Chapter 15 is up and ready and I got to say I was really looking forward to this Chapter!
Enjoy the read!
Chapter 15
Thank you…
Po was huddled up in a corner of the burning building, his hands placed over his ears as he continued to hear the horrific screams of the dying Pandas. Images of wolves killing children, burning people alive, and that sickly white peacock standing over the village watching it all happen, ordering his wolves to continue with the slaughter, all rushing the panda's mind. "Make it stop!" Po whimpered as the tears were now flowing as Po looked up he saw that the flames had now reached the second floor and were getting closer. The only window now blocked by a wall of fire in front of him. As Po looked around, the image of the Red eye flashed before him as he gripped his head tighter "NO! GO AWAY!" Po yelled as more images rushed him just then…
Po's vision...
Po opened his eyes and once again he was in the burning panda village, he was still wearing his Dragon Warrior Tunic as he saw three wolves rushing him right then. "It's just like that time…" Po said as he remembered the last few moments he spent with the Soothsayer, as the wolves snarled at him as they neared. The wolf in the lead, the one with the eye patch, had brought forth a hammer and was leaping towards Po now, with his two lackeys right behind him as Po screamed "MAMMA!" And then he heard it…that same deep and powerful voice from before…"GET AWAY FROM MY SON!" Suddenly a giant blur was in front of Po, spinning a giant hammer as easily a bow staff, as he pummeled the three wolves each in the face knocking them back about ten feet, as he twirled the hammer around and brought it into both is hands standing before Po with his back to him…protecting him.
Po watched in awe as he realized the newcomer was a panda…A really... big... panda…and Po looked at the hammer in his hands. A long gray block with rounded edges… with a long staff like handle...but what really caught Po's eyes…was the Yin-Yang symbol carved into the hammer's head on all four sides. As the figure bellowed "NOBODY LAYS A FINGER ON MY BOY!" as Po watched the Panda fend off all three wolves, spinning the hammer around with incredible skill. Not once backing down. However, he lost track of one wolf, as they were about to snap at his left leg "Look out!" Po cried. But the panda couldn't hear him as the wolf tore into the panda's left leg "GYAH!?" The Panda cried as he brought his hammer down on the wolf's head, killing him instantly. The Panda then turned to Po saying in a gentle voice, his face slightly pained..."His face...it seems...familiar..." Po thought "Don't worry son…Daddy's gonna protect you." Po's eyes went wide with shock. "What?" Po said in a whisper…did this panda…just say…daddy? Who's daddy was he? Po then thought to himself "…He was looking right at me…is…is he…?" But at that moment, the two remaining wolves attacked again and the panda was having a hard time defending himself since he couldn't put much weight on his leg. "HEY, LEAVE HIM ALONE!" Po cried as he was about to go to the Panda's aide, when he saw the peacock near them. As Po looked at the bird, the Avian unfurled its tail feathers and dozens of red eyes bombarded Po's mind.
The scene was beginning to blur and Po could no longer see properly as he cried out "No, Not yet! Go away! I got to help him!" When he heard a faint voice in the back of his mind. "Arrior….gon Warrior….DRAGON WARRIOR WHERE ARE YOU DAMMIT!" At that moment Po recognized that voice, and his eyes snapped open as he whispered "Tigress..."
Back in the Storehouse...
Po saw that the flames were now getting closer to him as he stood to his feet. The wall of fire had gotten larger as he scanned the room for Tigress. Finally he saw her nearing the window at the far end of the room as she coughed into her arm "*Cough, Cough, Cough* Dragon Warrior! Can you hear me!? *Cough Cough*" Po was about to call out to her when he heard a loud cracking sound from above. Po looked to see the fire had reached to the ceiling and a support beam right above Tigress was about to collapse due to the fire burning away at it. Po was about to rush to Tigress when the Image of the red eye appeared before him in the wall of flames, stopping him in his tracks. Po couldn't move. "Come on Po…Move it… Tigress needs you...it's just a dream…it means noth-…"But he stopped himself "If it's a dream….then does that mean EVERYTHING I've seen…is a dream?" Po was referring to the panda he had just seen the vision of when he heard the sounds of the beam cracking again and Tigress coughing furiously. She was in trouble, the smoke was suffocating her and Po had to help her! "Tigress…" Po thought to himself as the red eye continued to stare at him through the flames, keeping Po from moving. Right until he heard it in the back of his mind.
The Sound of her voice…the mysterious woman Po had seen in his dreams…Po was hearing her voice as she sang that beautiful melody. Immediately a sense of calm washed over the panda as the melody rang through his head. Po closed his eyes briefly as the song continued. And when he opened them…he didn't see the Red eye staring at him anymore. With the song still running through his head…Po brought the neck of his tunic up just over his mouth and nose as began to sprint across the room. His only thought was to get to Tigress. As he ran, it was like the flames couldn't touch him, and so he ran, each step bringing him one step closer towards Tigress. Each step bringing him closer to the end of the Melody. Po was almost upon Tigress as he dashed through the flames.
Tigress looked up from where she stood as she heard the support beam above her beginning to break. "Oh no!" Tigress thought. it was just like in her dream! when she heard a loud scream "TIGRESS!" Tigress whirled around and before she knew what was happening, the Dragon Warrior burst through the wall of flames as he launched himself towards her. His Jade eyes showing utter determination as Tigress heard the beam above her finally break and start to fall. The next thing she knew the Dragon Warrior had Tigress in a dive as he brought himself up over her shielding her as the two dove through the window, head first, and out into the open air.
Mere moments before…
Brycen was racing through the village streets when he saw the smoke coming from the far side of town "Oh no…please no…not that…" Brycen whispered as he raced for the direction the smoke was coming from. In a few minutes he arrived on the scene "What the heck!?" he muttered as he saw dozens of bandits all tied up littering the streets with a few rhino guards he recognized from the Valley of Peace. "Just what the heck is going on here?" Brycen asked himself when he spotted Ming standing next to…Monkey!? "What's going on!? Are the furious five here?" But then Brycen saw it, the building was completely on fire and then Po re-entered his mind. At that moment Monkey went over to a guard and Brycen rushed up to Ming and turned her around. At first she seemed shocked when she said "B-Brycen!?" But he cut her off.
"Po's missing, have you seen him!?" Ming then got a fearful face "Master Brycen I swear I had no idea it was him, I promise! If I'd known it was him I never would have agreed to this!" Brycen held up a hand saying "Slow down, what are you getting at?" Ming then bent forward in a whisper saying "That Po is the Dragon Warrior." Brycen's eyes shot wide open as he pulled Ming to the side away from the guards asking in a hushed yet fierce tone "How do you know that!?" Ming then explained "I swear I didn't know…not until he used the Razor Rebound to protect Tigress!" Once that happened I knew it had to be him! You and he are the only two people who know that technique!" Brycen cursed under his breath as he listened to Ming. It was true; he and Po were the only two who could use that technique. Brycen then turned back to Ming saying "Okay, so you didn't know…But where is Po right now Ming? I have to find him!" Ming's face became saddened as she looked to the burning building and Brycen's heart sank "No…" he whispered, as realization sank Po was inside...then he probably wouldn't be able to get out..."No...Nonononononono!" Brycen panicked as he was about to dash for the building, until he stopped.
Just then there was a loud crash, as everyone looked up into the sky. There, sailing through the air was Po in his Dragon Warrior Tunic covered in soot, with Tigress in his arms as he rolled in the air so that his back was facing down as the two landed on a nearby rooftop. Brycen and Ming let out their breath as Brycen and Ming looked at each other "They made it out!" Ming cried as Brycen rushed to a nearby street, making sure Monkey didn't see him, as he began making his way over to his student. A slight smile on his face. "Thank the gods you're okay!"
With Po and Tigress…
As Po landed on the nearby roof on his back he let out a short cry as he and Tigress began to roll on their sides. Po stopping first face down, while Tigress rolled a few feet away also face down. For a brief moment no one made sound. Until Tigress began coughing as she raised her head up to see the Dragon Warrior face down on his stomach. As Tigress continued to breathe in the fresh air, her strength was beginning to return to her, as she slowly got to her knees. After she shook the stars from her head, Tigress looked over at the still not moving Dragon Warrior. "Hey…" She called out hoarsely as she began to make her way over towards him crawling on her knees. He didn't respond. Tigress coughed again as she tried again "HEY…come on, wake up!" but there was still no response Tigress grumbled "OOOOh No…You don't get to save me from a burning building and just not come out okay! Not when I was the one looking for YOU!" as she made her way over to him.
She couldn't tell if he was breathing. She then looked at his hood. There it was…the one thing keeping her from finding out who this guy really was…He was out cold…she could easily see who he is under this hood…Who those Jade eyes really belong to. As Tigress reached out her paw towards the hood…she stopped a mere inch away from it."…Should I?" She asked herself. When she heard him cough, and she quickly withdrew her paw, as the Dragon Warrior pushed himself upward his head facing the roof. "*Cough Cough* Did we…did we make it?" He asked as Tigress sat back on her rear,releasing a heavy sigh as she said "Believe it or not…We did…" The Dragon Warrior chuckled at that as he got to his knees. "How about that…" he said, as he got to his feet, he then extended his paw, which Tigress accepted and the two were staring at the burning building they had just escaped. "You know…I thought I was gonna die in there…" Tigress stated as she turned to the Dragon Warrior who walked a few steps away towards the building. "I'm sorry…" He whispered. Tigress asked "For what?"
The Dragon Warrior turned around. his back to the fire as he faced her while saying "You came back for me…and it nearly got you killed…" Tigress just shrugged saying "Yeah well…you saved me tonight…twice now in fact …" as she began to walk forward, as she gazed into those magnificent Jade green eyes, her heart beginning to beat fast "I figured…trying to make sure you got out…was the least I could do…and then you ended up saving us both…So…thank you…Dragon Warrior…" Tigress was really close to him right now…and thanks to all the soot on his face and the fire burning right behind him casting even more shadows, it was impossible to make out any details under that hood of his. "N-No Problem…Tigress…"
For a moment they just stood there in silence, with nothing but the roar of the flames behind him being heard. As she continued to stare into his eyes…"You know…You actually called me Tigress…" She whispered as the Dragon Warrior continued to stare into her eyes. "I know…" He whispered back. Tigress wasn't sure what it was right then. Whether it was because he had just saved her from a burning building, or because his eyes looked so much like Po's, she couldn't quite understand it, and without realizing what she was doing…Tigress began to reach up towards the Dragon Warriors face. "What are you?..." he asked as she inched her hands closer, her eyes never leaving his. "Wait…"he said as she gripped the sides of his hood and just waited. The two of them just standing there, starring into each others eyes…Eyes of Jade…into eyes of Amber… as the Dragon Warrior begged her in a slight whisper "Please…Don't…" But he wasn't knocking her hands away…he wasn't grabbing her wrists…Tigress could easily expose him…he was at her mercy. For what seemed like an eternity they stood there her grip on his hood not lessening, his eyes pleading with hers as her own searched his for something. "They both really do have the same eyes…" Tigress thought to herself. And then she said in an almost silent whisper "Thank you…" as she pulled the Dragon Warrior down by his hood to her and locked her lips with his!
Ming and Monkey made it onto a nearby rooftop when the both stopped dead in their tracks as they watched the scene on the neighboring rooftop. "Oh…wow…I…Uh…didn't see that coming…" Monkey said as Ming was staring in shock at the two kissing on the rooftop "Yeah… me neither…" she responded. Brycen was watching from another rooftop as he was shaking his head "Boy…this is probably the stupidest stunt you've pulled tonight…"as the Black Bear waited for the two to finish.
Po was wide eyed as Tigress continued to kiss him. "Tigress…is kissing me right now…This…this is actually happening…" as Tigress was about to pull away though, without thinking Po wrapped his arms around her lower back and brought her back in closer as he too closed his eyes. He wasn't even thinking right then…he just acted. He expected Tigress to object but instead she kept her eyes closed and melted into his kiss. It felt like forever as the two stood on the rooftop right then, time moving ever so slowly. It was incredible, Po never wanted this moment to end, but eventually it did, and Po finally broke away, Tigress still had her eyes closed as he whispered in her ear "You're welcome…Tigress…" Tigress then opened her eyes…but instead of looking into the Dragon Warrior's eyes…she was alone…Tigress looked around but he was nowhere to be seen as she looked to the night sky saying "Maybe he's not such a moron after all…"
With Po…
Po was sliding down a nearby post a few houses away as he landed on the ground, his heart still racing from moments before. "I can't believe I just kissed Tigress." Po said to himself as he sat down and leaned his head up against the wall, his arms leaning over his knees." I mean…What was I thinking…Tigress is my best friend…and I thought she hated the Dragon Warrior…but…she kissed me…and…I kissed her back…Oh man…does that mean…Am I in love with Tigress? "You sure you kissed her? Or was it the Dragon Warrior?" Po looked up to see Brycen walking over towards him, an angry look on his face. Po thought about it just then "I finally get my first kiss...and I can't even claim it as my own..." "I guess you have a point…Oh man...Tigress never actually kissed me…she kissed the Dragon Warrior!" As Po came to the realization. "How can I like Tigress if she's in love with the wrong me!?" Brycen snapped "Your little teenage love triangle set aside, do you know what the hell you just put me through tonight boy!?"
Po looked up at Brycen as he continued "Coach I-" "Do you know what I thought when I first checked in on you tonight, only to find you were gone!? I thought you were taken Po! I was about to go fetch Oogway until I found this!" as Brycen tossed the small piece of red fabric to the ground in front of Po. Po picked it up and then asked as his eyes narrowed while he removed his hood, his face covered in soot "And who exactly did you think would take me? Better yet, why would you think I was kidnapped at all!?" Brycen was silent as Po continued while he got to his feet glaring at Brycen "Oh, that's right. That would mean you would actually have to tell me something wouldn't it!?" Brycen's eyes narrowed as Po continued "You know, I wouldn't even be out here tonight if you would have just helped Ming in the first place! Yeah, I know she asked for your help. I overheard you two talking the other day by the Dojo. But since you were too busy hiding away on your Mountain, someone had to watch her back! You know, I saved her from getting seriously hurt the other night? Yeah that's right! ME! I actually helped her! And tonight, we just took down about thirty Bandits all on our own! And what have you been doing all this time, MASTER Brycen? Huh!? I at least stepped up and did what needed to be done! Those Bandits were gonna take over this town, YOUR town, and you couldn't be bothered to lift a finger to help someone!" as Po finished Brycen was doing his best to hold in his anger but it was a losing battle.
Po then continued "You know…All my life I've never had to hide away from people, and before you became my master I ran the streets of the Valley of Peace a few times as the Dragon Warrior, and It worked out fine…But the minute you show up in my dad's restaurant my life goes to Hell. So tell me, what the heck is your problem!? Why can't you trust me to handle myself? Why are you keeping these secrets from me!?" Brycen was about to lose it, but somehow he managed to keep his head, as he growled at his student, his black eyes fueled with so much anger...not all of it necessarily meant for Po... "Back…to the house…Now…" Po just looked at him for a moment and scoffed, pulling his hood back up, as he walked past his Master and began heading back to the house, his master following close behind him, his eyes glued to the panda's back as he gazed upon the Jade Dragon that was watching him, as the two walked back to the house in complete silence…
Believe it or not, I was really looking forward to this chapter. so much in fact that I actually wrote half of it out of order about four days ago...Don't hate me...I just had the idea in my head back then and I had to write it down! "Po and Tigress are safe, The Mission was a success, Brycen is now furious with Po, but also perhaps a bit with himself as Po had a few points. What will happen next? The summer is coming to a close and not much time remains left in the mountains. Plus Tigress and Monkey are still Planning on visiting Po!... Out to the west...Oh boy...
Please Review...I'll be watching for these ones to come in!