Chapter 3: Wilting Lotus
The sky was still dark when Shifu opened his eyes that morning. Slowly, he rose from his cot and stretched his aging muscles, then made his way down into the kitchen to make a fresh batch of tea. He reached for his personal basket of cookies but was horrified to see the basket empty. He knew he saw one there the other day. He shrugged and stole a biscuit from the other basket and sat down to enjoy the calm morning. As he sipped his tea and nibbled his biscuit, he began to ache from the training the day before.
He hesitated to call it training. He was content with what he had learned and found peace in semi-retirement. If it wasn't the decades of calling it training, he would've just called it exercising. He knew he was no longer a young, red panda. For the first time in a long while, he felt his age.
His mind drifted to the battle with Tai Lung and how he was able to go toe to toe with his greatest student, if only for a little while. Then came the memory of Warlord Shen and his army of wolves in Gongmen City. While he never got a chance to face off with the peacock himself, he was able to tear through the wolves like they were nothing. Finally, there was the terrifying General Kai. Despite the eventual loss to each of the tree villains, Shifu felt that he had put up a decent fight against the titans of the world. Now, he was unsure if he could repeat such battles. He knew his age was catching up with him.
Shifu managed to shrug it off. None of that mattered now, he thought as he took another bite of his biscuit. Kung fu isn't solely about physical prowess, but of mental, emotional, and spiritual peace. He took a few deep breaths and smiled, then sipped his tea. With the Furious Five still off on their mission and Po presumably asleep, the Jade Palace was as silent as ever. Only Zeng and a few of the assistants were awake, though they rarely stepped foot inside the Jade Palace before dawn.
Shifu yawned and downed the last of his tea. As he went for a second cup, a distant echo cascaded through the palace. He raised his ears. After a short moment of silence, it came again. Then again. A loud thud echoed across the land. Not too dissimilar to the sound he'd hear whenever Tigress snuck away in her youth to go punch the ironwood trees. This time, however, the tiger was not here. Perhaps it was Po? Shifu wanted to laugh at the idea. Po waking up this early? Not a chance, he thought.
Shifu quickly poured himself a second cup of tea and pulled his staff from the corner of the room. With a fresh lantern placed at the end, he shuffled out of the Jade Palace to chase that familiar noise.
As he circled the palace, Zeng waddled out from the garden. His beak was dusty, and his feathers were covered in soil, but he smiled and slowly placed his gardening tools away in a small, bamboo basket.
"Good morning, Master Shifu." Zeng said.
"It truly is, Zeng." Shifu said, stopping a moment to shine the light on his trusted assistant. "Tending to the garden, I see?" Shifu knew right then and there that whatever that sound had been, it was not Zeng.
Zeng nodded. "I am. They say a little dirt on the beak before sunrise is good for the soul."
"How is it going? I was never much of a gardener."
"Lately, it's been tough." Zeng said.
Shifu noticed a bit of sadness creep into Zeng's eyes. "Why is that?"
"Not sure." Zeng snapped out of it. "When the Dragon Warrior brought chi to the land, the plants bloomed like I've never seen. We had fresh fruit for months and there wasn't a flower in the garden that didn't bud. Now, something is changing. I've fertilized the best I can and watered as evenly as possible. Something just isn't right."
"Well, when it comes to gardening, I trust you more than anyone. You'll figure it out. One of these days, I may even have to give it a try." Shifu smiled. "That's what people do when they get older, right?"
Zeng laughed. "I'm sure the plants would love to have you tend them, whenever you're up for it. The legendary Master Shifu is a welcome addition to anything. Gardening included."
There was another volley of echoes across the land. Both Shifu and Zeng froze on a dime. Zeng looked around, frantically. His scrawny legs began to shake. "There it is again."
"I was hoping it was you." Shifu pulled his staff close. "I should investigate. I wish you a wonderful day. Perhaps one of these days, I will have you teach me about the garden."
"Thank you, Master Shifu." Zeng bowed.
"Garden Master Zeng." Shifu bowed in turn with a smile, then continued his silent walk around the Jade Palace. He followed a small dirt path that stretched alongside the palace before veering off into a heavily forested area that stretched for miles. The path narrowed as it began to twist and weave around the rocks and hills. The sound became louder and louder with each step. He knew he was on the right path, but more importantly, he knew exactly where he was going. Halfway down the trail, the origin of the sound was no longer a mystery.
Po, the Dragon Warrior, dropped to his knees. A primal scream was on the tip of his tongue. His hand throbbed, but his eyes shifted towards the dent in the ironwood tree. It was impressive, but not good enough. His hand, however, would not let him continue. He came to the realization it was time for a break. He took a second for his paw would stop pulsating with pain so he could regain his inner peace. He stood still and silent and watched the pink blossoms from the peach tree that rested nearby. With each gust of wind, thousands upon thousands of petals and blossoms littered the sky. Po couldn't help but awe at the beauty. He had heard from Master Shifu that it is how Oogway had passed. After his parting words of wisdom, the great tortoise allowed the petals to carry him away to the spirit realm. Must've been a sight, Po thought. A sad, but beautiful sight.
He sat down on the grassy hill and looked out towards the sea. Surrounding him were dozens of ironwood trees and a single peach tree perched atop a small crest. He touched his bruised and beaten knuckles. How did Tigress do this for so long? So hardcore. He began to kick his feet, like a child on a swing. The thought that, one day, he could be just as hardcore was fresh in his mind, and it made him feel like a kid again, however unrealistic the idea was. Then he touched his paw.
"OW!" He roared. Now, he felt like a baby. The Dragon Warrior shut his eyes and quickly reeled himself in. Mind over matter, he thought, then he took another deep breath. He looked up and out at the water that lay like crystal before him. It was as calm as ever. The only disruptions came from the pink blossoms as they found their resting spot along the blue water. The color and beauty of the land began to draw him in. Ever since he had mastered chi and defeated Kai, the land had begun to grow in miraculous ways. Light became brighter. Summers became warmer. Flowers bloomed better than ever, and trees grew taller and faster.
But something was off. It caught his eye quickly.
Just a few feet in front of the Dragon Warrior sat a flower. A lotus flower. He was able to immediately recognize it thanks to Monkey and his newfound fondness over the Chinese flora. Po plopped to his belly and examined the flower closely. It's usual pink and white color had turned brown and pale. The once green leaves had faded nearly white and wilted heavily. Po tapped the flower gently and watched with a heavy heart as nearly half the petals broke and floated to the ground.
The flower was dying.
Po sat upright and, keeping his eyes firmly set on the flower, steadied his breathing and quickly found inner peace. Closing his eyes and holding his paw outstretched, he felt the power swirl within him. The warmth. A bright yellow beam emitted from his paw. Golden energy swirled around the Dragon Warrior. Chi.
Then, a twig snapped behind him.
"Dragon Warrior?" A voice called out. Po opened his eyes. The chi quickly faded as he leapt to his feet and turned to face the elderly red panda.
"Yes, Master Shifu?" Po bowed as the master hobbled up the steppingstones towards the peach tree. "How's your retirement?"
"So far, it is going well. I did not mean to intrude." Shifu stopped and looked around. "We heard noises down at the Jade Palace. I just wanted to make sure everything was all right."
"Yeah. All good. I'm just… practicing. Training. You know? Stuff."
Shifu frowned. "Stuff?"
"Yup."
Shifu took a glance around. He knew Po was rattling something around his head, but he pushed that topic to the side for the time being. One way or another, Shifu knew he would find out. "Quite a lovely morning, isn't it? Somehow, you've been able to uncover places that haven't been touched in a long… long time." He took a moment. The old master's thoughts drifted back to a time before Po. "Master Oogway would do the same. He would find a place and sit, sometimes for days, just in search of answers. You are filling his role far faster than I had anticipated."
Po laughed. "I don't know about that. It's hard to compare anyone to Master Oogway."
"Nearly impossible." Shifu said, managing a smile. "But I meant every word." Shifu laid his staff against a tall rock and moved towards a grassy path, closer to the peach tree. With a groan, he sat down. "I almost forgot to ask, but how was the Panda Village?"
Po's eyes lit up. "Great!" Po roared. "Everything is going smoothly. Dad is helping the younger ones with their chi when I'm not around. He's even managed to secure some trade agreements with local villages! Oh, man! When they open themselves up to the world, it'll be great!"
"That's wonderful." Shifu said. His smile fading. "The first step is important, but you cannot rush things. They have been through a lot, and we must respect their privacy. Allow them to take small steps back into this world."
Po took a deep breath. Shifu was right, he thought. Po nodded. Patience was the key to life. Or… at the very least, one of the many keys. One of the many keys to a large door with hundreds of locks, chained and wrapped around… Po thought hard on the rest of the saying. Eventually, he gave up. Coming up with words of wisdom was harder than Oogway or Shifu made it look.
"They'll get there." Po said, breaking the silence. He hadn't realized Shifu was now up and walking around, staff in hand. He watched as the elderly panda took a stroll around the clearing, slowly making his way to the tree line. His paw gently brushed against the giant ironwood trees.
"All thanks to you." Shifu said. "Things have truly changed since you came along, Po. You are leading China into an era of peace and prosperity, just as Master Oogway foresaw. Now, would you care to tell me why you're truly up here, Dragon Warrior?" His paw felt the grooves of Po's fist indented within the ironwood tree.
Po opened his mouth. Maybe it was time for a fib. A lie. A white lie sounded better. However, nothing came from his gullet. He stood there, mouth open wide, starring at the red panda.
"Panda?" Shifu said, almost mockingly.
He knows. Somehow, he knows. Or, at the very least, is suspicious. What do I say? Quick! Say something. Anything! "Sleeping." Darnit! Something smart!
"Po?" Shifu's brow lowered.
I got nothing! I give up! "GAH! All right. You caught me."
"Caught you?" Shifu continued to glare. "So, you're the one who ate my last cookie?"
"Nope." Po lied. "I've just been thinking. Like, a lot, and I needed some place… outside the palace."
Po immediately felt weird for admitting such a thing. He pulled his paws behind his back and kicked the dirt in front of him. Then came the sense of excitement. All his thoughts came swirling to his head once again. This time, he was able to say them aloud. It was one thing to repeat them to yourself time after time, but it was a whole new situation getting to hear them hit the ears of someone else. Getting to say them aloud for one of the greatest teachers in history to hear. His love for kung fu drove every action he's had for most of his life. Now, it was all bubbling to the surface.
"About what?" Shifu asked, inquisitively.
Po took a deep breath. "When I first got into kung fu, I was a nobody. A fat panda working with his dad at a noodle shop. The next thing I knew, I was a kung fu master and the Dragon Warrior. Three years down the road, I'm a teacher with the Furious Five as students. I just want to know… what's next? Where do I go from here? What's the next level?
Shifu studied the large panda and, for once, was unsure of what advice he could give. Furthermore, he was unsure of what advice Po needed. All he could do is stroke his beard and think hard on the question. "The next level?" Shifu asked. "You'll have to explain that one to me."
"It sounded better in my head. Saying it out loud kinda sounds stupid."
"Po, please, explain. I have always been here to listen and give advice."
Po nodded. "A while ago, just after Kai, I had a dream. A dream where I was beat. I was crushed into a pulp. Literally. Honesty, it scared me, because I don't want to lose. If losing means my friends get hurt, then that shouldn't be a possibility. I have to reach that next step. That…"
"Next level." Shifu said, nodding with understanding. "Po, by punching those ironwood trees, you are trying to be something you're not. You can't fly like Crane. You can't sneak through cracks or holes like Crane and Mantis. You can't swing on ropes and fly through hoops like Monkey. And you can't fight like Master Tigress, no matter how hard you try. You can only fight as Po Ping, the Dragon Warrior."
"But I can try."
"Panda…" Shifu sighed, then composed himself. He took a deep breath. "I would never discourage a student or master from seeking knowledge and bettering themselves, but as I have told you, there is more to kung fu than being a warrior, just as there is more to the Dragon Warrior than kicks and punches." He shot a glance up at Po. His eyes were like ice and turned Po's blood cold. "I warn you, panda, Oogway once taught me a valuable lesson. One I have given much thought into."
"Cool. Let's hear it." Po said, nearly leaping from his fur.
"Take this tree." Shifu said, moving towards the towering peach tree. "Now, take its seed. No matter how much you wish it, that seed will only grow into a peach. It doesn't matter how much you wish it were an apple or an orange. That peach is special, and even if you could get apples and oranges to grow, you will have less peaches in turn." Shifu tapped the tree, sending a juicy peach directly into his hand. "They will also be far less sweet." He took a bite.
"Huh?"
"Don't lose what makes you special, Po."
"I need to do this, Master Shifu." Po said softly, almost as if to himself. "I know I can find that next level."
"And you truly think you'll find it punching ironwood trees in the Tiger's Grotto?"
"Tiger's Grotto?" Po asked.
"It is the name given to this place by Oogway himself. Before the Furious Five, when she was younger and I was less wise, I had tried to mold her into what I wanted. Every day after training, she would sit here for hours, punching the ironwood trees." Sure enough, ten feet above Po's fist prints were the prints of a tiger. The trees had grown, forcing her marks further up the tree. As soon as Po noticed, he began to bounce around like the childish fanboy he was deep down.
"So cool." He murmured.
"Yes, it is." Shifu said, his voice trailing off as the memories of the past came flooding back to him. "I was not the father I should have been, so she found other ways of spending her time. She would come here to perfect what I had taught her…" His voice was softer now. "…all to impress me. This is where the Tigress we know was truly born. Our failures, together, made us wiser. Stronger."
"So, you could say this is where Tigress found her next level, right?" Po tried to force the issue.
"Panda…"
"If she can do it, then so can I."
"Panda, listen! She learned, but she learned the ways a failed master had taught her." Shifu squeezed his staff like an anaconda's grip of death. He pointed high to the marks on the trees. "Those marks are a mark of failure on my part. I tried to bend her skills to my whim. In doing so, I failed her, both as a father and a teacher." Shifu stopped and once again composed himself. "The worst part is she believes she failed me."
"Master…" Po slouched. He saw the hurt in Shifu's eyes and was immediately taken back down. He knew Shifu meant well, and he knew that any advice he gave was given out of love and the desire for his students to thrive. "You made a mistake a long time ago. That doesn't matter now."
Shifu managed a smile. "Oh, but it does. Because of that failure, I am wiser, and Tigress is stronger. It is what you will one day learn. Perhaps, very soon. My only regret is that I didn't learn my lesson sooner. If I had, perhaps Tigress would be more complete. She would reach…"
"The next level." Po said with confidence. Shifu looked up at Po. A wave of pride flew through the elderly master's body. This panda never ceases to impress me, he thought.
Shifu nodded. "The next level."
"You know, you're never too old to find it."
It hit Shifu like a ton of bricks. Po was right. Master Shifu's heart began to race. Po was right! You're never to old. Immediately, his mind raced to Tigress. The tiger had been training all her life and had progressed as much as Shifu could hope, but what was her next level? He hoped he would live to find out, but it was clear it was not his destiny to guide her to it.
"Master Shifu!" Zeng's voice echoed from further down the trail. "Master Shifu!" The goose waddled with haste into the clearing and bowed. Behind him was a tall figure and no stranger to Master Shifu. It was Commander Huan, dressed in his military armor. He bowed politely as he followed behind Zeng.
"Commander Huan. It is a pleasure to see you again." Shifu said.
"Likewise, Master Shifu."
"Commander Huan?!" Po perked up. "Like, the Commander Huan from the battle of the Qigou Pass?"
"The very same." Commander Huan smiled. "And you must be the legendary Dragon Warrior? I've heard quite a bit about your many victories."
Shifu stepped in front of Po, knowing the giant panda's mouth would vomit a never-ending stream of fanboyish compliments if he allowed it. "I trust the Furious Five were adequate in aiding you and your soldiers."
"More than adequate." The commander said. "Is Tigress around?"
"Tigress?" Po froze. Why ask for Tigress? The oddity of the question threw Po and Shifu for a loop.
"Sorry. I… I meant the Furious Five." Commander Huan quickly corrected, standing taller than ever to mask the embarrassment. "I have another request."
"I assumed they'd be with you." Shifu said.
"Once the mission was over and the hostage was rescued, we went our separate ways. We had our task and your students seemed eager to return to the Jade Palace. I had to assume they'd beat me here." The alligator pulled a scroll from his waistband and held it out for Master Shifu to take. "There's been an update. This order comes from the emperor himself."
Po opened his mouth to shout, but common sense quickly caught up. "The emperor!" He tried to roar, but his brain told his mouth to shut up. What came out was little more than a whimper. It was still enough to draw a stern glare from his master. "Sorry. I'll shut up."
Shifu opened the scroll and began to read.
Po rolled to Shifu's side as his eyes darted across the parchment. He tried his best to peak around Shifu's large ears and steal a glance, but just as he was about to succeed, the scroll closed. Quickly, Shifu spun around and looked up at Po. His eyes were wide with fear.
"This is urgent." Shifu said with almost disbelief. "We need to return to the Jade Palace and wait for the Five. We have much to discuss."
As they left to return to the Jade Palace, behind them, a lone lotus flower continued to wilt and die.
A/N: Hello! Thanks for reading. Not going to lie, but I ended up rewriting this chapter as least half a dozen times. Something just wasn't clicking. Hopefully I got it sorted out. This is the catalyst for Po and Shifu's arc, but I kept loading too much into one chapter. Also, thank you for the pleasant comments. I honestly wasn't sure what to expect. A few days ago, we almost reached 100 views or reads in a day. We got 99. Not sure if it's a lot compared to most fics, but it felt like a milestone to me. Hopefully you enjoyed this chapter. The first act has a bit of buildup, but things are soon to go awry.
