Chapter 4

"No..." Po's big reveal shook Tigress to her very core. He was Mr Ping, he was probably more invincible to everything that the Furious Five combined. He couldn't be dying... "How?... How could he be dying?"

Po looked at Tigress, through the floods of tears flowing down his face like waterfalls

"I don't know. He just suddenly began feeling ill, and so we went to a healer... and they marked him for dead..." That was what broke Tigress' soul of platinum. She leapt forward and hugged Po tightly, as he cried into her shoulder. When she pulled away, there was a visible wet-spot where her face had just been. Slowly, she brought her hand tp her face. she could feel something cold, something wet...

"This is the first time..." she breathed out gently

"The first time for what?" Even in pre-mourning, Po felt the urge to know absolutely everything about absolutely everyone.

"The first time... I've ever cried..." They locked onto each other's gazes, as the world seemed to freeze, leaving only them.

"Po?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I come with you, to see Mr Ping?"

"Sure, master Tigress..." He only called her that when he was really upset.

She understood.

"This is Mr Ping's Dragon Warrior noodle shop, buy your noodles here, tofu too! Special offer today only, half-price on Dragon Warrior dumplings, buy today!" Mr Ping wasn't ill to the untrained eye. Unless you truly knew what was wrong, you wouldn't have noticed the slight falters in his step, the way his eyes are slightly unfocued, the way he spins just a bit too much to be normal, his feathers that hadn't fallen for months now but were dead, the way he was sweating slightly more than normal, the way he would often over his face, just for a second, and show what he actually felt inside. It was all the little details that would count. Because, in the end, they were what would send him to his deathbed.

Not that Mr Ping ever thought about it before. Now he knows his days are limited, he spends them doing as much as what he loves, making noodles, as he can. No-one would've noticed the difference.

"Ah, Po, my son... Po, what is wrong?" The ever-caring father, Mr Ping noticed his child's crying instantly. Call it 'Father's instinct'.

"Um... I have to tell you something Dad..."

"Could it wait, son? I have to serve tables 5, 8, 4, and 11!"

"No. Not really."

"Fine. You go to Tables 4 and 8, I will serve 5 and 11, then we shall talk. Deal?"

"Yeah, okay Dad." The job as done almost as quickly as it was said. A 'temporarily closed' sign was put up, as Po and Mr Ping went into the kitchen. Silence fell.

A knock broke it.

"Po? Mr Ping? It's Tigress, could you let me in?" The female tiger yelled through - unnesscessarily, as both Mr Ping and Po could easily hear her.

"Are you okay with her listening, Po?"

"Yeah. It's okay, Dad, she knows." Mr Ping opened the door, allowing the lady to enter. She was greeted by Mr Ping and his magical way with selling words

"Hello, Master Tigress! What an honour to have you here! Would you like some noodles?"

"Um, no thank you, Mr Ping. Not right now. Thank you for the offer though." The atmosphere was awkward and tense. No-one knew what to say. Everyone had their secrets, but no-one wanted to start.

"So, uh, Dad... Me and Tigress and the Furious Five, well, uh, today we got a, a... an offer. Actually, not really an offer. A demand. From the Emperor of China. Two, actually!" The estatic look on Mr Ping's face broke both Tigress' and Po's hearts.

"More customers, fan-TASTIC!"

"Well, actually, no Dad..." Mr Ping couldn't understand what Po was implying, not one bit. Nobody had been expecting it...

"Po, son, I know I'm getting older. I know I'm going to die. That does not mean, on any account, that I will stop working. I am not going to stop until I am literally at death's door. Master Tigress, I presume Po has told you of my... condition?" Tigress nodded. It was the only thing she could do.

"Well, actually, Dad, he is making us move to Gongmen City."

"Really? You simply must put up all of these posters, more publicity, more money, more noodles!"

"... Permanently. At least for the next three years."

" It'll be great for customer service! ... You will visit, won't you?"

"That's the thing, Dad. He's banned us from returning to the Valley until the years are up, except for missions."

"What? Why?"

"Master Shifu won't tell us. I don't think he knows really, though."

"This is why you've come here? To say..." Mr Ping couldn't bring himself to say it. It hurt too much.

"To say goodbye?" At this, Mr Ping only glumly nodded "Yeah. That's why..." Then, without warning, Mr Ping lept onto his son in a wave of sentimetality and hurt

"You can't go, son! What will happen to the business if I... If I... die?" The last word only came out as a faint squeak. Tigress watced the whole thing, wishing the ground could swallow her up whole right then.

"Dad... I... I..." Po went back to his initial stutter "I don't... I don't know..."

Mr Ping looked over at Tigress, desperation, lonliness and dread written all over his face.

"Could you give me and my son some privacy please, Master Tigress, if you don't mind?" Glad to feel useful, Tigress nodded and silently walked out of the door, quietly shaking.

Master Tigress left. The remaining father and son stood in a sour silence.

That's when Mr Ping broke down.

A/N: I NEED REVIEWS! Sorry, but I really need the encouragement. And yes, I didn't include the very sad bit yet. Sorry? PLEASE REVIEW OR I WILL RUN OFF A CLIFF SCREAMING INSANELY! ABOUT YOU PAYING FOR MY FUNERAL!
Do your bit for your county. Review.
Okay... BYEEEEE!