to him like an eternity. But somehow, through all of those tears he shed, he felt no pain. In fact, he was feeling the complete opposite of it.
Things would get better. They always do.
"I'm sorry Po. I'm sorry for everything. I'll understand if you can't forgive me for my actions—"
Placing a curled finger beneath her chin, he tipped her face upward to meet his warm gaze, "Tigress, there's nothing to forgive. We both made some big mistakes in the past, but that doesn't mean we can't start over, right?"
She sniffed and nodded, her crimson eyes sincere and solid. Without another word, their lips slowly met in a soft and warm kiss, something that they both had wanted, and had waited for, so long.
And when their lips finally dared to ease away from each other, Tigress released an elated sigh, and rested her head in the crook of his neck. Po felt her warm breath wash over his chest as she whispered, "I thought that I'd never see you again. What made you come back?"
He just smiled, noting the painted scroll on the wall behind her; the two figures sitting together under the protection of a peach tree gave him the answer he was looking for.
"You're just a hard habit to break."
End.
A/N: Well, there you have it. I finally finished the damn thing! [insert party noises and fanfare here] Thanks for reading everyone and don't forget to leave a good (or bad, constructive bad, mind you) word by clicking that shiny 'ol Review button at the bottom of this page. It'll make my day! I also hope to be updating Elegant, Graceful, and Clumsy sometime in the near future, so be sure to keep an eye out!
Author's final edit: From the request of several readers, Imaywrite some type of final epilogue after I re-read the story to tie up any loose ends... But I'll only do that if enough people request me to do so!