Volume One: A Visitor
Chapter III
Sacred Tears
I. The Quartet
The Nine waved the villagers of the Valley of Peace as they arrived at the south side of the welcoming entrance. The villagers and pandas waved back at them — they commemorated their reputations that the Nine was also part of the Jade Palace masters' allies. They helped the Emperor and Resistance a few months back, and before the battle of Gongmen City, the Nine's Leader and the rest of the Company salvaged the People's Hero, Po.
The Nine sauntered all their way from the Prosper Valley since the start of the afternoon. The afternoon sunlight kissed beyond the mountains, and most of the green lands touched many peacefully. Their legs seemed to bound their tight tendons, which sores behind soleus muscle warmed. A stairway of ten thousand steps was no joke as the panda salvaged many of his breaths while ascending towards the top, Xing always determined from the Furious Five.
Ahead of the Nine company, a red panda master with Oogway's wooden staff at the front gate approached. The Nine bowed the Furious Five master with respective manner. "Welcome back to Jade Palace, Master Xing." Master Shifu chuckled. His cheek pressed on the staff as he observed the wolf, gorilla, cobra, and tiger smiling at him. "Have you ease your Wing Chun training?"
Xing bobbed. "Yes, Master Shifu. Been feeling better than last time, I did."
"I see you brought your Company with you. Welcome back, Masters Fanshe and Bao," the red panda eyed on all three but the one-eyed wolf. After shaking their paws, Shifu met Wolf Boss to Xing's left side. "You must be Zhong. I believe the Dragon Warrior mentioned that the Emperor pardoned many wolves after the Company, including you and the other two wolves rescued Po."
"Greetings, Master Shifu," Zhong again bowed to the master. "I am, sir — I mean, Master."
Shifu lightly chuckled. "Your civility is improved well," Shifu let his lips curve to one side. Perhaps the Five and Shifu did contemplate this one-eyed wolf who proved his vows in front of Po a few months back — so did the panda he redeemed the alpha from the causes. Wolves do have a big heart, a bit of rudeness but Zhong, and bold faces, do they? "How is your grandmother, Xing?"
"She's very charming," the tiger's lips stretched to one side while nodding. "Ming's a strong lady I credit and love her more than what she is."
"And how is your scar?" Shifu gestured at Xing's mark.
The feline lightly massaged his faded pale scar. "It's healing well. And all the Masters?"
"Same. My student Po expects your arrival."
Not for long, Shifu escorted the Company to the front monastery of Training Hall. Their eyes met both figures of the black and white bear and the albino peacock perch ahead of themselves peacefully on soft brown mats to comfort their sitting position; the sharp shouts from the Training Hall inside and the enormous doorway thundered.
As the red panda master cleared his tendered throat, both the Dragon Warrior and former Lord of Gongmen opened their serene eyes, meeting new arrivals. Po sprang his legs.
"Oh, hey, Xing! How are you, buddy?" the panda wildly invited and shook the tiger's paw.
"Happy birthday, Dragon Warrior!" Xing stunned and shook Po's paw mannerly. "Where's my dumpling cake?"
Po and Xing laughed; many but Lord Shen chuckled when the panda gestured his opening paw toward the tiger. "Whoa, hey now! The rule is simple: Share is caring!"
"Damn right! Excuse my language; it's been a long walk between here and Prosper Valley," Xing enthusiastically simpered. Zhong's face yet froze his fixation ahead of this peacock lord (formerly lord) who just met his ruby eyes at him, four times of staring without sudden movement. "Oh! Pardon me. Where are my manners?" Shen's stare quivered from one of the visitors who cleared his throat. His son's closest friend straightened his head and back. "Greetings, Lord Shen."
"Greetings, Xing," Shen hardly grinned. "Pardon me. I'm not a lord anymore."
Regarding his admiring presence, Xing was also honoring the high ranks of lords. "My apologies. I must have forgotten about the resignation title, you surrendered, but I always give a proper rank and name, respectively."
You do have the honor characteristics; my son is right about you.
Shen contemplated while nodding to the tiger. "No need to apologize, child. You esteem the former lord, and I accept your address." He eyed his enthusiastic teacher as the peacock tugged both feathers within long sleeves. "Shall we begin?"
"Oh yeah, good!" Po widened. "You ready to take a walk with us, Xing?" The black and white bear requested, his paw gesturing toward the steep mountains toward the rim, far down to the northwest side. "I love to manifest you an awe-inspiring place you'll ever see!"
Xing spread his paws. "Then, let's go!" He interested. He turned to both cobra and a giant gorilla. "Stick around with the Furious Five. We'll return in a few hours."
The Training Hall gateway creaked as it opened, and a group of extraordinary masters of five revealed when the tiger waved, and both Fanshe and Bao gestured the Five. "Hey, guys!"
Walking farther down where Po trekked was not difficult as you keep on strolling. Xing did not mind to roam more. The quartet (including Shen and Wolf Boss following the panda and tiger) inclined to this side track of one of the short steep hills you could fancy Jade Palace behind, with gray clouds swimming underneath and thin, fresh air entering their muzzles.
"So no boat ride?" Po asked his tiger colleague beside him.
"Eh, walking is better to keep you awake, not really sleepwalking," Xing said.
"Right," The bear nodded with a squint of his jade eyes.
Behind the panda and tiger, Zhong followed and heard their conversations about their traveling considerations as if you could discover any places you have not mentioned or heard; you would want to write many facts and histories. This lupine was not fancying on his daughter's companion nor the Dragon Warrior he deeply regretted after nearly slaughtered Li Shan's son.
Zhong caught up next to the albino, who always kept his beak close to cherish these magnificent views of the Valley of Peace and Jade Palace, especially the rim borders that lay beyond the villages. With every step, the peacock closely sensed the wolf's strolling pace. Shen even had his slightest guilt in which his feather blades nearly took Zhong's life. And here he was with Zhong. One wolf and one peacock with an unbreakable bond.
"Zhong," the albino greeted without seeking his old friend's right eye.
"Shen," Wolf Boss addressed the same monotonous tone. "Have you going so well in Jade Palace?"
"This palace is my new home," Shen admitted. "Nothing so hard to see my home by the looks of the nostalgia. My father exactly pointed out to this peaceful palace that he and I went there before at once, many moons ago."
Wolf Boss smiled. "I'm glad to hear that."
"Hmm?" Shen's beak stretched when humming. "What of your new home?"
The lupine chuckled. "Same as I lived. The boy has many spirits. Xing's my teacher, so as his grandmother, she's my go-to counsel. The boy still has many lessons before becoming a sagacious master, but he's very good at leading."
"I trust that your daughter looks thriving?" Shen queried. His tone seemed to incline with caring and thriving toward his companion. To Zhong, it was ultimately rare that he and Shen did get along with their lively discussions before this crime Shen committed. So as he and Shen's beloved peahen wife Xia, they seemed to get together, compared to the albino.
Wolf Boss stunned this question, which he could not dodge. They usually wrote their scripts every weekend, their tales as if living in their prosperous villages — Shen remembered his companion's daughter about a few months during the Battle of Gongmen. "Lotus?" Zhong deliberated as the peacock buzzed his throat with a "hm-hmm" sign. "Er… Every time I look at her, she reminds me of her mother's yellow eyes. She's very kind. Lotus needed some father lessons. She only raised well; becoming a sister, she properly and insanely speaks to her friends. She's rather spending more time with Xing than me."
"Is your daughter startled a little?"
"Not that I am afraid of," Wolf Boss shook, his apple throat swallowing hard. "It appears that Lotus needs more time to think of me as her father. She deserves more answers I wanted to know of her mother's existence."
More than five hundred steps later, the quartet observed the majestic view of these misty, fizzling water-fog that floated towards the edgy and cliffs, thus a few waterfalls crying with natural whispers. The minerals crafted with dry and grass, which blended on this random terrain. The opening had shaped with a crescent moon, below was swell. The rocky soil towered among them. To the quartet's side, a small smaragdine stone perched.
The tiger's breath burned his lungs, relieving the fresh air with blends of dry mist water flowing in many directions. "You dragged me all the way up here for a pool?" Xing chirped, his paws clawing the mushy grass when bending both knees forward.
The panda held his paw gesture. "Oh, yeah. But first things first: The Pool of Sacred Tears is not a place for a bath, neither a pool to swim. Too bad, buddy."
The tiger's head faced down as referencing Aw, man facial. "But let me explain, my awesomeness teacher's master found this harmony where he visioned life and the focus of martial arts," The Dragon Warrior spread his limbs over this sacred land. "Here, standing on this hardcore awesomeness land is the birthplace of Kung Fu."
Shen flickered his crests upward, amazed to contemplate this essential history that his father sometimes envisioned his son about Oogway the Magnificent, who created Kung Fu. He had once marveled before somehow being ignored. At the same time, Shen's teacher, Master Thundering Rhino, trained him with very complex art, blended with Kung Fu and advanced dancing techniques to not expose the peacock's speed and agility. Cai Li Fo.
The lupine to Shen's side intensely shone his ruby eye with his lips dragging to one side. He had thought of Kung Fu during his young days and exiled times as if his teachers, Master Ox and Master Croc before Lord Shen, educated him before the destruction of the panda village. To his regretful thought, which flooded with sorrowfulness, Wolf Boss adopted his kung fu toward wickedness.
Crouching toward the edgy pool, Xing dazzled his pure stone eyes. "Oh, my! This place is exquisite, Po! Water seems pure like. . ."
"Glassy rocks?" Po guessed.
"Stars glittering," Xing marvelously spoke, each ripple which reflected healthy ocean blue, met the tiger's whole garment chest — his blue eyes yet sparkled with specks of pale on edgy iris from many tips of the surface. "Dragon Warrior. I believe this area is perfect for meditating."
"So it seems," Shen figured.
The panda palmed the tiger's back. "Let's see how your thing inside you is doing," Po smirked as his other paw stretched under his chin. As determined, the bear pointed. "Um. Mount on this rocky tower, and sit, crisscross. I'll be on the other stone."
As the tiger did while swirling his jump toward the tip of the solid stone, the Dragon Warrior mounted the other. For a moment, both peacock and one-eyed wolf observed both warriors perching at each other; Zhong clasped both of his paws behind his pack when Shen tugged both feathers within long sleeves, squinting.
Relieving the thickness of his breath, Xing caught his ears that met the river's melody cries falling into misty clouds in the farther distance. It was prosperous. "Close your eyes — sense the nature all around you," Po announced his balance tone so he could let his colleague contemplate the amity. "Relief whatever you grow past. Tomorrow will reveal the mystery. And today, the present opens the gift."
The afternoon broke free from the unpredictable clouds, which pale yellow rays stroked a whole Sacred Tears. One of the rays blessed the tiger — Zhong kept his eye investigate as if the specks of blossoms from the north soared like feathers. It engulfed under the towering stone. As these cherry blossoms had met by the lining rays, the lupine heard his daughter's companion's inhaling sinus.
One pink blossom lightly brushed the tip of the tiger's muzzle, and Xing's eyelids revealed his white eclipse pupils.
II. Metal and Chi
Metal unleashes its breaking draws.
Its sinus engulfed the Autumn leaves.
The tiger's heart thundered.
The Mind wandered the tiger's head. Its eyes seemed to shrink the pupils; the Mind maintained his meditation breaths above Xing's lungs. For a moment, the Mind had set its eyes meet the black and white figure who deeply engulfed the rusty fall breeze. To Po's back and farther to his left, the albino fell his beak to a dumbstruck; his feathers dug more — graving feather knives brushed back as Shen pulled it about an inch of its reveal.
Wolf Boss opened his palm to a halt without a sudden movement of Easy now, Shen! The peacock's expression was priceless when he watched his former foe spiraling the fireball with the shape of yin-yang and angry ripples circulating, and the white dragon roared its rays toward Huoju at the Room of Woe in Yinxing Mountain.
The next thing the Mind did, its eyes dragged toward the albino's heart that was racing and hammering. It slid to the panda, who stretched his grin. Po? The Mind's thoughtful voice shared the tiger's tone.
Xing? Whoa, I can talk to you in your thoughts! Po widened his closed eyelids.
DRAGON WARRIOR, SON OF LI OF HOUSES SHAN AND PING. The Mind of Metal introduced, its voice now changed to a bold, feminine character, blended with sharp ripples and gentle thunder. I AM MANY VOICES OF XING CHEN'S ANCESTORS.
Whoa! You must be the Mind! My name is Po, by the way. That's what my friends and family call me.
VERY WELL, PO. HAVE NO FEAR TO THE PRESENCE OF THE MIND. The metal dragon enunciated, as now the tone changed with boldness masculine. THE MIND GIFTS YOU THE SOARING GLIDE, WHERE YOUR BODY MOTIONS AND PASSES THE SUN, BUT CASTS NO SHADOW.
Oooh. What gift? Po determined suspiciously.
Just then, the panda's whole body gleamed. Po's pure chi began sketching its swiveling body and wide jaw. The light detailed the reptilian skins, which reflected with afternoon sunlight — its eyes and smiley dragon figure copied the panda's movements. Whoa! My chi dragon from the Spirit Realm! Po cherished.
THE SON OF SHUI ATTRACTS HIM AND YOU WHERE YOUR "AWESOMENESS" SPECULATES THE ALL OF CHINA.
You mean, my buddy, and I wish to fly?! Yeah! Let me fly with him! Let me guide his flight training!
DO AS YOU PLEASE, DRAGON WARRIOR. The Mind shut its right eye.
Po's dragon now grew its lengthy body than it was before from the Spirit Realm. The panda's whole body lifted along the blossoms and his chi dragon. Po glanced up to the tangerine sky, his limbs rising and swung down — he and his chi dragon soared with a rapid zig-zag motion.
"WOOHOO!"
Po's dragon entered the tip of the stretching clouds. On the back of Xing's spine, the Mind's whole reptilian head roared as it floated, revealing the white dragon. Underneath the Mind, the blossoms swarmed over its long neck; its wings extended both sides. Many scents of cherry and jasmine swarmed, and the Mind of Metal followed the Dragon Warrior's chi trace into heaven.
One blossom leaf spun near the yin-water when the Mind spread and sprang its feather-wings. Wolf Boss and Shen caught the sight of two blossoms: one shone as the dwarf star, and the other had kissed with Oogway's chi, the blossoms pressed against the calm surface of the water Yin. The leaf with midrib and petiole from Xing's pale chi pressed on a soft surface, the reflection foams that gleamed by the sun swiftly riffled. Every speck of the ripple painted a familiar vision of Po's dragon, as this observation, by the Mind's eyes followed chi, both Shen and Wolf Boss moved over to the edge of the yin water. White and yellow swarmed their pale ripples it waved, both visions revealing as if one followed Po's dragon and the other looked back — the white dragon spread its blossom wings it roared.
Their reaction was luminous.
THIS IS AWESOME!
The chi dragon who shared the soul of Po's exciting voice slithered to a zig-zag flow underneath the spongy sheet cloud. Behind Po's avatar, the Mind of Metal flapped its enormous feather wings, its lofty throat yelping the tiger's shock. OOGWAY'S BLESSING! Xing startled.
HERE, LET ME HELP YA! Po yielded upwards and dove next to the white dragon. He slightly inclined above the Mind's back with bone fins attached from its upper end of the head to a lengthy tail.
A minute passed by when both metal and chi dragons glided among the tips of the mountains - their roars were not exactly threatening as if the Mind of Metal managed its announcing screech, letting the Musicians Village far down below the dragons get their attention. One bunny musician, about old and leader observing the heaven, fell his mouth wide open with a stunning smile.
Look, it's the Dragon Warrior!
Wow! Who's that flying with him?
It's the white dragon who saved us!
Many villager's cries delighted both Po and Xing at once, their dragons waving their zig-zag glides over these towering mountains. Not for long, both dragons inclined; harsh winds ahead of their faces drifted and underneath the Mind's wings. Xing in the white dragon's mind managed the advantage flight, as if in his next life or wished to soar among the birds; he desired to observe most lands over the highest altitude and finding bandits they could skulk.
Both of the Mind's wings balanced when harsh winds entered underneath them. Xing jolted his head to the chi dragon after Po let his breath gasp with wondrous enthusiasm.
OH, LOOK! THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA! LET'S FLY THERE, AND FOLLOW MY GUIDE!
Their spectacular sights zoomed at wavy lengths of individual-made stones of the Great Wall, where these borders protected from many hordes of bandits passing or mounting over. Among these hilly mountains, the stone walls yet towered among other lofty watchtowers connected to the different lines of the borders. Many men of the Resistance in fine armors with gold stood, thousands of their prep-eyes training toward the peaceful sky.
They were amazed to glimpse, as many soldiers' eyes met the reflection of metal and chi traces, which both Po and Xing balanced their dragon glides.
HEY! LET'S GO FOR SOME SPEED! LET'S SEE HOW YOU CAN MANAGE THIS! WINGS OF THUNDER!
Po's dragon inclined its nose toward the heavens, behind the chi tracing its super-sonic echoes, which cracked with thunderclaps. While the Mind did as it spread and fanned enormous bird wings, Xing let the white dragon chase Po's creature, climbing and climbing into the snowy, ashy clouds. Passing over the scorching sea desert as one haunted ship had perched for centuries, Po and Xing glanced over the rim mountains, which peaked toward the east.
A moment went by, both dragons above the breaking clouds craned their heads under, and China's finest city made silks in the province laid there. This city had enough damage with many fears which people always thought of the battle: bandits rampaging, warlords destroying everything in their paths, and what's worse than stealing and conquering? — Free for all — referencing death. Many people feared another battle. Another enigmatic warlord. Another Shen (not precisely)?
The peacock lord in his grandfather's robe towered over the Holy Flame entrance view. His crests yet blew by the cracking booms above the rim of Gongmen City. Lao, son of Lord Shen, the city's new lord, glanced up to both yellow and white creatures soaring. To Lao's left, his mother, Lady Xia in blossom and ocean robes, followed her son's view; the Masters of Gongmen and their students, the Nine's Heavyweights, did the same in awe expression.
Both Mind and Chi yielded their wings to the left, circling among the salty sea.
HEY, BROTHER! The greeting hail was the Mind's who shared Xing's chirping tone and smile, which the white dragon stretched its lips, revealing sharp teeth. His stone eyes popped, and pointy ears caught a light chuckle from Lao's mother.
The young lord grinned. "Show off!" Lao protested ironically.
You and I both have that common, brother — to show off against each other like children we used to be! Xing thought.
On exact half-hour of soaring to practice, the Mind and Chi almost arrived at Jade Palace while both dragons passed over the gaps of these stiff, tower mountains which at the heart of it, mists rippled in a still pace as if the cherry dusk met the clouds. Xing's black ear caught a crackle of burning wood and let his eyes drift down where the sound echoed with gentle embers.
A towering figure that covered his voluminous gray cloak in the bamboo woods perched in front of the camping fire. From the figure's perspective, the sonic boom from the sky lifted his floppy ears. While letting the fire breathe in between the blocks of wood, the figure hastily jolted to his stand. From beyond the prosperous horizon of light cheese and cherry, which stretched across the endless hemisphere and to the west, there were both white and yellow dragons soaring over the giant mountains.
There was the sickness in which his left hand tightened his grip. Underneath his hoof, a jade knife had linked along with the metal chains of amulet collections over his waist.
Author's Note:
— I had many visions of both Chi and Metal dragons training their flights together. Of course, there will be a bit more extending scenes to show off themselves later in the future. This flight scene inspires me of Superman's first flight from the movie "Man of Steel."
— The Mind does speak to blend different voices in which generations — male and female warriors passed every tiger individual. One voice I found the idea was this character Emissary of the Nine from the game "Destiny 2" as she speaks while her lips do not move. So as I come to have such a creative idea to inspire my Mind how it shall speak, it reminds me of Saphira from Eragon. So both Po and Xing could talk in their thoughts as they can, even their avatars.
— Instead of focusing my OCs more (except Xing and Lotus they are, and briefly Lao), the Furious Five and Po are mains they deserve more attention. But there's something that our villains shall need as well.
— And that's all with my notes! Thank you all for reading! Smash those follow and favorite if you LOVE IT so far!