"With Great Power there must also come Great Responsibility."

Ben Parker to his Nephew Peter Parker alias Spider-Man

Kung Fu Panda

The Long Night

Chapter V: The Truth about the Wuxi Finger Hold

I can't show my pain. To no one!

I need to conceal it. Try to smile.

I reach the empty Jade Palace. I cross slowly the Hall of Warriors and see the meditating Shifu in front of the Moon Pool.

"Master Shifu…." I begin quietly with a hurt voice. No No….Conceal it. Conceal it!

"Master Shifu…" much better, "you wanted to speak with me?"

The red panda is not moving away from his position with Master Oogway's staff on his legs.

"Yes, I did." he begins slowly and stands up finally. He turns around to me with peaceful face, but it changes immediately after he has seen me.

"Po is something going on?" he asks me right away. Have I been found out?

"No…no…I don't know what you mean, Master Shifu."

He examines me precisely. Look Normal! You are the Dragon Warrior! Look awesome!

Finally he shrugs and I breathe out. "Whatever. About this we can talk later." he says while turning around to the Moon Pool again, "Po, I have sent for you, because I have decided to tell you something."

"Tell me something? What is it?"

He turns his head to me. "Po, what do you know about the Wuxi Finger Hold?"

This question surprises me, but I begin to collect all my knowledge on this matter. What I know about it?

"It was invented by Master Wuxi in the third Dynasty. It is used by pinching an opponent's index finger and simultaneously flexing your pinky. To activate it you need to end the flexing."

"And…you know what the Wuxi Finger Hold does with the opponent?"

"Eh…I heard it would affect the Chi of the opponent….and I saw a really big golden halo while using it on Tai Lung….and…."

"So you have no clue?"

I nod. Odd that I have never thought about this. Master Shifu turns around to the Moon Pool once again and keeps silent. It lasts long enough that I become worried.

"Po about what I will talk to you now, I have thought very long. It is a secret all the older Masters of Kung Fu share. The Truth about the Wuxi Finger Hold.", by the last sentence he has turned around again, "What I will tell you, you need to consider as a secret as well, understood?"

I nod eagerly. The truth….what a terrible secret lies there?

"So let us begin with Master Wuxi. Back then Master Wuxi has noticed that the world of his time was….unbalanced. Inharmonic. And he seemed to have deduced something in this matter: The ones with the greatest unbalance in their selves were the greatest threat of harmony and peace of the world. No matter how often he beat them, they still came back. So Master Wuxi invented a technique with which he could bring back balance in these foes….by force."

"By force?"

"Yeah…Master Wuxi saw no alternative except killing them and this he wanted to prevent. No one of these foes even tried to gain Inner Peace. More even. They were far away from this and didn't even try to gain normal peace like the common people. They lived in Chaos and they loved it."

"Wo, Wo, Inner Peace? I thought we are talking about balance?"

"It is the same, Po. Inner Peace is the perfection of harmony in yourself and so the perfection of balance of the inner Chi. There is no difference."

"Ah…" I mutter, "…Awesome..."

"Maybe.", Shifu replies reserved, "The Wuxi Finger Hold on its own is a technique invented by a genius. It uses the grade of balance of its user and its victim to be effective. It used the user's balance as a template, as a point of comparison and it compares it with its victim. The greater the difference between victim and user in matters of balance the stronger the Wuxi Finger Hold. It releases the Chi of its victim so he or she becomes balanced."

"Ah so this was the golden halo I have seen….Awesome….Wait a minute….So the Wuxi Finger Hold is not a technique to beat its enemy or am I missing something?"

Master Shifu lowers his head. "Originally it shouldn't be, but Master Wuxi has underestimated the force of the release. Instead of reestablishing the Inner Peace in its victims, it…."damages" them. The stronger the release the stronger the damage. It could kill even." I stare at him shocked, "That is the reason, why the Wuxi Finger Hold is a secret between the older Masters of Kung Fu. It is our strongest weapon against the foes, but also the deadliest. Usually a Master doesn't use it except there is no alternative and the teaching of it is only allowed to the most trusted and strongest disciples…." he looks up to me, "but you have figured it out for yourself. A thing no one would have expected, because since Master Wuxi no disciple was able to figure it out without guidance."

I stare at him still shocked. "Then….that I have not killed Tai Lung….was only luck?"

Master Shifu shakes his head. "No….like explained the grade of the Inner Balance of its user is used as a template. When you used the Wuxi Finger Hold against Tai Lung, you were as imbalanced as him. The damage was at its lowest. But still…it was strong enough to blind him temporally as well like sent him flying hundreds of miles away from here. Now…you can imagine the strength of this technique."

I am still shivering. I could have killed him! I used a technique without proper knowledge about it and have killed someone almost. I look down on the fingers who had performed this technique.

"Po, there is still one thing you need to know." Master Shifu gets my attention back, but we get interrupted by Zeng storming inside the Hall of Warriors screaming: "Bad News! Bad News!"

We look at him while he reaches us panting. "What is it, Zeng? I told you not to interrupt us."

"We have received a message from the capital."

"The Capital? Who sent it?"

"The Imperial Court. The Emperor…is dead."

I look back at Master Shifu. He looks still serious, but not sad.

"I see…I have heard that his health was leaving him…" he thinks for a while, "Let the Furious Five and all the people of the village know, that at noon we will stay silent for a minute. And sent for the Five. I will need to talk to them."

"Understood, Master Shifu." Zeng replies and leaves the Hall of Warriors fast.

"Before the Five come, I need to tell it to you.", he says while marching back to the Moon Pool, "When the user of this technique has reached Inner Peace, then the effectiveness of the Wuxi Finger Hold is at its highest. And you have obtained Inner Peace already."

"So…this means, if I would have used the Wuxi Finger Hold today, I would have killed Tai Lung."

"Correctly."

"But…why have you not told me this earlier?"

Shifu sighs. "That was a thing I had to decide. I didn't know if it would be wise to tell it to you right away. Especially because I thought you would need more time to obtain Inner Peace. But I decided to tell it to you because of the circumstances of the last months."

"The attacks?"

"And Tian Yi. Something bad is going to happen. I feel it. The times are more chaotic than in every other time. The possibility that you will need to use the Wuxi Finger Hold is higher than I have ever expected."

I lower my head. "So this means….I will need to kill again." I mutter more as a fact, than a question. Before Shifu can say something to this, the Furious Five enter the Hall of Warriors. Tigress is at the front and when I look at her, the pain returns. I look away.

"Good that you have come so fast." Master Shifu greets them.

"We heard the Emperor died.", Tigress mutters.

"What will happen now?" Viper asks.

"For the Jade Palace…not much." Master Shifu replies, "But for me. There is a thing all of you need to know." he makes a break, "I will depart tomorrow."

"What?" every one of us says. "Where to, Master Shifu?" Tigress asks.

"To the Capital. There is a friend…who could be sad cause of the death of the Emperor. In a personal way. I will try to support…the friend."

We nod. "As long as I am away, you, Tigress, will represent the Jade Palace as its most experienced Master."

"Yes, Master." Tigress replies bowing.

"Good, you are dismissed. And don't forget the minute of silence at noon. The gong will be used to signal It.", every one of us nods. The Five leave one by one the Hall of Warriors. Tigress turns around as the first. Viper tries to talk with me, but I turn away. She leaves silently.

"Po, there is one advice I want to give you." Master Shifu stops my from leaving after the others are gone. I turn around to him with a questioning look.

"Po, I know that you have problems with killing your opponents. And I understand it very well, but…there are times, where you need to kill. For the greater good. Do you understand this?"

"Yes, I do, Master Shifu.", I reply trying to act a confident smile. Somehow after seeing Tigress once again, I can't.

"Good, then let us talk, what happened…" he tries to start this matter once again, but I interrupt him fast: "Sorry Master Shifu. I…I need to go…to my dad. Yeah my dad. He was a big fan of the Emperor, so….I will need to comfort him."

"I see…" he says with a warily look, "Good then go. You are dismissed." He returns to his meditating.

I begin to leave the Hall of Warriors. The day has begun so nice: Finally it was not snowing again and all of us had a little free time. I could build my Snow Panda and….and….

I leave the Palace and see that it is snowing again. The day has ended horrible.

Fly, Fly, Fly!

Fly through the Sky!

Fly, Fly, Fly!

Fly through the Sky!

I love flying! Yippee! Finally after so long being caged inside a wet box I can fly again. Man, have I missed it to spread my membrane wings! They were glued to my body already, because of this odd mixture the Master had put me into. But now I am free!

Fly, Fly, Fly!

Fly through the Sky!

Wait a minute! I have almost forgotten the mission, Master had sent my flying. Silly me! I look around and see like it begins to snow once again. Brrr…..it gets cold once again. I hate this cold weather….I can't remember such weather ever in my whole life….how long was I caged? ….No matter. I am free!

Fly, Fly, Fly!

Fly through the Sky!

I see like a Valley spreads right below me. And there is this Palace out of Jade! Or was it the other way around? …

Whatever. Nose Dive!

Yuhuuuuuuu!

I love flying!

There is the village inside the Valley. Now only need to find….to find…..What was it once again? Mr. Peng's Fireworks Shop? … No! Mr. Pung's Rice Shop? … No! …. Ah, I have it! Mr. Ping's Noodle Shop!

Looking around once again….there it is! Another Nose Dive!

Yeah!

Looking inside the shop. Mr. Ping has filled a bowl full with this noodle soup for himself. Right timing! I fly to it. There is my target. Geronimoooo!

Splat!

The Fifth Chapter continues with Po. :)
I hope you enjoy reading it and I appreciate it when you would review this chapter.

"Kung Fu Panda" (c) DreamWorks Animation

I own nothing except for the written word.
Characters you don't know are from me. The Idea is also from me.