Chapter 5: Long Journey Ahead
Using her claws, Tigress etched a single tally on a wooden beam that sat in the corner of her room. On one beam was her name. On the other, Po's. She counted each tally time and time again. Sure enough, Crane was not wrong. Po, officially, had more sparring wins than her. Ninety-nine total matches. Fifty to forty-nine.
How does he do it? She wondered, scratching her chin. What makes him so good? So… unbeatable? She placed the wood boards back in their corner and sat on her cot, pondering on where in her training she went wrong. She was strong, but he was stronger. She was fast, but somehow, he was faster. All she could do was think back to her battle with Kai. That wave of power she felt from that one, perfect kick. It was the only time she had done that. She hoped, once Kai was defeated and Po began teaching the valley chi, that she would be able to master it. To hone it. That power. Something was stopping her. She just had to figure out what it was.
Tigress looked up and watched a red ball of yarn dangle from the rafters in her room. She glanced towards the door. It was closed. Her tail twitched with delight. She had snagged the ball last week. Nobody seemed to notice.
She crouched on all fours. Her eyes narrowed on the ball, then she leapt into the air. Her claws tore into the yarn ball. It bobbed up and down with each strike. Her eyes dilated as she landed back on all fours. She crouched again, readying herself for another lunge.
"Tigress?" A voice called from down the hall. She froze. "Tigress?" The voice moved closer. It was Po. Quickly, she yanked the ball from the ceiling and hurled it across the room. It rolled casually under a wooden table in the corner just as the silhouette of Master Po walked up to the shoji door. "Tigress?" He called for a third time.
"What is it?" She said, straightening her fur. Po slid the door open and stood in the doorway a moment too long. It got awkward as she waited for him to speak.
"Um…" Po's mind obviously raced with a flurry of thoughts. His shoulders slumped and his arms dangled oddly at his side.
"Po? Is something up?" She cut in, hoping to speed the process along. She already knew the answer.
"Oh, yeah! To the point. That's a good way to be, I guess."
"Po!"
"Right!" Po straightened up immediately. "I was just thinking about this upcoming mission." He said, followed by another long silence.
"O…kay?"
Po cleared his throat. "Look, I know you're a little upset. I get it. I'm sorry. I was hoping-"
"Don't worry about it, Po." She said, cutting him off.
"No. I will worry about it." Po protested. "I saw it in your eyes. You're upset, and I'm upset that you're upset. Hopefully you're not upset about me being upset that you're upset."
"You're getting off track."
"Of course." Po huffed, irritated at his lack of communication skills. "Tigress, perhaps-"
"PO!" She roared. Her patience had worn thin, but she took a deep breath. "Stop and come here. Sit down."
"What?"
"Come here." She said with a stern glare. "And sit down."
Po did as asked and sat beside the tiger. He could feel her icy stare. It sent waves of chills down his neck and back. He did everything to avoid eye contact. All he could as himself is, if things went south, how would he escape the lion's den? Tiger… He corrected himself. Tiger's den.
"Just so you know, I'm not upset." Tigress spoke first, breaking the silence that had gone on for WAY too long.
"Seriously?" He let out a sigh of relief but was just as confused.
"I know you think I'm upset that you beat me. Right?"
Po nodded. "Mostly correct." He mumbled.
"I just want you to know that I'm not."
"You seemed pretty heated back in the hall."
"I… I don't like to lose. Especially in front of people. Sorry if you think it made me mad, but it didn't. I haven't felt like myself since Kai, but that's my own problem." She took a long, deep breath. "You're the Dragon Warrior, Po. The fact that I can match up to you is good enough."
"The Dragon Warrior is just a title."
"You don't believe that." Tigress said. "You beat Tai Lung when we couldn't. You beat Shen when he got the better of us. You even beat Kai… somehow. Besides, Shifu once told me if you aren't losing, you aren't learning."
"That's Shifu for you. I feel like he's turning more and more into Master Oogway by the day."
"And you're turning into Shifu."
Po smiled and immediately eyed two plates from the table to their side. He picked them up and lifted them to his ears. "All I need is something for the mustache."
Tigress laughed. "All right. That's enough. Why can't you take anything seriously?"
Po laughed as well. "It's my nature. Must be a panda thing."
"I guess it is."
Po yawned. "Well, I should be off. We have a long day tomorrow. I'll try to have breakfast ready for you all before sunrise."
"Thanks, Po." Tigress said.
"Not a problem." Po slid the door open but stopped in the frame. His head slowly turned around. "I wouldn't be where I am if it wasn't for you."
Without another word, the Dragon Warrior slid the shoji door shut. Tigress listened as Po closed the door to his own room and hit his cot. He was out within seconds. She was left unsatisfied with their talk. Envy was a tough thing to get over. She had accepted him as the Dragon Warrior, but her ambitions remained for a long time. She fell asleep wondering what her destiny truly was.
The gong rang three times at dawn, just as it had a thousand times before.
Tigress was the first of the Five out of bed, with Crane, Viper, Mantis, and Monkey following in short order. They rushed down to the training hall and stood ready, bowing as soon as they saw Master Shifu. He looked up at them all and smiled.
"Good morning, students."
"Good morning, Master Shifu." The Furious Five said in unison.
"It will be a long journey. I trust you have already packed."
"Of course." Tigress said, keeping her head bowed. She noticed the hall was oddly quiet. Too quiet. She lifted her head and looked around. "Where's Po?"
"The Dragon Warrior is in the kitchen. He has prepared a quick breakfast for you all." Shifu answered.
"Then we will head out as soon as we finish our meal." Tigress said.
Po was found in the kitchen, finishing up the meals as the Five sat down. They were all served quickly, but Po didn't find a seat. Instead, the panda continued to roam around. Tigress watched his behavior, noting it slightly odd, but nothing too out of the ordinary.
Tigress nibbled her tofu as the rest gobbled down their rice, vegetables, and noodles. Po took only a minute to down two bowls of soup and more bean buns than Tigress cared to count. With each emptied plate, Po scooped it up and threw them into the water bucket. Zeng emerged from further down the hall like a bat out of hell.
"I got this, Master Po!" The goose said. "You have more important matters to attend."
"Sweet. Thanks, Zeng." Po said, nodding with appreciation.
Within five minutes, the Dragon Warrior and the Furious Five were set to leave. Each had their bags packed and ready for the long journey ahead. Shifu met them atop the One Thousand Steps. The sun had not even begun to rise over the mountains in the distance, and the moon and stars still hung in the sky like a billion fireflies.
"Students…" Shifu began. "I cannot stress the importance of this mission. The emperor himself had called upon you to help Commander Huan and his imperial forces stop this madness. I cannot see you getting too involved with the fighting, but if needed, you must be alert and always at your best."
"What if…" Crane began. "...hypothetically, this threat that is somehow wiping villages off the map is too much for the imperial army?"
Shifu could sense Crane's hesitance.
"I will leave you to be the judge of such things. If you feel too vulnerable, then you are to return here at once."
"Like, retreat?" Monkey almost laughed. "Why would we do that when we have Po!"
"I won't fail you, Master Shifu." Po said. "I'll Wuxi Finger Hold anyone who threatens China!"
All Shifu did was smile and nod, but Tigress noted how unusually the act was. Something hid behind the eyes of Shifu. Something… different, as if he was privy to knowledge neither the Five nor Po knew of. "I'm sure you will." Shifu finally said. "Now, I have kept you long enough. May your journey be safe and swift." He bowed, and the six warriors before him bowed as well. Without another word, Po, Tigress, and the rest of the Furious Five rushed off down the One Thousand Steps. It was the first thousand steps on their new adventure.
Once they reached the bottom, they set off through town. Po left the Furious Five and made his own way through town, promising to meet up with them on the hills around the village. He quickly stopped by Mr. Ping's noodle shop but was surprised to find the little goose was nowhere in sight. He knew it was early, but usually his dad was running around like a chicken with his head cut off preparing for the busy morning.
Po sighed, but figured he was taking an extended nap. It was not something his father usually did, and the last thing Po wanted to do would be to disturb him. So, Po wrote him a message and left it on the center table for him to find when he woke up. Po knew how upset his father would be if he left without a goodbye. Po hoped the message would suffice.
Just as promised, they met on the hills outlining the city and continued their journey. The day started off muggy, but soon the sun emerged and began casting a scorching heat upon them. Dry and uncomfortable, but still they continued. Minutes turned to hours, and with each hour, Po noted the rise and fall of the sun. Watching it, for whatever reason, kept his mind off his increasingly rumbling stomach and aching feet. He looked around at the Furious Five. Not one of them seemed like they were in agony. They were truly warriors. In front of them all, however, was Tigress.
He watched as the Five crested a hill. Realizing he was falling behind, Po attempted to pick up his pace. He huffed and puffed, and with one great stride, crested the hill as well. He smiled and looked down the hill. There was no Five. His eyes grew wide. The hill was not a simple mound, but the base of an even larger, steeper hill. Po would almost call it a mountain, and somehow, the Furious Five were already a quarter of the way up. Po groaned.
Feeling the strain, he took a deep breath and stood tall. Despite the lack of air, he attempted to speak with all he had. He was, indeed, the Dragon Warrior. An unstoppable warrior for good. For justice! What was a little hill? He thought.
"Guys! Maybe we should rest." He whimpered. His lungs had had enough. None of the Furious Five could hear him. Or, if they could, they didn't care enough to stop.
Po sighed, bent over, and picked up a small rock. This should get their attention, he thought. He tossed it at the Five, but watched in horror as the rock came down.
THUMP!
Tigress was on 'fearless' Dragon Warrior in less than a second.
"PO!"
"So sorry!" Po cowered.
Tigress rubbed her head and shook off the pain. "So, would you care to explain why you threw a rock at me?"
Po shrugged. "I wanted to get your attention."
"I think you got it." Crane butted in as he stood beside Tigress. The rest of the Furious Five swarmed.
"I was just thinking, maybe it's time to set up camp?"
Tigress opened her mouth, already having prepared to argue Po no matter what he said. Surely it was something stupid. Tigress, however, stopped herself. Set up camp? She shut her mouth and looked around. The sun was already vanishing behind the tall mountains, and the trek to the peak of the current mountain would take an hour at least. She had to admit it. Camp was a good idea.
She nodded. "Not a bad idea." He turned towards a nice area. A long patch of grass that sat between the rocky fixtures of the mountain ahead and a small forest to the north. "We'll set up there."
Camp was ready within half an hour.
Crane settled down first and yawned. His wings ached from the flight, but he was not about to bring it up. The last time he had done so, he was quickly shut down by Tigress. The stresses of Gongmen City were a lot for her at the time. He knew he was not as tough as Po or Tigress, but he was still a kung fu master. He knew he would be sore in the morning, but he loved the feeling. He looked forward to it.
Viper coiled up a few feet away from him. There was a cool nip in the air. One that came with every howl of the wind. Crane turned towards Po. "Maybe we should start a fire?"
"Yeah." Viper said. "A fire would be nice."
"I'll go fetch some firewood." Po said, returning shortly after with an armful of fresh wood. Within fifteen minutes, they had fire. Everybody gathered around, but none closer than Viper. The last remnants of sun fell quickly, and Viper fell into a sound sleep long before the fire went out.
"If we get up at dawn, we should be over the mountain by noon." Tigress said softly, hoping not to wake Viper.
"Yeah." Po said, looking down at the map. "If we head…" His finger acted as his compass, but it found no direction. Tigress watched as Po tried to make sense of the map. She casually walked over and peered over his shoulder. She listened as Po began to mumble to himself. "If we head that way… perhaps…? Is that north? When was there an ocean to the west?"
Tigress sighed. "You're reading the map upside down."
Po leapt from his fur, quickly flipping the map. "I knew that."
Tigress smiled and sat beside the panda. "Sure." She looked at the map. This time, he had it turned so north was east. "Po, do you know how to read maps?"
"Of course." He said, finally flipping the map to its correct position.
"So, we're going the right way, right?"
"Luckily, we were." Tigress responded.
"See? It's not just us." Monkey said.
"Yeah!" Mantis backed his friend.
Tigress shook her head and ignored the two. Her finger followed the quickest path to the villages. "Po, I want you to take a look at the map tonight. Tomorrow, we'll take whatever path you decide on." Tigress stood up and laid down beside the dwindling fire.
"Wait!" Po roared, immediately feeling the pressure.
"Shh!" Crane's eyes turned towards Viper. She was still fast asleep.
"Sorry." Po whispered. "Tigress? Maybe you should do this?"
She shook her head. "You can do it. I'm here if you need me, but I know you can do it. The Dragon Warrior should know how to read a map, anyways."
Po got little rest that night. He spent an extra hour looking at the map. He studied each and every path, but they all seemed the same. One was quick, but the terrain seemed too rocky. The other wrapped around a tall mountain, extending the path many miles, though the trail was flat. Po fell asleep atop the map that night, just after picking the best trail. He would have to trust his gut.
The next day, just before dawn, they were on the move. Po felt like a new panda after the night's rest. He kept up with the Furious Five as they crested the towering hill and beat them down it, having chosen to roll instead of walk as the rest did, except Crane, who flew.
With each day that passed, Po began to see maps in a different light. Tigress was right. The Dragon Warrior was a leader, and a leader should know how to read a map. It was something so simple, but Po never realized the importance until now. Each night, Tigress left the map to him. He took an extra hour, and one night he took two, just to study the map and look across China in a whole new way.
A few days in, Po knew they were nearing the village, but their momentum came to a quick halt. Stretching as far as the eye could see was a crevasse nearly a mile long. The only way across was a thin, rickety bridge that appeared to be waiting for a gust of wind to knock it down. The bottom seemed endless.
"Hello?" Po said as he looked down into the darkness. The endless pit responded with his echo nearly half a dozen times. Po turned towards the others. "Any ideas?"
"Yeah." Tigress said, pushing Po aside and stepping on the bridge. "We go over."
"Over?" Po froze with fear. He turned towards Crane. "Hey, buddy? Any chance I can catch a ride? I'm not a big fan of heights."
Crane groaned but did not refuse the Dragon Warrior's plea.
"Me too!" Mantis said, leaping to Crane's straw hat.
Tigress looked at the two hardened warriors with disbelief. "Really?"
Mantis shrugged. "What?"
Tigress brushed her feelings aside and began her trek across the bridge. Viper and Monkey followed behind her while Crane carried Po across. Mantis sat comfortably, nestled atop his hat.
"So, Mantis? You're afraid of heights?" Crane said, allowing a cheeky grin to slip across his face.
"Terrified." Mantis responded.
"Then how do you feel about the stairs at the Jade Palace? Must be quite a fright."
Mantis looked down into the eyes of the bird. "Was that a joke?"
"Be nice, Crane." Viper said, having heard him from the bridge, though she did let go a mild chuckle. "That was a bit harsh."
Mantis laughed heartedly. "Don't worry. I can make this old bird blush, stutter, and sweat better than anyone else. What goes around comes around."
Crane's face began to blush. "What?!" His voice cracked, knowing he was playing with fire. "They were only jokes. Right, pal?"
Mantis laughed again. "I'm only kidding, you big, lovable bird. See? I told you I could get him to blush and stutter."
Viper looked up to confirm. Indeed, Crane had a flush of red across his face. She giggled to herself. Crane remained silent.
They reached the other side shortly after, though Tigress had beaten them there by more than a couple of minutes. While they were busy talking and joking, she had wasted no time getting across. Crane dropped Po into the dirt. The panda let out a grunt, but stood up and thanked Crane for the ride. Crane was, at this point, far too exhausted to return the pleasantries.
The journey continued, with Po being the official map holder. Monkey was not pleased he had been replaced, but he didn't dare to challenge Tigress. They followed the narrowing dirt trail until it came to a fork in the road. Sat between the forks was an old, decrepit sign. The left path was labeled Shang-Lu City, but the right path remained unmarked. After a quick discussion, they took the right path. In a matter of hours, they had reached the end of the pine forest, and a perfect spot to set up camp once again.
The spot itself was hidden from the tree line of the pine forest, while anything further was left as open fields, perfect for spotting any signs of trouble from miles away. Camp was set in a matter of minutes, though Po didn't stay. He slid into the forest to gather more wood. A few seconds into his adventure, he had become sidetracked.
Just out of view from the others, Po stopped at a majestic line of trees. One that seemed off in a pine forest. It was a goldmine of food. Mango trees and passion vines littered the area with seemingly fresh mangos waiting to be picked. Po began to drool. We're going to eat well tonight! Po thought. He gathered what mangos and passion fruit he could and set out for camp once again, but quickly froze in his tracks. There, sitting between two mango trees, was a sight to behold. Hanging high above all else, was a pitaya. From it, hung a dragon fruit.
His mouth watered even more. He had never seen one, as they were not native to China. How this one got here, he didn't know, nor did he care. He wanted it. Yet it hung far out of reach. His eyes narrowed and he stood at the base of the titanic tree.
"A test?" He said to himself and laughed. "I guess I could use a little practice."
Po readied himself and clenched his fist. He closed his eyes and felt the chi whirl within him. This is no accident, he thought. This tree is here for a reason. For me. He set his fist gently on the tree. He could feel its energy, like he could feel the wind or the heat of the sun.
He pulled his fist back and sent it forth once again. There was a loud BANG. It echoed through the forest. He froze at the chaotic sound, but none of the Furious Five came after him.
He looked up. The dragon fruit remained. He showed his teeth and tried again. And again. And again.
Still, the fruit remained out of reach. He clenched his fists tighter and grit his teeth more. Still, time after time, the fruit was not his. Punch after punch. Kick after kick.
Until he heard something crack. It was the tree. He had forced it enough that the tree had split. After another mild punch, the tree came tumbling to the ground, and with it, the dragon fruit.
Po was quick to scoop the fruit into his basket with the mangos and passion fruit, but something felt different. He looked down at his collection of food and frowned.
It's mine, but was it right? The thought whirled in his head. "Of course!" Po said, reassuring himself. He allowed himself to laugh. "I'd gotten it. That's all that matters." Or was it?
Po shook the thought from his head.
"Nope." With that, he turned around and sped back to the campsite. "This is going to taste extra sweet."
The fire was set, and Po revealed the treats he'd gotten for the Furious Five. They were all in awe and were each handed a couple of each type of fruit. The dragon fruit he saved for the mash of food he would serve in little cups.
"Woah!" Mantis said. "This is awesome!"
"Yeah." Tigress said as she ate the mashed fruit.
The compliments didn't stop until the bowls were empty, and the food was gone. The sky quickly darkened, and the wind began to howl through the trees. This put Tigress on high alert. She knew how similar the wind could be to a wolf's howl, but it was better safe than sorry. She turned from the fire and watched the trees wave with each gust of wind.
"So, who's up for a game?" Po asked as he finished cleaning the dishes.
"Not now, please?" Tigress grumbled.
"I am!" Monkey said.
"Sure." Viper shrugged. "Why not?"
"Bring it on!" Mantis roared.
Crane smiled and nodded.
Tigress was quickly overruled.
"What should we play?" Viper asked.
"How about the quiet game?" Tigress offered. She was quickly ignored.
"How about truth or dare!" Monkey shouted.
"Yeah!" Mantis leapt to Monkey's shoulder, eying Crane. "I got you this time, bird!"
"How about a different game?" Crane suggested. "Like… tag? Or… anyone got any cards? Marbles?"
"Oh, no." Mantis protested. His eyes narrowed. "It's on."
"Well, you guys have fun." Tigress said. She was unable to keep a straight face and smiled, but quickly picked herself up and walked into the darkness. Po quickly leapt to his feet.
"Wait! Don't you want to play?"
"I'm fine." She said. "I'm going to work out." Everybody beside the campfire gave her an odd look of disbelief. She froze, knowing she had used that excuse one too many times. The Midnight Stranger was still on everybody's mind. "And… uh… I'm going to keep watch. I thought I heard wolves' howl."
"It's just the wind." Po teased, jabbing Tigress on the shoulder. "Come play."
"You can never be too sure." Again, she smiled, turned, and walked off behind a set of tall pine trees.
Around the campfire, the came had begun. Po rejoined them and sat down between Crane and Mantis. The little bug eyed the bird so heavily, it made Po uncomfortable. Poor Crane, Po thought. This was going to be rough.
Po spun first, but only to pick the first questionnaire. Mantis chased the tip of the chopsticks around the campfire, practically pleading to get chosen. He was persistent enough, and the chopsticks landed on him. He roared with victory.
His eyes turned towards Crane. "Crane? Truth or dare?"
"Dare." Crane responded immediately.
Mantis laughed like a villain. "I dare you to tell us the name of the first girl you kissed. GO!"
"What?!" Crane fluttered his wings in a daze of confusion and nervousness. He thought he had outsmarted the bug, but he was not in the clear. The fire swayed with each flap.
"Go on. Answer. First kiss."
Crane once again began to blush.
Mantis tapped Viper with his forearms. "I'm good at this."
Viper laughed.
Crane shuffled his feet nervously, then swallowed his pride. "I've... I've never kissed anyone." Crane hoped the fire would blow out. A gang of bandits attacked. The moon fell from the sky. Something! There was nothing but an awkward silence. It broke occasionally with the crackle and pop of the fire.
"Really?" Mantis was the first to speak up. "Ever?"
"No. N-Not yet, at least. I just haven't found the right one. Or… anyone, for that matter."
Mantis was done playing the devil. He was the first to poke fun, but also the first to help a friend out. He jumped across the head of Po and landed on Crane's hat. He peered down into his eyes. "You'll find the right one soon enough." Mantis said. "Don't things always play out well for the quiet, dorky ones?"
Crane was unsure how he should take that.
"Yeah." Viper said, cautiously and slyly looking around to gage everyone else's reactions. "She's out there. Somewhere."
Crane nearly went limp. His face was blistered red.
"All right. Next!" Mantis roared. "I think this poor bird has had enough. "Crane? Would you do the honors?"
His eyes shot towards Viper. "Viper? Truth or dare?"
"Truth." Viper said in an instant.
Crane opened his mouth, but no words emerged. Uh-oh. Think, Crane! THINK! Don't be awkward. Don't be… He was frozen. He was running on a short fuse. Take too long, and it's weird. Don't hesitate, or it's obvious.
"Uh… Is it true you like… the color pink?" Crane forced the words from his gullet. They were not what he wanted to say.
Viper looked around and nodded. "Yup." Her voice was soft. "I do."
Mantis lowered his head with shame and wanted to groan. No doubt Crane's mind raced with a flurry of other things he could've and should've said. He could hear the sighs from each of the members around the fire. Could the bird make it any less obvious?!
"Viper? Your turn." Mantis said, dejected. He had tried his best. One day, Mantis knew, he would get to play matchmaker.
"Alrighty, then. Po? Truth or dare?"
"Truth." Po said after a moment of hesitation.
"Is it true you have a crush?" She asked.
Po scoffed. "I've crushed lots of people." Po smiled with confidence.
"No." Viper corrected. "Like… a person you like."
"I… Well, I like you guys." Po said, unable to catch on. Not through pure ignorance, but something Shifu had once called selective ignorance.
Mantis laughed. "She means the one you like like."
"Love is a better term, Mantis." Viper said.
Suddenly, the world flipped. His limbs grew weak, and his muscles ached. His head began to throb. His eyes darted around the campfire, making a special note for himself. Don't look at Tigress. Don't look at Tigress. Don't… Po shot a glance in the direction Tigress had left in. Shoot! Don't look at Tigress. Finally, he laughed awkwardly. "Why does this game always end up about relationships and love?"
"Just answer the question." Mantis said.
Po tensed. "Yeah. I suppose I do. Maybe, I think. I don't know."
"That was one of the best non-answers you could give." Mantis said. "Well done. You hit all the marks."
"Who is it?" Monkey asked.
"I know who it is!" Mantis roared to life, crawling onto Po's shoulder.
"You do?!" Viper perked up.
"No way!" Po recoiled.
"I do." Mantis looked up at Po a moment and studied the panda. Po's bones shook and vibrated as his mind raced. Mantis smiled. "It's Mei Mei! That ribbon dancer from the Panda Village!"
Elsewhere, near the tree line and just past the glow of the fire, Tigress' ears perked up. She flushed red as she lay still, resting on a tree branch covered by the yellowing leaves. She had given up keeping watch but wanted to rest. As soon as Po's name was called, however, she had become invested. She turned her head towards the glow through the leaves.
Her? No way, Tigress thought.
Po wanted to bust out laughing but kept his true feelings deep within. "You got me, guys." Po said, breathing a sigh of relief. "Mei Tei. I'm surprised you figured it out. Good job." Po tried not to sound relieved.
"Lovebirds." Viper said.
Suddenly, all eyes turned towards Tigress. She hung over them, eyes as keen as when she's on the hunt. The fire before her made her seem a thousand times more intimidating, which nobody believed to be possible. "It's getting late." She said, looking up at the moon that hung in the sky. "If we're fast, we can reach one of the villages tomorrow, but we still have a long walk."
"Aside from Crane." Monkey spoke. "He has a long flight."
"And Viper." This time, it was Mantis. "She slithers."
Tigress crossed her arms. "Bed. Now."
Nobody argued. Nobody spoke. Everybody went to bed.
The next day came an hour too early for Po, but he had a job to do and he was not about to let Master Shifu down. They made their way out of the pine forest and down into the grassland below. Half the day was spent in an endless space of nothing. Nothing but grass and rolling hills. Not a tree or shrub or rock in sight. Just hill after hill after hill, then a river, then more hills.
Po guessed it was about four hours until sunset when Crane decided to fly ahead, hoping for a chance in scenery. As they crested a hill, Po could see a large forest far ahead. Perhaps another hour of walking. Po watched as Crane ventured far past the forest, vanishing into the oncoming wall of fog.
The bird returned twenty minutes later. He was breathing heavy as he nearly crashed into the grass below. Po was quick to his side, with Tigress right after him. He knelt down and placed a gentle paw on his back. Gray dust erupted from his feathers, forcing Po to cough.
Crane looked up at Po with a look of pure horror.
"What's wrong?" Po asked, brushing the dust from his paw.
"Smoke. There's smoke ahead. In the forest."
"Smoke?" Po looked down at the dust. It wasn't dust. Ash. The bird was covered in it, as was the grass. There was no fog.
"Black smoke." Crane huffed, trying to catch his breath. "Further in."
"We have to hurry!" Po turned and charged ahead. For a panda his size, Tigress had to admit he did run effortlessly down the hills. They reached the end of the grassland and forced themselves into the trees. Ash became more abundant, and the haze grew thicker with each step.
Po was quickly passed by everybody, with Tigress taking the lead on all fours.
The branches of the trees whipped back at them, marking them and cutting them, but they didn't care. They powered through it. Tigress was first to pull into a clearing where the smoke grew so thick, visibility was at a minimum. The sickening smell of ash and fire filled the air. Despite the setting sun, the air was hot. Ahead was nothing but black cinders. The fire had already subsided for the most part but left little in its wake. There was nothing of the village but ash and rubble.
They were too late.
A/N: Hey! It had begun. Chaos lies ahead! Though Po is the main character of the films, I can't help but think they did Tigress and the Furious Five dirty in the trilogy. Mainly the third film. This is my story to rectify that. I'm hoping to plug in as much development as I can for the Furious Five, and after digging into Chinese mythology, I found a few wonderful ways to advance their arcs. Mainly Tigress. Hopefully I made it pretty obvious. There are some wonderful myths about tigers in China that I intend to take full advantage of. Fun times ahead. Once again, thanks for reading!
Also, thank you for all the kind comments!
Also-also, not sure if I have to mention it because it should be pretty obvious, but I do not own Kung Fu Panda. I see everybody else mentions it in their stories, so I feel like I should add it as well.
