Chapter 13
20044: Thank you!
VeGiTiPo: I'm so glad you liked it! I've had that moment planned for ages haha, along with most of this new chapter. :)
[Scene: the monastery's kitchen. All six of them are sitting around the table, drinking tea. Nobody seems to want to speak first. Tigress, apparently, isn't going to.]
VIPER: (At last, offering her friend a weak smile) This is good.
TIGRESS: It's local. Apparently they grow it in a town not far from here.
VIPER: Oh…
(Another long, awkward silence. Po puffs his cheeks out and looks away, uncomfortable. Crane and Monkey share an anxious look. Tigress takes a sip from her cup.)
MANTIS: (Abruptly and loudly) So are we just not gonna talk about the fact that Tigress is secretly the empress of China?
TIGRESS: (Setting her cup down so hard the tea sloshes over) I am not an empress.
CRANE: Great, so can you clear that up for the Ten Thousand?
TIGRESS: That's not how these things work. The less people who know about me, the better.
PO: I mean it's not like we can keep this a secret forever–
TIGRESS: (Interrupting:) That is exactly what we're going to do.
PO: Come on, Tigress, be serious! Word is already spreading; you're the daughter of, like, one of the worst bad guys in history! (Her eyes narrow into a flat expression.) You seriously think people aren't going to talk about that?!
TIGRESS: Who knows.
PO: What?
TIGRESS: You said word is spreading; who knows about me?
MONKEY: (Drawing her attention as he counts on her fingers) Well, there's the Emperor, and Shifu–
VIPER: (Chiming in) And Captain Wu.
MONKEY: –And that wolf who worked for Shen, and his nephew, and some other wolves. And us.
TIGRESS: So, a dozen people.
PO: (Insisting) Plus all of the Ten Thousand! Look, if people are gonna find out anyway, why not use that to our advantage!
TIGRESS: Your advantage; my life will be ruined.
PO: But we need you, China needs you! Tigress, you could fix everything, tell the Ten Thousand you don't want this!
TIGRESS: (Abruptly planting her paws on the table) I can fix nothing! (Po shrinks back a little.) All the Ten Thousand want is an excuse to put themselves in power; they are not going to care about what I want. (Addressing the whole table:) Can't you see that the best thing for me to do is to stay as far away from the Emperor and the Capitol as possible?
VIPER: Tigress–
TIGRESS: I'm staying here, out of their reach, until the rest of you complete the mission. That is what China needs; that is the best way forward. (Leans back in her chair. The others share uncomfortable looks.)
PO: (Taking a deep breath and playing their trump card) …Shifu's hurt, Tigress. Badly.
TIGRESS: (Eyes widen:) What?! (She looks around at the others, who look guilty, and then back at Po. Tensely:) Is he– will he be alright–?
PO: We think so. He was in rough shape when we left but…Tigress, we think…we know Zhong did it to him. (Earnestly) You've gotta come back. Things are getting out of hand; we can't do this without you.
TIGRESS: (Eyes still wide and frightened, she looks out the window at the garden, visibly processing. After a moment something in her face shifts, growing more controlled:) That is…unfortunate.
PO: What?!
TIGRESS: (Exasperated) Po-
PO: Shifu's your master; he's trained you since you were a kid! Aren't you angry?! Don't you want to kick Zhong's tail, get revenge?!
TIGRESS: (Snapping) Of course I do! But what do you want me to do, Po, go running back to the Capitol and challenge Zhong to a fight?!
PO: (Exasperated) Yes! Exactly!
TIGRESS: (Flatly) No. I've already told you, going back to the Capitol would be playing into the Ten Thousand's hands. I've made up my mind, Po, I'm staying here.
CRANE: Yeah, uh, about that…
TIGRESS: (Looks around at the others, noticing their awkward looks. She frowns.) What.
VIPER: (Hesitantly) The thing is–
MONKEY: (Honestly) We didn't come all this way just to catch up.
TIGRESS: (Working it out) Shifu sent you to bring me back.
MANTIS: Ha, no, way worse. The Emperor did.
PO: (Reluctantly, drawing her attention) We're under imperial orders, Tigress. You're coming back with us.
(Tigress looks around the kitchen. Everyone is still sitting, but there is a sudden tension to their forms, as if they are all poised to strike.)
PO: Please don't make us do this.
(Tigress eyes them calculatingly, and then picks up her tea, finishes it, and then sets it back down. She looks back up.)
TIGRESS: (Coolly) Ready.
(There's a beat of silence.)
(And then all six of them lunge at once.)
[Tigress is quickly surrounded, despite her best efforts to put her back to a wall; she catches a punch from Po, ducks under tail-whip from Viper and then spins Po around by the caught hand into Monkey's oncoming four-fist strike. Po lets out an "oof!" as he gets bounced back into the opposite wall, knocking several pots and pans off the wall-hangings to the ground.]
MANTIS: (Hopping over the panda) Is this really how we're gonna settle this?! (Launches the pans at her like discuses with his feet.)
TIGRESS: So it seems. Hahp! (Flips the table on its side; the launched pans smack into it with a rattle, and she kicks it, sending it skittering across the room. Crane squawks as the table pins him spread-eagle to the wall before he can attack her.)
MONKEY: (Consummate weapons master, he grabs three cooking knives and launches them at her; two veer off to the sides, while the third she bats away from where it's flying straight between her eyes—the diversion works, however, as her sleeves are nailed to the wall by the other two.) Hah! (Launches over Po, who's trying to pull the table off Crane, and attacks with his fists; Tigress defends with her feet.)
VIPER: (Launching herself forward) Come on, Tigress, even you can't fight all of us at once!
TIGRESS: (Eyes flashing to the kitchen window) Good point. (Yanks her arms free of the knives with a tear of cloth and grabs hold of Monkey's tail just in time to swing him into Viper, who ends up tangled up around his limbs instead of hers. Tigress takes the opportunity to launch herself out the window.)
CRANE: (As Po hauls the table off him) I've got her! (Takes off out the window after her.)
PO: (Seeing he can't get through the window) You guys go, I'll catch up! Don't let her run away! (Runs for the door as Mantis hops out the window and Viper and Monkey de-tangle themselves.)
[Outside in the courtyard-turned-garden, Tigress sprints on all-fours for the open gate, but is abruptly stopped as Crane appears in front of her with a wing-blast, the wind knocking her back onto two feet.]
TIGRESS: (Curt) Get out of my way, Crane.
CRANE: You know I can't do that. (Dives at her.)
(They trade blows, moving from left to right across the shot; behind them, Lan is meditating under Xue's tree, apparently completely uninterested in the fight happening in front of his closed eyes.)
MANTIS: (Hopping onto the windowsill and looking around.) Over there!
VIPER: (Coiling out after him feeling the frigid air) Ooh, that'ssss cold– (Is cut off by a squawk as Tigress grapples Crane, pinning his wings behind him.)
MONKEY: Come on!
(He, Viper and Mantis rush forward; she abruptly lets go of Crane and flips back out of the way of Viper's tail-whip, grabbing something off the ground beside Lan as she lands. Shot moves to slow-motion as Mantis launches himself at her, and she sweeps the bucket of pine-pitch up to face him.)
NOISE: THUD! (The bucket flies backwards out of her hands—just in time for her to block Monkey's fist. It lands, rattles, and spins before falling upright.)
MANTIS: What the– (looks around the bucket and tries to jump out, only to find his feet are being gummed up by the pine-pitch.) Oh come on!
MONKEY: (Swinging up onto a branch of the tree and attacking with his feet, offended on his friend's behalf:) That was a dirty trick!
TIGRESS: (Blocking) And five on one isn't? Kyah!
(The four of them circle the tree in a flurry of wings, tails and fists. Lan opens his eyes, at last appearing to notice the disturbance, and then sees the setting sun and stands up, heading for the door as the masters continue to duel behind him.)
(Shot shifts to Po running through the monastery, looking for a big enough window to get out into the garden. He skitters to stop as he passes a large set of doors and pushes them open to find a large, brilliantly-painted prayer hall, with golden statues of the elephantine Buddhas and a Tibetan altar set with lamps and bowls of water—and large windows and a set of doors on the other end.)
PO: Yes! (He sprints for the door, only to jump back out of the way as it bursts inwards, Tigress and the other three still fighting. Lan follows behind them, looking unconcerned, and heads for the altar as Po jumps into the fray.)
PO: Tigress, come on, this is ridiculous! You know we're just going to wear you down!
TIGRESS: And what exactly is your plan after that? Hah! (Blocks his punch and then ducks as Crane swoops down from above). You can't drag me back across the whole of China against my will.
MONKEY: Yah, uh, we were kind of hoping diplomacy would work?
TIGRESS: Seriously? (Blocks Monkey and then sweeps Po's foot, forcing him to roll backwards.) And you didn't think of a Plan B?
PO: See, that's why we need you! You would have thought of a Plan B! (Lunges forward again.)
LAN: (Apparently ignoring them, going to the altar and picking a clay pitcher up off the ground as the fight continues on behind him.)
TIGRESS: Kyah! (On the backfoot trying to defend against four, she's not able to get a hit in, too busy blocking a hail of blows from the others; the last she dodges, sending a flying Monkey careening into Po.)
NOISE: Bou-u-unce! (Monkey rubber-bands off Po backwards across the room and crashes through a door as the panda lets out a "Hah-owww!" of pain and curls over. Tigress takes the opportunity to focus on Viper and Crane.)
MONKEY: Ooh… (sits up, rubbing his head, and then looks around as something rattles. He seems to have gotten bounced into some sort of storage closet, as there are various spilled dishes and other religious objects scattered around him. His face brightens as he picks something up.)
(Back out in the hall, Tigress and Viper are still fighting hand-to-hand; Viper laces herself around Tigress's arms and temporarily restrains her instead of using her self-punch attack. The other woman quickly breaks free, sweeping Viper off her arm and tossing her several feet away.)
TIGRESS: (Dropping into defensive-stance as the snake lands and coils:) You're holding back!
VIPER: (Another tail-whip; Tigress blocks) We don't want to hurt you!
MONKEY: Kohh! (Both women look over at the simian screech and duck out of the way, separating; there's a metallic rattle as the rings on the end of the khakkhara staff strike the ground.) Viper, she is right, we have to go all-out! (He swings again; this time Tigress blocks.) We are under orders, knock her out if you have to! (Before she can respond, he plants the end of the staff, swings around it and kicks Tigress into the opposite wall.)
TIGRESS: (Hits the stone with a hiss and drops, landing on all-fours. When she looks up Monkey is charging; she leaps forward, blocking the strike aimed at her temples and getting in close. She and Monkey trade blows, both taking several hits, until he sweeps her legs and she ends up flat on her back.)
MONKEY: We are not enjoying this any more than you! Just surrender! (Swings down at her.)
TIGRESS: (Rolls out of the way, grabs the staff in the crook of her knee to disarm him and flips upright with a roundhouse-kick aimed at his head. Monkey blocks it with his arm, but the momentum is enough to send him flying back into the storage closet. Tigress shuts and bars it with the staff.)
MONKEY: (Tries to push open the door, and then rattles it.) What the–
TIGRESS: (Back in the hall, she turns just in time to block Crane's flurry of attacks, being forced backwards towards the altar where Lan has finished emptying the bowls of water into the pitcher.)
CRANE: (Flaring his feathers in a blaze of stunning white:) Wings of–!
NOISE: Splash! (Water soaks him from head to foot. Crane gapes at her, beak hanging open.)
TIGRESS: (Handing the pitcher back to Lan, who raises his eyebrows.) Apologies. (She drops to all fours and sprints for a window.)
CRANE: (Shaking his feathers angrily) Oh you wanna take this outside? Fine, better for me anyway! (Takes off and flies out the window after her once again—but as he hits the purple evening air, the water on his feathers crystalizes into a fine frost, and he loses his balance on the air currents.) Wh-whoa! (He's forced to land, trying futilely to shake the ice off, and looks up to see Tigress flipping herself up onto the gilded temple roof.)
CRANE: Oh yeah, very mature! (With annoyance as Viper and Po come out the doors) She's up there, I can't follow her!
PO: Don't worry Crane, we've got this! Tigress, get back here! (Starts trying to clamber up the wall; the smaller Viper slithers over and ahead of him with a hiss, using the edges in the brickwork like a ladder.)
TIGRESS: (Shoulders rise and fall as she takes a quick breather on the roof, and then turns as she hears the hiss behind her. Viper is glaring at her.)
VIPER: (With a flickering tongue) That was not cool of you.
TIGRESS: (Taking a ready-stance) It's a long way back to the Capitol. Even if you take me prisoner tonight, do you really think you can fight me every step of the way?
VIPER: We shouldn't have to! You've never disobeyed orders before; why are you making this so difficult! (Coils and lunges at her.)
(They fight, Viper at one point coiling up the gilded spire to get a better vantage point. She manages to tail-whip Tigress back to the edge of the roof; although the slope isn't steep, the dusting of snow on the gold is enough to make Tigress slip and struggle for balance for a moment as Viper uncoils herself from the spire.)
VIPER: L-let's f-f-finish this-s-s– (She shivers and then looks down in surprise at the gilded roof under her scales.)
TIGRESS: (Dryly) Slowing down?
VIPER: (Hisses and tries to lunge again, only to shudder again and spasm up.) Uh-h-h-h oh…
TIGRESS: (Steps forward and scoops her friend up, turning at the sound behind her and depositing the snake into the surprised (and apparently escaped) Monkey's hands before he can attack her. Mantis is riding on his shoulder, legs still too gummed-up to fight.) Get her warm, before she freezes.
VIPER: (Sighing) S-s-s-sorry, everyone…
(Another noise makes her turn again. Po has finally managed to pull himself up onto the roof.)
PO: Haghah. Okay, for the record, those walls are way too high and have, like, no handholds! (Sees the situation) Oh no, Viper–
TIGRESS: (Stepping in front of them) She'll be fine. (Lifts her paws into her open-palm, curled-finger "ready" posture) The one you should be worried about is me.
PO: You know, that would've sounded really cool if I weren't so mad at you! (Charges at her.)
TIGRESS: Hah! (There's the sound of flesh making contact as she blocks his spinning kick, and the fight is on.)
(The two are evenly matched, their styles on full display as both strive to get the hand over the other: Tigress, finally able to go on the offensive, throws brutally fast and powerful strikes in combination with joint-lock grappling techniques whenever Po gets in too close—but this is offset by his mastery of redirection and evasion techniques, stopping her blows from landing as often as they should, as he gets in calculated hits where he can with spinning kicks and two-fingered claw attacks. The course of the fight takes them from the highest roof down to the one in front of the courtyard.)
PO: Getting tired yet?! (Blocks her punch and tries for a scissor-kick.)
TIGRESS: Of this ridiculous fight or your bad one-liners? (Grabs his foot in a lock.)
PO: Oh you don't like my jokes? Fine, that's cool, I'll just go with this instead! (He whirls around and kicks hard with the foot, breaking the lock; as it makes contact with her solar plexus a flash of golden light flares under the sole of his shoe, and she flies backwards.)
THE OTHERS: (Hurrying out in the courtyard below, they gasp and look up as their leader is thrown through the air clear past the gate.)
TIGRESS: (Flips over mid-air as she falls, landing in a crouch on the snowfield just beyond the gate. She wheezes, shocked, as she presses a paw to her abdomen, and then looks up as Po drops down off the top of the gate in front of her with a roll through the snow.)
PO: (Also panting slightly as he comes up on his feet; the chi-blast clearly took something out of him) How's that– for a bad one-liner?
TIGRESS: (Snarls, not even bothering with words, and lashes out at him again. Po goes back on the defensive, but whether because of her loss of temper or the physical exertion, her attacks are wilder and easier for him to block.)
PO: Tigress, you know running away from a prophecy never works! (Blocks) Just give up and come back with us to the Capitol, save the Emperor like you're supposed to! (Blocks again)
TIGRESS: You don't understand what you're talking about! (Strikes; he blocks.) That prophecy isn't something I want to fulfill!
PO: How can you throw away a thousand years of peace!
TIGRESS: A thousand years of peace is just a thousand years without war!
PO: How is that a bad thing?! (He throws a punch, but Tigress grabs and locks his hand and bodily swings him into the air, using a kick to send him skywards.) Whoa-ho-oh!
TIGRESS: (Leaping into the air after him) Kyah!
(The kick sends him flying back towards the monastery, and Po hits the wall with a loud CRUNCH!, sending cracks splintering through the white brickwork.)
CRANE: (Wincing from where he's watching in the gateway.) Ooh.
MANTIS: That's gonna hurt in the morning. (Po peels off the wall and face-plants into the snow.)
TIGRESS: (Lands in front of him, red eyes seeming to blaze in the falling dusk even as she pants for air.) I've had– enough of this. (Po looks up angrily from the ground.) You need to learn– when to give up!
PO: (Getting up and wiping snow off his face) You came all the way here, crossed the whole of China, to find answers! Quit pretending you're so hard-core that this doesn't bother you! (Lunges at her.)
TIGRESS: (Blocking him) Of course it bothers me! My father was a war criminal! (Three kicks and an open-palm strike; Po blocks all four.) He laid waste to China for fifteen years! (Another punch, weaker this time; Po fends it off.) He did horrible things! (A weak bat, which Po deflects; she staggers.) He was a monster…
(Her breath has turned ragged. Po catches her by the shoulders as she stumbles forward, seemingly out of energy.)
TIGRESS: (Breathing hard:) You think– that doesn't– bother me?
(The Four look at each other, stunned. Po's own eyes have widened in shock.)
TIGRESS: (Bitterly, heaving with exhaustion:) I was– supposed to be their hero, Po. Proof that– my people had a place in China, that we were more than just… (She trails off with a hissed growl.) If even Master Tigress of the Furious Five can't be trusted, who of us can?
PO: You still can prove that! Please, Tigress. We can't do this without you.
TIGRESS: (Shaking her head; hoarsely:) No.
PO: (Insistent) Tigress, you can't keep running from your past! Take it from me, it follows you. You have to face up to it or it just gets stronger. (She doesn't answer.) Look I know how you feel–
TIGRESS: You do not know how I feel. And this is not about how I feel. (She braces her paw against his shoulder and seems to force herself to speak the next words:) There's another interpretation of the prophecy. One that ends with me killing the Emperor—and likely you.
PO: (Confused:) "Another interpretation," wh– okay, what does that mean, what–?
TIGRESS: (Reciting bitterly) "The dragon will stand to the side, and with the Emperor's most loyal warriors at its call, the tiger shall vanquish over the usurper, preserve the dynasty, and usher in a thousand years of peace." The Ten Thousand have their own understanding of what that means. (She looks up, finally meeting his eyes:) I told you before, I can't watch my friend be killed.
PO: (Stares back at her for a moment, and then, with an uneasy half-chuckle:) But Tigress– c'mon, y-you don't really think you would do that–
TIGRESS: And I'm sure Tai Lung never thought he would attack the Valley. Under the right conditions, who knows what any of us is really capable of. (Steps back from his hand, regaining her strength as she straightens up and addresses the group as a whole, her voice returning to its more even cadence:) Even if I wouldn't, returning to the Capitol would just be playing into the Ten Thousand's hands. You have to go back and finish the mission without me.
PO: (Firmly, redrawing her attention) No. That's just an excuse and you know it. Tigress, your story doesn't have a happy beginning. I get it! But where you came from is not you! It's about the rest of your story, who you choose to be!
TIGERSS: (Flatly) And I choose to be here. This isn't your decision to make, Po. (He opens his mouth but she holds up a hand.) I'm done arguing about this. You are all going back to the Capitol to finish the mission, and I am staying here. (Turns back towards the monastery and starts heading towards the gate.) Lan will be making dinner soon; there aren't any extra beds here, but there's an inn down in the village. You can stay there tonight and head out in the morning.
(The other Four share glances and then, reluctant but seemingly compliant, turn to go back inside.)
PO'S VOICE: (From behind her; voice low but hard:) You're not in charge.
(Tigress stops. A beat passes, and then she turns. Po is looking at her with determined green eyes.)
TIGRESS: (Sharply) What?
PO: Master Shifu put me in charge of the mission. That means until he says otherwise, you have to follow my orders. (Steps forward, pointing back down the mountain) And I say, you're coming back with us.
VIPER: Po, don't… (But Po talks over her)
PO: (Flatly) I get that you're scared, Tigress, I do. (Tigress's face has gone stony, eyes narrowed and tail lashing.) But you can't hide on this mountain forever. China needs you, and that means no matter how much this sucks, you have to come back and face it.
TIGRESS: (Growling, stepping forward) Are you accusing me of being a coward?
PO: Accusing you? You ran away and hid on a mountain! You didn't even tell us why; it's like you didn't want your own friends to know who you really– (he breaks off suddenly.) That's it. That's why you left without telling anyone.
(The rest of the Four share nervous looks.)
PO: (Almost to himself) You said your life would be ruined if people found out. You aren't just scared of the prophecy—you don't want anyone else to know. (Tigress doesn't answer, her whole face gone tense and harsh. This, more than anything, is what genuinely angers Po:) That's what you're so afraid of?! The Emperor is in danger, China is falling apart, and you're worried about what people will think of you?!
TIGRESS: How dare you question my honor. I'm doing this for the sake of the mission–
PO: No you're not! You're doing it 'cause you're scared! (Jabs a finger at her, advancing; Tigress growls and doesn't yield ground.) You're hiding out here because it's easier than facing the truth! You're running away, right when China needs you most, because you can't handle people finding out that you're anything other than perfect Master Tigress! (The growl grows; Po doesn't heed the warning, still advancing until the finger is nearly in her face:) Because no matter how much you pretend to be all "emotionless" and "hardcore," you're still scared that people will look at you and see another monster like Tai Lung!
(Her eyes flash to slits and she snarls; before Po can respond she grabs his pointing paw by the wrist, flips him, spins him around and slams him into the ground, the arm held back in a lock.)
PO: O-o-ow!
TIGRESS: (Snarling) I am not running from anything! I am doing my job, Dragon Warrior, and unlike you I don't need to go on some journey of self-understanding every five minutes to do it! I won't make the mistakes you made in Gongmen City!
(There's an awful beat of silence. The other four exchange shell-shocked looks. After a moment Tigress steps back, releasing him, and Po stands up, rolling his shoulder. When he finally looks up at her it's with hurt and barely-restrained fury.)
PO: You wanna hide on this mountain forever? Then– then fine! Stay here. We'll figure this out for ourselves. (Tigress looks away, half-ashamed, half-furious.) It's not like you're our leader, right? Not like you're supposed to be the strongest of us.
TIGRESS: (Looking back with a cold fire in her eyes. Through her teeth:) You're the Dragon Warrior. Figure it out. (She and Po glare each other down for a moment, and then she turns to the others.) I think it's best if you leave. Let Shifu know I'm all right.
VIPER: Tigress…
TIGRESS: I'm sorry to have put you all in this position. I am sure you will carry out the mission admirably, and with great honor. (She puts her fist to her palm and bows stiffly. They bow back.) Until we meet again.
(She turns and leaves, walking back through the snow towards the monastery. Monkey offers a half-hearted "goodbye," which is lost in the mountain wind. Po watches her until she disappears in through the gate, and then turns to the others.)
PO: Come on, guys. Let's… let's go.
VIPER: But Po…
PO: You heard Tigress. (Turns and sets his face forward, glaring as he starts the long walk down the swiftly-darkening mountain.) We have a job to do.
(Casting last looks over their shoulders at the monastery, the other Four slowly follow him across the snowfield, dark figures against the white snow as the moon rises over the mountains. From the gate, Lan watches them leave. He turns to look at the inner door; Tigress's burning eyes briefly meet his gaze, and then flicker away as she turns and heads inside.)
(Unseen by the hermit or any of the masters, a shape unfurls itself from under the eaves of one of the temple buildings and takes to the sky with an almost-silent rustles of feathers, crossing in a dark hawk-shaped shadow across the moon and vanishing over the summit of the mountain.)
[Scene: a small military camp in the dormant forest on the other side of the mountain. A dozen unmarked canvas tents crouch under the bare branches; there's no fire to give them away, but as the moon rises the hawk swoops down and comes to settle on the ground in front of one of the tents, brushing aside the flap as he enters.]
[General Zhong is sitting at a desk, studying what looks like a map. One of the twin daughters of the Commander, apparently brought along while their father was left behind in the Capitol, is pouring him a cup of tea. Zhong seems to be paying her no mind, engrossed in his planning. His accommodations here are even more spartan than those of his office: there is a rolled-up sleeping mat, a brazier near the desk filled with hot coals, and a set of writing-brushes and ink on the desk, nothing more.]
ZHONG: (Looking up as the hawk enters) News?
HAWK: (Bowing) General. The Dragon Warrior and the others have left.
ZHONG: Left? (He seems genuinely surprised.) Is the Empress with them?
HAWK: No, General. It seems the Empress does not want to leave; there was a disagreement, but in the end she sent them home. Sergeant Kuang remains, however.
ZHONG: Really? (Rubs his chin, thinking.) That is fortuitous news for us, but it might be a trap. Even if it isn't, we should still wait until the masters of the Jade Palace are well clear of the area. We don't want any interference. (He waves off the tiger girl, who finishes pouring his tea and leaves.) Inform the men that we'll be camped out here another week.
HAWK: Aye, General… (He sounds reluctant, and Zhong chuckles.)
ZHONG: I'm certain they'd rather move to a more hospitable location, but patience is a virtue. (Returns to studying the map, a small smile playing over his face as he picks up the cup.) I've been patient for thirty years. Seven days is nothing by comparison.
[Scene: fades into early coral-gray pre-dawn. Lan is standing at the gates of the monastery looking towards the town below; as he watches, four tiny dots—one green, one gold, one purplish-white and taking flight, and one black-and-white—head out along the southeastern road.]
LAN: (Turns and heads back inside, expression calm but set.)
[Scene changes to a bare room in which Tigress is sleeping on a cot. Her eyes open as she hears a noise, and she goes to open the door.]
[It's Lan; he appears to be holding the pitcher of water in one hand, and a lit butter lamp in the other.]
LAN: You're awake. Good. (He nods towards the far end of the hall.) Follow me.
TIGRESS: (Following him as he starts to walk) Where are we going?
LAN: To train.
[Shot shifts. Tigress looks up as they enter the large prayer hall in which she and the others had fought the evening before, suspicious but undeniably curious.]
TIGRESS: You know Kung Fu?
LAN: A little. I've forgotten most of it. (Brings the lamp to the altar and sets it down in front of the statues, casting a little pool of flickering light over the altar and the gold figures.) But I did not say that we would be practicing combat.
TIGRESS: (Approaches, now with greater suspicion) So, you want me to meditate.
LAN: You are a kung fu master who has come to a monastery and has spent the last month doing menial chores for an old man. (Hands her the pitcher; Tigress takes it with a wary glance.) If you were not in need of spiritual guidance, you would not still be here. (He lights a stick of incense and then takes the stacked bowls from the altar and waves them over the smoke, before handing them to her.) Fill the first bowl and then use it to put a little water in each of the others.
TIGRESS: (Eyes him, but does so, setting the bowls out in a row on the altar in the same way they were the night before. At Lan's prompting she then fills each bowl to the brim. As she's pouring she asks:) What is this?
LAN: The morning offering. (He closes his eyes and begins to murmur in a language she doesn't recognize.)
TIGRESS: (Finishes filling the bowls and then sets down the pitcher and steps back, watching him out of the corner of her eyes. She looks at the burning butter lamp, which flickers, and then glances up as sunlight fills the room from the windows; the sun is rising. As he falls silent she says:) You do this every morning?
LAN: (Opening his eyes) It's a local custom. When Xue and I first came here, a few of the monks had returned; they taught it to us. Clean water is offered at the beginning of the day, and then removed at the end and used to nourish the plants.
TIGRESS: Why water? It's not exactly valuable.
LAN: Because it is easy to give. As I said, this is training. (He takes what appears to be some wild reeds and dips them into the water, sprinkling them over the altar.) We seek to give offerings with a pure and open heart, holding nothing back. Giving something as plentiful as water helps to cultivate freedom from passing attachments.
TIGRESS: (Catching the implicit criticism) Kung fu masters also live ascetic lives. We do not have many attachments to speak of.
LAN: Not all attachments are physical. (He sets the reeds down.) You should have gone with your friends.
TIGRESS: The Ten Thousand need me to achieve their goals. Removing myself from the equation is the wisest strategy.
LAN: If you think vanishing off the map will stop General Zhong from pursuing you, you're mistaken. He would have followed your father to his own death, let alone the ends of the earth, and I suspect he will do the same for you. (He turns to face her; bluntly:) We often cling to our attachments out of fear of what will happen if we lose them. What are you afraid will happen, if you lose your reputation?
TIGRESS: (Eyes widen as she inadvertently steps back, her hand moving on instinct to grab something under her vest. She looks down at her hand in surprise, and then pulls the wooden mahjong tile out from under the cloth. Tigress stares at it for a long moment, before at last:)
TIGRESS: (In a low voice) …What am I afraid of? (Her gaze, which had previously been cool and collected, flickers up at Lan, now burning with barley-repressed anger.) You talk about my "reputation" as if I were just seeking glory, as if I haven't spent twenty-five years proving to people that they can trust me. That they don't need to be afraid of me! (Voice rising against her will:) Proof I only had to give them because of what was done by people like you!
(Before she even realizes what she's done, her free paw has swept the pitcher off the altar; it smashes against the stone floor into a thousand pieces. Tigress looks down at it in shock, and then at the tile in her other hand.)
LAN: Good. (She looks up at him.) Now you're getting somewhere.
TIGRESS: (Glares at him for a beat, and then withdraws both hands to a determinedly neutral stance and turns on her heels without a word. Lan watches as she stalks out of the prayer hall, and then looks out the window toward's Xue's tree. The first blossoms on the large rhododendron bush are beginning to bloom.)
[Scene fades into the snowy branches a rhododendron tree in the foreground, which grows blurry as the shot focuses onto the background of a mountain village, still dusted by drifts of snow. The village appears to be mostly populated by red pandas, dressed in the intricately-embroidered blue and scarlet clothing of the Yao people. At the forefront of the shot is an inn.]
[Inside the inn, the Four and Po are talking to the innkeeper, an elderly red panda woman with a scarlet headcovering.]
INNKEEPER: (Waving a hand) No charge for the room, you kids stay here as long as you like. Any friend of Grandmaster Shifu's is a friend of ours.
VIPER: You're too kind. (She looks up in surprise as Po passes in front of her, heading back out the door.) Po?
(He doesn't answer, just pushes the inn door aside and heads out into the snowy outdoors.)
PO: (Steps out into the street, his eyes downcast. He looks up only when a cart rumbles across his path, splashing his feet with muddy water, and then spots the rhododendron tree across the way.)
(Something about the way the snow-drifted branches bend seems similar to the Sacred Peach Tree back at the palace, and there's a brief spark of hope in his eyes as he crosses the street and looks out. The tree is sitting on the edge of a cliff overlooking a snowy valley; the roads and houses of the town are scattered on switchbacks heading down the slopes.)
PO: (Sits down cross-legged in front of the tree, takes a deep breath through his nose and closes his eyes, trying to meditate. The wind blows; the snow swirls. His paw begins to glow a faint gold.)
NOISE: (A faint hiss…quiet at first, and then growing louder. Po's brow furrows, eyes still closed. The noise grows louder, and the gold light flickers and dies as the sound reaches a crescendo, the crackling bubble of hot oil drowning out the mountain wind–)
VIPER'S VOICE: (Calling) Po?
PO: (His eyes fly open, startled, as the hissing noise—only a memory—is abruptly cut off.)
MONKEY: (Calling) Where'd you go?
PO: (Sighing and looking back over his shoulder) Over here, guys.
(The rest of the Four spot him and hurry over, taking a moment to appreciate the view before noticing the visibly depressed panda slumped next to them.)
MANTIS: Uh… how's it going there, big guy?
PO: Eugh. (Falls back on the roots of the tree, arms flopping to either side. To the sky:) This isn't working.
CRANE: What isn't working?
PO: This. Any of this. (Closes his eyes again and rubs them with his paws, still lying down.) I thought maybe if I Dragon Warrior-ed my way through this I'd get some sort of inspiration about what to do, but I got nothing. (The others share glances.) Shifu's hurt, Tigress won't come back with us, the city is falling apart with everyone scared of each other or hating each other…not to mention Zhong's still out there, probably looking for her right now! (Frustrated, opening his eyes as he sits up.) I don't get it! How could she be so– so–!
VIPER: (Slithering closer) So… this is about Tigress, right?
PO: Yes! No– not just her, but yeah, sure, a lot of it's her! (Stands up, starting to pace in front of the tree.) She is running away, I don't care what she tells herself. Right when we need her most she's just abandoning the mission! (Stops and points at them suddenly:) And I do not go on a journey of self-understanding every five minutes.
CRANE: Well…
[Flashback sequence of several key moments from the last few movies and previously-unseen footage, including a shot of him discovering there are no cookies in the Jade Palace's kitchen with a: "Nooo! Who- who am I…?" And wandering off.]
PO: …Okay, so maybe she has a point! (Pacing again, gesturing erratically.) But I'm the Dragon Warrior! I have—I don't know, chi powers and universe juice! Okay it's not like I just wake up knowing how to do that stuff, it takes a little soul-searching!
VIPER: (Comforting) We know, Po. But Tigress is…
MANTIS: A hard-thorax.
VIPER: (Shooting him a hiss and a glare) –A little more down-to-earth.
MONKEY: (Wisely) She doesn't roll the way you roll. Literally or figuratively.
PO: I know, I know! (Sighs.) I know. I just… (He sits down again on the snow under the tree.) Getting her to come back was the only idea I had. I don't know where to go from here.
(The four glance at each other and then back at him.)
VIPER: (Volunteering) We'll help you, Po.
MONKEY: Yah. You're not doing this alone.
CRANE: (Unfolding his wings to cover the others with a smile.) We've always been a team, and you're part of that team now. We'll figure this out together.
MANTIS: (Lifting a pincer) We've got your back, big guy. Uh– so to speak.
PO: (Looks around at them, still clearly upset but appreciating the gesture.) Thanks, guys. (Grows depressed again, looking out over the mountain valley.) But I think I kind of…need to be alone, right now. Try to figure this out.
(They share another look and then a nod, reluctantly turning away.)
VIPER: (Gently, as she's departing) We'll just be inside if you need us.
PO: (Lifts a listless hand in farewell as they disappear back across the street, and then turns forward again. He closes his eyes and clasps his hands in the "inner-peace" form, exhaling a breath as the glow begins to weakly flicker to life once more, and–)
NOISE: Fssshh—plop. (A tiny drift of melting snow drops off the first pink blooms of rhododendron flowers, directly onto his head. Po slumps and sighs.)
[Scene: nearly sunset, outside the temple. Tigress, wearing her brown coat but unfastened, is splitting wood just outside the gates. As she finishes loading the wood into a canvas log-carrier she pauses briefly, watching Lan, who is sweeping the snow away from Xue's tree. Something about the sight seems to irritate her, and she lets out a quiet snort through her nose as she heads inside with the firewood.
She pauses inside the prayer hall as she spots the altar, on which is sitting a new pitcher, this one made of brass. She glances back out at Lan through the window and then sets her jaw, an idea clearly solidifying in her mind.]
[Shot shifts ahead slightly. Lan looks up as Tigress exits the prayer hall again—with a bag of provisions slung over her shoulder.]
LAN: (Pauses his chore) You should wait until morning. The mountains aren't safe to travel alone after dark.
TIGRESS: (Ignoring this) You want me to leave, fine. There are a thousand other places in China to hide, Zhong can't check them all.
LAN: So you admit you are hiding.
TIGRESS: (Stops, and then resumes, fastening the top button of her coat.) I told you before, I'm not going to accept correction from someone like you. (She stalks past him towards the gates.) Don't try to stop me.
LAN: I wasn't going to. (Resumes sweeping.)
TIGRESS: (Pauses, halfway out the door, her hand resting on the side of the gate. The sound of the broom seems to make her twitch, and abruptly she turns back, tail lashing.)
TIGRESS: (Stalking back to Lan, coolly:) There is one thing I want to know before I leave. (He raises his brows.) I want to know what kind of coward could have betrayed his kingdom and emperor, steeped his hands in blood and waged war against his own people for fifteen years—all to follow a madman.
LAN: (Sets the broom against Xue's tree) Curious. (Her eyes narrow.) After more than a month, you're finally asking the right question.
TIGRESS: (Flatly) Excuse me?
LAN: (Folds his arms inside his robes) "Under the right conditions, who knows what any of us is really capable of." What you admitted to your friends with your words you still have not yet confronted with your heart. (A tick starts in her jaw.) Who could be tempted to follow the Ten Thousand? Certainly one who is foolish and proud, who feels their pride has been wounded. (Meets her gaze, unflinching.) One with many attachments, who believes they have been overlooked and not given their due.
TIGRESS: (Through gritted teeth, struggling to keep her cool:) Don't try to dodge the question. We're not talking about me, we're talking about–
LAN: You and Sargent Kuang Lan of the Fifth Division are not so different. (Her jaw clenches harder.) But that's what you've been afraid to hear, isn't it? That's what you've been running from, and you're running still.
TIGRESS: (Hissing) Don't you dare pretend that I'm anything like you or the rest of those monsters–
LAN: (Cutting her off) You could have asked me all your questions the day you got here, but instead you have dragged this out because you are afraid. You fear facing the Ten Thousand because you know, without ever having met him, that you are more like the man who sired you than you can find the courage to admit. (Her hands clench into fists as a sharp growl escapes through her teeth.) But you will never find peace until you face him, and yourself. You will be burdened by this until the day you look at the darkness inside you and admit your own weakness, the part of yourself you do not want–
TIGRESS: (Claws unsheathing with a "tsing!", snarling and advancing:) I am not weak! You are the one everyone is afraid of, you are the one no one wants!
NOISE: SC-C-C-CRAAATCH!
(There's a long silence. Tigress is breathing in and out hard through her teeth, pupils shrunk to slits. After a moment her eyes drag themselves sideways. Four deep grooves are carved into the trunk of Xue's tree.)
LAN: (Quietly) The greatest attachment we all have, is to our idea of ourselves. The attachment to the idea others have of us is a close second. (She looks back at him, shoulders still heaving.) You will never be free until you give up your need to be loved by others, to make up for the love you cannot give yourself.
TIGRESS: (Strangled, enraged:) You–
(She stops abruptly, ears flicking. Lan's do the same. Both turn to the open gate.)
(There are long black shadows coming up over the snowfield, painted scarlet in the sunset.)
[Outside, Zhong holds up his hand, and forty men in armor, all large predators, pause behind him on the snowfield. He scans the mountain slope with glowing eyes, the same shade as the dying blood-red light.]
ZHONG: (Quietly, half to himself:) To think, that after all these years… (His gaze flickers up to fix on the monastery, and spots Tigress; he sets his jaw.) My lord, I will not fail you now. (Louder, to the men behind him:) Make sure no harm comes to the empress, and leave the traitor to me. (Looking back at Tigress; she's gone wide-eyed and tight-jawed, fur rising. Zhong, wryly:) And show the proper respect. Remember, you are standing on the gravesite of your Emperor and the greatest heroes in China.
[Back in the monastery, Tigress's hands clench back into fists.]
TIGRESS: (Growling) It's Zhong and his men. They must have followed the others here and waited until they were too far away to help.
LAN: (Evaluating at a glance) There are at least forty of them. (He glances at her.) And two of us.
TIGRESS: (Ignores this and drops to all-fours, leaping ahead across the courtyard to shut the gates and throw the bar.)
[Down the slope, Zhong raises an eyebrow.]
ZHONG: She's quick-thinking. Thirty years ago, that might have worked. (To a tiger who comes up beside him holding a dragon-headed rocket.) Blow the gates open.
SOLDIER: (Striking the flint) Aye, General.
[Inside the courtyard Tigress is back with Lan, trying to hurry him inside the main prayer hall, when–]
NOISE: BOOM.
(Stone, sparks and burning wood explode everywhere as the door is obliterated, knocking both Tigress and Lan; she struggles onto all-fours, coughing in the clouds of dust, and looks up as through the filtering red light as silhouettes of men in armor appear in the hole where there had once been a gate.)
TIGRESS: (Snarls and leaps at them, trying to put herself between them and Lan.) Hah! Kyah! (It's futile; the courtyard is being overrun as more soldiers pour in, and she's forced back into the prayer hall, where the pair of them are quickly surrounded by a forest of spears. Someone forces her to her knees and snaps a pair of acupuncture cuffs over her wrists, and she lets out a pained hiss. To the soldiers prodding the hermit with spears:) I'm the one you want, let him go! Lan, run–!
ZHONG'S VOICE: (From behind) I think he's had enough of running; haven't you, Sergeant Kuang? (Both Tigress and the soldiers turn; Zhong steps through the doors of the prayer hall.)
LAN: (Recognizes the general.) I'm afraid there is no Sargeant Kuang here—just an old hermit.
ZHONG: Ah, sophistry. The last defense of the philosopher. (Draws his sword.) Or rather, the only defense.
LAN: (Glances around at the ring of soldiers and the tense Tigress, before looking back at the far-too-calm Zhong.) I see. (With genuine compassion:) You must feel I took everything from you.
ZHONG: (Eyes narrow, just slightly, but he shrugs.) And tonight, I've taken it back. (He swings down in a wide beheading arc.)
(Tigress's shout dies on her tongue as Lan easily dodges the first swing, sidestepping around the circumference of the circle of blades. Zhong looks surprised, and then growls and swings again, this time less cavalier and with more precision; Lan redirects it with a circular motion as he takes a side-stance and plants his palm firmly against Zhong's chest, knocking him back several steps with a gust of air.)
ZHONG: (Looks down at his chest, and then up at Lan. He's not the only one; the soldiers look shocked. Even Tigress's eyes have widened, as she out of all of them recognizes the stance Lan has taken, though she has only seen Shifu and Po do so before.)
ZHONG: (Recovering with a snort) Is that really the best you can do? Push me back? (Twirls the blade in his hand.) You're just putting off the inevitable.
LAN: It's been thirty years, I no longer remember how to fight. Putting off the inevitable is all I can do. (Side-steps as Zhong lunges with a straight-thrust, gently pushing the flat of the blade away as it rushes past him and meeting Tigress's eyes in front of him.) I beg your forgiveness.
TIGRESS: (Grits her teeth against the stinging growing in her eyes; she knows what he's asking.)
(Zhong's sword whirrs through the air in glittering silver arcs and twirls as he pushes Lan around the circle, the snow leopard barely redirecting the blade at the last second with sweeping circular motions; Lan is good, but Zhong has been actively fighting for the last three decades, and it's only a matter of time before he gets a hit in.)
ZHONG: Aren't you ashamed? (Slashes through the air; Lan redirects the blade to fly just barely wide.) Look at how weak you've become. An old man rotting away in a temple. (A circular cut, trying to whirl around to the inside of Lan's assumed block, but the leopard merely withdraws and steps out of the way.) It's hard to believe that someone like you could have been the source of all my troubles these last thirty years.
LAN: Cutting down those less powerful than you is not strength. (Redirects another sweeping blow.) I learned that from another old man rotting away in a temple, who had the power to kill me when I deserved it and instead showed me mercy. (Meeting Zhong's gaze.) Revenge against those you believe have hurt you will never bring you peace, General.
ZHONG: Is that so?
(He lunges again with a one-handed stab, getting in close; Lan side-steps, pushing the flat of the blade away again, and Tigress's eyes fly wide as she sees what he's missed.)
TIGRESS: (Shouting) Lan, don't–!
NOISE: SHLURK.
LAN: (Pupils shrink to pinpricks. Zhong's red gaze bores into his. The shot pulls back, and we see the hermit stagger sideways and fall heavily to a knee, leaving Zhong standing upright behind him, left paw dripping with blood.)
ZHONG: Let me test that theory. (Lifts his sword above the wheezing Lan for a beheading strike.)
TIGRESS: (Leaping forward, straining against the cuffs holding her back:) NO!
ZHONG: (Stops. There's a beat of silence, as if he's struggling against something, and then—much to Tigress's shock—he resheathes his sword. She continues to stare at him, wide-eyed and bewildered, as he turns to her and gives her a respectful bow of the head.) As you wish it, Empress.
TIGRESS: What– (Looking back at Lan, who's panting and clutching a hand to his side, where blood is soaking through the robes.) Lan–!
LAN: (Struggling for breath) This is not your fault, Little One. (Looks up at her.) None of this is your fault. But that does not mean it is not your fight.
TIGRESS: (Shaken) I–
ZHONG: (Nodding to the soldiers) Get her out of here. Take whatever of value remains and then let the place burn.
(The soldiers grab hold of the handcuffs and drag her back out of the hall; she snarls and fights back, but there are too many of them even for her. She falls silent in horror as she's pulled out into the courtyard; the sparks from the explosion have caught fire on Lan's garden, which is now well-ablaze, and the flames have started to catch on the lower pine-shingled roofs of the temple. The pitch is popping and crackling.)
TIGRESS: (Hoarsely) No. (Raising her voice even as she's pulled back:) Lan, you have to run! Do you hear me?! The temple is–!
[Back inside the prayer hall her shouting is faint and fades further as she's presumably dragged away. Zhong lifts his eyes to the ceiling as a spark drifts in through the open door and lands lightly on the painted beams, beginning to smolder, and then turns upon hearing a sound at his back. He watches coldly as Lan pulls himself to his feet.]
ZHONG: Were it up to me, you would be dead where you stand. But she demands I stay my hand, and I must obey. (Glances down at Lan's bloody side.) You won't survive long without our medic. (Back up.) Come and fight with us again, under her banner.
LAN: (Says nothing, only looks past him to the flames licking the now-dark sky beyond the doors, and then turns back to the altar. As Zhong watches, he shakily picks up the brass pitcher and begins to pour the water from the bowls on the altar back into it.)
ZHONG: (Raises an eyebrow and then lets out a "tch.") So be it.
(He walks out of the building, glancing around briefly at the growing fire in the garden, and then follows his men out onto the snowfield. Several are carrying metal dishes or gold statues, and one has the rolled-up tapestry; Tigress is still fighting them every step of the way, straining to get back to the temple.)
TIGRESS: (Snarling as she spots him) What did you do to Lan?!
ZHONG: (With a shrug) I offered him generous surrender terms, but he chose to stay. (Looks over his shoulder at the monastery; the roof is starting to burn in earnest.) He was only an old fool, Empress. Your army will be stronger without him.
(He starts down the hill past her. Tigress peers up at the temple, teeth bared and eyes gleaming with tears she refuses to shed, before one of the soldiers yanks on the cuffs again and forces her to stumble back down the hill.)
[Up in the temple, Lan walks slowly through the blazing garden, carrying the brass pitcher. As he approaches Xue's tree he looks up. The new spring blossoms are catching fire.]
(Lan dutifully pours the pitcher out onto the roots of the tree, and then sits down in front of it. He clasps his hands together and closes his eyes in meditation as the branches above him begin to burn, sending glowing red embers up into the darkening sky.)
Cultural notes: (Preliminary disclaimer: I am neither Chinese nor Chinese-American, nor Bhutanese or Tibetan, and hence all of this information is coming secondhand).
-Tea: in fact the Paro Taktsang monastery is only about 330 km / 200 miles from Darjeeling, India. However, tea was not grown in Darjeeling until the early 19th century when it was (rather infamously) introduced by the British plantation owners, which dates it significantly later than this story. Then again, this is Kung Fu Panda, so anachronism is kind of the name of the game.
-Bowls of water on the altar: As Lan explains, these are water offerings, or yonchap, a daily part of Buddhist life in Tibet and Bhutan. I believe I portrayed them more or less correctly here; if someone knows more, I welcome correction.
-Rhododendron: flowering plant of the Himalayas, varies in size from small bushes to medium-sized trees. They bloom in late winter/early spring.
–Yao: also known as the Mien, a group of ethnic minorities in China and Vietnam who live primarily in the mountainous areas of southwestern and southern China. They are known among other things for their distinctive red-and-blue clothing, and for the tradition of the women there who cut their hair only once in their lives, otherwise wearing it bound up in a red turban-like head covering. In this story I've depicted them as red pandas since the habitat of these creatures is also in southwestern Chinese mountains (as well as the Himalayas). This would, of course, imply that Master Shifu is an ethnic minority and not from the Valley of Peace originally, which corresponds with his description of having had to "leave his family to follow the way of Kung Fu" during the Holiday Special.