My Story
"There's no way I'm doing that." Demi didn't seem like he was listening to me. He just crossed his arms. "I did it once and-"
"You were WAAAY overpowered in that one. Plus, this is different. Besides... you're not really on a site that has any real... consequences for failing. It's not costing you a thing."
And there was no way I could argue with that.
*******FF*****
I can't tell you what it felt like. The moist air chilling me to the bone. I sat up right, looking at a bamboo forest that I'd often wrote about. They were fuller, deeper, richer up close. I got to my feet covered in fur. Fur? "Crap," I muttered. About thirty different thoughts went through my mind. I grasped my head, not registering the thick mane on it. How do I even begin to figure out what to do? As my mind skipped from one thing to the next, I saw a small pool to my right. "Oh, no, no, no, no. I'm not doing that." I said to myself. Talking to myself was really the only way I could stay sane, especially in this situation. "As long as I don't have any blood on my face, I should be good." I looked down at my body. A white vest with black pants. I saw the "shoes" attached to my feet. "Huh? I didn't think these things would actually look like... shoes." I was prepared for foot bindings, but that wasn't the case. In fact, I had to remember that Chinese foot binding was usually reserved for higher-class people.
It made me wonder what class I was in.
I shook my head awake. "Focus," I muttered. I looked around again, high past the tall foilage was a mountain in the distance. Clouds obscured the view, but I could at least walk in that direction. "I hope it's the place I know." So I walked, hoping that my legs could walk in a straight line from point A to civilization. I trudged on. My mind filled with questions, but all of them going back to, "How did I get here?" and "How am I getting back?" Regardless of my inner turmoil, they all ceased when I finally, after trudging through the thicket, stood on a grassy hill looking down into a familiar valley.
It was much larger than I thought and denser. As I walked into the village, I gazed at the dull-white clustered houses with clotheslines connecting across the smaller alleys. Venders were at every corner. "Buy this! Buy that!" It reminded me of the city but... calmer. "Ohhh you must be a stranger here?" said an older goat; I assumed he was older. "Welcome to the Valley of Peace, home to the Dragon Warrior and the Furious Five up in the Jade Palace." His hoof pointed to the immaculate building high above the clouds. Its red and jade finish glittered in the rising sun, and one thought crossed my mind as I looked at it:
I am not climbing that.
Thoroughly convinced that I wouldn't be meeting my celebrities, I asked the goat, "Is there a place I could eat. I... don't know if I have money, but-" Rather than give me a dirty look, the goat pointed to the circular entrance of one familiar shop. "Thank you," I bowed and ran over to the shop.
I had to stop outside the entrance and think. One, after being surprised that I could understand the people here, I figured I could only eat one thing: Noodles. "Thankfully, I don't have to worry about asking for no meat. Wait, do they-" I stopped and refocused. How was I going to get food? Ask? "Worth a shot." I'm not above begging. I took a deep breath and walked in. The crowded place chattered with quacks, bays, and oinks from the various species. Of course, they all looked at me with intrigue and worry. I couldn't blame them; I felt the same way. I sat down in the very corner of the shop and tried to shield my face with the menu from any more eyes.
"Ahh, welcome to Mr. Ping's shop! Would you like our sale on dumplings? Buy one get one free!" I pulled down the menu. There was the goose, primed to write my order down.
I gulped. "Um... I'm... uh...do you have anything for... beggers? Or... do I have to leave?" The goose's feathery eyebrows furrowed. "I can accept scraps or leftovers you have. Even the bean buns that go bad?" I grinned, hoping it would convince this goose of my sorry state. Mr. Ping's head jerked back a bit and shook.
"Po! Get a bowl of noodles out here for the lion boy!" Mr. Ping called, "No one goes hungry here."
"On it Dad!" said a familiar panda. My eyes widened when I saw the big chubby panda walk out of the small kitchen with food. "There you go. Wait, you're new here, right? Awesome! We don't get many lions around here."
"I figured," I smiled.
"Where are you from?"
I blinked. "Is my mane big and poofy, or short and skimpy?"
"Uh... big and poofy?"
"Then I'm from Africa."
"You... you don't know where you're from?"
I slowly sucked in air. "Yes... and it's not here," I said slowly. Po rose his eyebrow. "Actually, aren't you the Dragon Warrior?"
"Hehe, yeah," He said, rubbing the back of his head. "I'm kinda famous. What about you? What's your name?"
"Uh...um..." I was gonna hate myself for this, but I knew the real name wouldn't make sense. That and it could be taken the wrong way in a different language. "My name is... Ugh, Lion."
"Lion? Huh. Well, nice to meet you, Lion. I'm Po and if you need any more food, just come to my dad for it."
"Thanks," I nodded. "Do I have to leave now?"
"What? No. You can stay."
"It's just... I don't wanna get Mr. Ping angry. I know how... business-conscious he is."
"What does that mean?" Po asked.
"I... I don't know," I grumbled. Why did I suck at saying words but writing them I was a champ in? "What I mean is I don't want to get in the way."
"Don't worry about it. My dad's not that worried about money."
"No! No refunds!" quacked the goose at a customer. Po nervously chuckled as he sat down.
"Sooo, what's in the backpack?"
"Huh?" I turned around and finally noticed the pack strapped to me. I don't know how I got this far without noticing. I pulled out three large long blank scrolls with an ink well sealed tight.
"Whoa! You're a scribe?" Po asked.
"Uh... yeah," I recovered. "Just... more along the lines of a storyteller."
"Really! That's awesome! What stories have you written?" The brightness of joy in his green eyes made me smile wide with a small chuckle.
"A lot of stories about people that I'm a fan of," I said.
"Have you made some about me?"
"Uh..." Not ALL of my work was...good. "Just a... few... I don't really know much about you and your... personality."
"Well, why not now?"
"Huh?"
"You can ask me a bunch of questions now and use that for your stories. Better yet I could tell you some of them," Po beamed. "I've got some pretty awesome stories myself. Not to brag or anything."
"But you're bragging."
"Anyway," Po continued. "What do you think?" I thought about it for two seconds. This would help me get a fuller picture of Po. Well, there was only so much fuller the panda could get. I took the scroll, unfurled it, and unsealed the inkwell. Dipping a random goose feather, which Mr. Ping didn't complain about, into the well, I began to ask,
"So... what's your favorite color?" And that's when it began. Po was talkative; I expected that already, but he was also very animated not like a boy, but like a huge nerd finally meeting his idol. I laughed and rolled my eyes at his impressions, but I also frowned at his quiet moments. He'd get nervous, try and shy away from the question, but after a gentle prodding, he'd tell the sad tale. He'd blamed himself at times; who else do you blame when you have low self-esteem? But it wouldn't last long until I changed the subject, and he was bounding up again. "So that's all about you," I said as I closed the scroll. "What about the others?" I also failed to notice the quietness of the restaurant or the position of the western sun. Recording Po's mannerisms and personality took an entire scroll. I'd have to be very concise with the others.
I muttered a silent curse. Trying to crack the tiger would be different, difficult... and potentially deadly. Po, the carefree panda he was, waved his hand at the question as if it was a simple fly. "Oh, I can tell you everything about the Furious Five."
"Really?" I perked up, grabbing the next scroll. "Let's start at Tigress. How would you describe her?"
"She's..." He stopped. I narrowed my eyes. Po never stopped. I looked up from my paper and saw his clamped lips and wide eyes.
I shivered. "Why is it so cold?" That's when I noticed the shadow. I slowly turned my head. I saw the monkey and the viper, but I looked up and saw... her. "Ah, death approaches," I whimpered in a low mix of nervous laughter and fear. How does anyone have that strong of an aura?!
"Po?" She said in a strong yet subtle voice. "Who's your friend?"
"Tigress! Guys! We were just talking about you."
"No we weren't," I snapped my head around. This panda could get me in trouble for ANY reason and I did not want to die today.
"This is Lion. He's a storyteller from Africa." I stood up, gulping, and looked Tigress in the eye.
She's actually... shorter and smaller than I expected. I mean Po and I are pretty similar in height, so Tigress would naturally be the same. I just wasn't prepared for how slim she looked in real life. I gulped, bowed, and shot back up like a gun. "It's an honor to meet you all."
"Nice to meet you too, Lion," Viper said sweetly.
"Hey," Crane smiled.
"What up," Mantis said.
"How ya doing?" Monkey finished.
Tigress said nothing, and I think I preferred it like that.
"He was just talking about-"
"I was just wondering if I could... get to know the Furious Five and the Dragon Warrior better," I interrupted. I could not afford Po talking for me. He didn't do well talking for ANYONE. Tigress glared hard at me. Apparently, I didn't talk well either.
"And what exactly did you hope to figure by talking with Po?" She asked.
"Oh! Just... stuff that would go well into a story."
"What kind of story?"
"The... telling... kind?"
"Tigress, stop being so hard on him," Viper said. "He's just an author."
"Well, technically I'm a writer. I haven't really written any... I'll just stop talking," I smiled nervously. The tiger never flinched.
"You'll have to forgive, Tigress," Crane spoke up, "She's very... suspicious of people at first."
"She thinks I'm suspicious. My dad thinks I'm suspicious. My mom thinks I'm suspicious. I'm just an anxious person trying to live, man," I sighed. Tigress only lifted her eyebrow. Curiosity, I can go with that. "Actually, I'm just talking with Po because... well... I need a better understanding of his... and you guys' personalities."
"Why?" Tigress asked.
"Well, I kinda need something more than just a goofy fun-loving careless panda."
"Hey!"
"I tend to flatten characteristics. So I want to try and get a fuller picture of the people I'm writing about," I said.
"Are you sure there's enough paper to contain Po's character?" Monkey joked. The panda huffed behind me, but I continued.
"That's why I'm talking with Po. He probably knows more about you guys than anyone here."
"Why not just ask us?" Tigress asked. I paused, trying to find the right words, but finally decided if this was how I was gonna die...
"Because I'm pretty sure that you'd just... not answer the questions I had. I mean, I'd rather have a more detailed description of Master Tigress than... always angry." Silence. Every animal looked at Tigress. I clenched my jaw. Her features didn't change. I suddenly wished I just shut my mouth, but no turning back now.
I guess she realized everyone was staring at her because she glanced at her comrades. She took a breath and held her hands behind her back. "I see." That was her only reply.
"I'll talk with you," Viper volunteered.
"We'll give you some backstory," Mantis smirked. "I'm sure we can give you the less nerdy version of what Po said."
"Hm. I'm not that nerdy," Po muttered. I smiled, though the cold stare of Tigress's gaze still iced my bones.
So I wrote. Viper is as nice in person as most people think. She's not that big of a motherly figure as I thought. She's friendlier and kinder, though she shared her own burdens of being the stereotypical sunshine. She's kind, not because of her disposition, but because she has stuff to be joyous and kind about.
Monkey is simply a jokester, though some of his jokes are funny. He can take things seriously, like when he talks about his home and why he does jokes now. "They brighten people's day. Everyone deserves to laugh at least once in their life." My eyes drifted to Tigress, who was watching me from the corner of the shop. "Some are a little harder to crack than others." I solemnly agreed.
Mantis was blunt, but his character was larger than life. Naturally gun-ho with a dedication to give people 100% of himself even if they didn't ask. And I did not ask.
Crane isn't as awkward as I thought. He's actually pretty quiet but quirky, and he's a lot more comfortable in his own body than I gave him credit for. He was at ease with me, talking as if I was an old friend. I guess two nervous people find comfort in each other.
Once I recorded all of their quirks and quips, I started packing my things. "Where are you going?"
"BAH!" I jumped when Tigress came out of the corner of the shop. She crossed her arms, staring down at me at my little table. "I...I I was just... packing my stuff."
"But you haven't done Tigress yet," Po said as he sat next to me. I "smiled" at him, speaking through my teeth a bit.
"Because I don't need to bother Master Tigress with any of my stories," I said to him. Tigress quietly sat down, watching us argue.
"But you said that you needed a fuller picture. Why not talk to her now?"
"Because I don't need to bother her."
"It wouldn't be bothering her."
"That's not comforting coming from you."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Po narrowed his eyes. I held my glare.
"You're probably the only person I know that has the repeated habit to get on her nerves. I'm not trying to do that. I like my fur, thank you."
"I don't bother her. I just... sometimes don't pay attention to what I'm saying... and doing... is all."
I rolled my eyes, "Still, I'll just leave the character of Tigress as mysterious and something I'll try aiming in the dark."
"Come on. She's not that scary."
"I just don't want to piss her off, Po."
"She's not that hot-headed."
"I don't want to find out," I reiterated. "Besides, I'd rather not do something dumb and upset her."
"Like what?"
"Hot water, noddles, in mouth," I uttered.
"It was an idea!" Po exclaimed.
"It was the dumbest idea I ever heard!" I argued.
"Says the guy who's afraid to ask a girl some questions," Po rallied back.
"Yes, I'm a full-blown coward. You know what cowards do? STAY ALIVE!" The panda and I glared at each other as if two brothers fighting over the last slice of meat.
But we broke our staring contest when we heard something. Something that I never thought I'd hear in real life.
"Hahahahahahahahahahaha!" Both of us looked at Tigress with slacked jaws. She was laughing. It sounded... nice. I can't really explain it. I looked at Po who was smiling. "Hehehehe, I'm sorry," Tigress said, calming down, "I just... I didn't think I'd ever see someone like Po."
"I... don't know how to take that," I replied.
"I'm sorry for being suspicious of you. Po tends to tell others a little too much about us."
"I said I was sorry," Po murmured.
"Sooo, what makes you trust me now?" I asked.
"You're...kinda like Po in a lot of your mannerisms. Just... probably too anxious and nervous," She smiled.
"Ha! Well, that I can't change much." I cleared my throat. "So... did you want to... talk?"
She gave a small kind smile. "I'd like that."
"Okay, Po you're staying with me," I quickly said.
"What? Why?"
"You're my human... er...panda shield."
"Wow, you really are a coward."
"Sticks and stones may break my bones, but the living still live," I said. The panda rolled his eyes while Tigress held her smile. I took the last large scroll and began writing.
Tigress is actually a lot more open than people give her credit for. Sure, I had to rephrase a lot of questions to make sure I didn't offend her, and some of her responses were more cryptic than others. But she told me her likes and dislikes, her adventures, what she thought of Master Shifu and the others. She's bold and direct at times. She really doesn't give the vibe of wasting time. She does have a softer side that's more caring and nurturing than I was prepared for. There are certain 'cold' looks she'd give me when I crack a bad joke, kinda like my mom would give, but she'd see me squirm and smirk.
As night approached, there were a few questions I had. "So... How old-" I stopped. "By what interval are you older than Po?" She rose her eyebrow but smirked. Po rolled his eyes.
"Why are you being so difficult with the questions?"
"Because you and I both know it's wrong to ask a woman her age."
"Why?"
"You can not be this clueless," I muttered. Tigress shook her head.
"I'm two years older than Po," She smiled.
"Really?" Po and I asked. The tiger rose her eyebrow at Po.
"Why are you surprised?"
"Because I figured it was five or more. You're really more mature than me, I guess," Po shrugged. I glanced up from my paper and rose my own eyebrow.
"It's... not that... high of a bar to achieve, Po."
"Aren't you supposed to be writing?" Po grumbled.
"Okay, next question. This one is a bit personal. If you had the chance, would you ever date or be in a relationship with anyone outside of your species? If not, would you ever be in a relationship if given the chance?"
Tigress tilted her head to the side. "Why would I not have the chance?"
"Well... you're a Kung fu master. Isn't it a safety hazard?" I asked.
Tigress smiled, "Life is a safety hazard. And I would date outside of my species."
"Really?" Po and I asked again. My eyes turned to Po. The panda's eyes darted around the room.
"Why are you surprised, Po?" Tigress asked. I didn't need to look at her to hear her smirk. A nervous grin crossed Po's face while he spoke more with his hands.
"Well, you know just... curious."
"Hmm," Tigress hummed. I wrote the info down. "Any other questions?"
"Um... this one is... interesting. When talking about your past, is it something you would be interested in looking into or something you would leave alone?" I asked.
Tigress narrowed her eyes, but her head tilted. "I don't understand."
"Like... would you ever want to know where you came from?" The was an impressive pause in the air. She hadn't given any indication that she was hurt or sad. Just thinking. Po slid his hand across the table.
"It's okay. You don't have to answer that question," he said.
"No, no," Tigress replied. "It's not... I don't know. Honestly, I'm curious where I came from and who I am, but... there's already so much that I've already identified with... if I were to find my real parents I wouldn't be tear-streaked to know their identities."
"Meaning?"
"Basically," I said to Po, "She wants to know but it wouldn't be an earth-shattering discovery. She already knows who she is and the other info wouldn't make her question who she was."
"Oh... Why didn't you just say that?" I rolled my eyes and pinched my muzzle as I dropped my head. Tigress only smiled.
"Okay, moving on. Po, I'm gonna need you to leave the room."
"Why?"
"Because this is a... really personal question," I said.
Po huffed, "So why can't I be here? I've been here for the rest."
"Just trust me on this." I could see the annoyance in his eyes, but he finally did leave through the rounded entrance. I spoke in a low tone. "So... how do you see... Po?"
Tigress's smile disappeared. She rested back into the chair and started glaring at me, though it seemed more annoyed than angry.
"What do you mean by that?"
"I'm not asking for romantics," I clarified. "I'm just asking if he's a dear friend, a brother, a comrade."
"Oh." She was visibly taken back by the clarification. "A dear friend."
"Thank you," I said and wrote it down in total silence. I didn't know what she was thinking, but as I glanced from the paper, I could see no visible issue with the question I asked.
But I also couldn't find contentment. "Is... something wrong?" I asked.
She sighed and leaned her elbows onto the table. "You've asked a lot of questions. Now I want to ask you some questions."
"I... I don't know if I can answer all of them, but I'll try."
"Why do you keep dodging the real question you want to ask?" I sat still for a moment. Her amber eyes, yes they really are as fiery and flame-y as people poetically talk about, stared at me without any real judgment. It was my turn to lean back into my chair. I looked up at the starry night sky. For a moment, I got distracted by the number of silent twinkling lights there were.
The question. What was the question again? Oh yeah. That question.
I sighed, "There's a difference between wish-fulfillment and accepting reality. Plus, I can tell you're pretty annoyed by the question."
"Not really," She confessed. "Fans like Po don't consider the real personality of their idol." The tiger tilted her head. "But you do. Why?"
"You aren't... really known that much by your fans, and I can tell you that is the main reason why Po asks you so many questions. You're very mysterious to a lot of people, and there's not much we know about you. It's easier for the others because we have their backgrounds, their temperaments. And Po's been around here for his entire life. You... we don't know. Heck, we don't even know if you were there when Tai-Lung wrecked the whole place."
"I was," She answered, calmly crossing her arms. I widened my eyes. "He... didn't interact with me as much. I guess he saw me as a child butting on his goal."
"The same goal that you would later go after?" Tigress nodded. I thought for a moment and gave a large sigh. "I think... if the question were to happen, I think you'd like to keep it secret until the right time." She nodded again. "Right." I looked at the scroll, barely even crossing halfway in words. I frowned and released the tension in my shoulders.
"Don't worry," She said, making my head snap up, "I'm sure over time you'll find out more about me."
"And if that never happens?"
"Then I'll leave the world just as mysteriously as I entered it," She smiled. I rolled my eyes but smiled. Rolling the scroll up, I called Po back into the shop. "I hope that I answered all your questions."
"You didn't," I said bluntly, "but I at least have a better understanding than just the tiger that growls at Po whenever he does something annoying."
"Which is often."
"Hey!" Po exclaimed. Tigress and I lightly shared a chuckle. "I hope you've got some juicy info on Tigress. Did you figure out what her favorite color is?"
"You know you live with her, right?" I pointed out.
"Yeah, but maybe she told you something different because you're a cat. I don't know. Maybe you two shared a feline thing?" I looked at Tigress for a cue as to how to react. She simply shook her head.
"No," Tigress and I both said.
"Oh," Po muttered defeated. I patted the panda on the back, briefly feeling the softness in his fur.
"Don't worry, Po. With time, I'm sure you'll understand her more than I ever could."
"It never hurts to ask," Tigress smirked at Po. The panda narrowed his eyes.
"And if I get punched for asking a question?"
"Then heal fast," I said.
"Hmph," Po huffed. After I packed my things, I threw my backpack on and started my way towards the outskirts of the village with the tiger and panda in tow.
"Actually, there is something I wanted to know about the color thing," I stopped. "Because there's a debate going on that it's either red, black-and-white, or green."
"Why red?" Po asked.
"Why black-and-white and green?" Tigress grunted out. I held my smirk. She knew why I said those colors, otherwise, she wouldn't be glaring at me. I innocently shrugged.
"They either reflect your personality or represent your desires."
She said nothing. She just turned her head away with her arms forever crossed.
"Ooh I get it," Po said cluelessly.
"But I think I'm gonna leave that as a mystery," I sighed and bowed respectfully to them. "Thank you for honoring me with your presence and your time. I'm sorry for making a scene."
"Haha, it's the Valley of Peace. There's a scene being made almost every other day," Po laughed. Tigress agreed with her signature smile.
"Will you come again?" Tigress asked.
"Maybe, who knows." I started off, waving back to them. As their figures started to disappear from the thick bamboo forest, I felt the earth change underneath me. I whipped my head around. Everything was painted in black yet I walked on. I saw a light in the shape of a door. As I walked through the bright light, cars and horns rang out. Humans walked to and fro on concrete sidewalks.
"I'm home," I sighed, looking at my five normal-looking fingers. "Not gonna lie. I kinda miss the fur." It was cold, and I clutched my coat tighter as I walked on to my house to write more stories of the furry panda that I just met.
And his dear tiger friend, too.
The End
