Chapter 8: Domino
Po entered Shifu's room to give him the report. Master Shifu sat in his usual silence, arms crossed, and eyes closed. He stopped in the frame of the shoji door and watched Shifu's lips move, and though no words were spoken, he knew what the elderly master was voicing.
Inner peace.
Po took one step inside but was too tired to give much care to his steps, causing the floor to creak. Shifu's eyes opened and his head snapped to Po.
"Yes, Dragon Warrior?"
"It's late." Po said, wearily. "Can I go to bed now?"
Though time had been completely lost, Po would guess it was only a few hours to dawn. He had scoured the courtyard again and again but found no sign of the assassin. The only evidence of such an attack was the damage in and just outside Tigress' room. He had spent most of the night, while on patrol, wondering how he could have slept through such an attack. The answer had come much sooner than anticipated. Assassins were quiet, and Po was a heavy sleeper. Simple question answered.
"Did you find any sign of this assassin?"
Po shook his head and yawned. "Nope. In fact, if it wasn't for the damage to the barracks, I'd almost say you guys were playing some sort of prank on me."
"Don't be ridiculous. I'd leave the pranks for Master Monkey and Mantis, and they would surely come up with something better than having you stay up all night on a wild goose chase."
"Do you think this assassin has anything to do with the attack on the village?"
Shifu gave it some thought, then nodded. "If I had to take a guess, then I'd say they do. It is too big of a coincidence that they attacked when they did. That is why you and the Furious Five will hunt him or her down in the morning.
"And… you didn't see the attacker?"
"No." Shifu's answer was quick and to the point. "The assassin was quick. I heard the commotion from down the hall, but by the time I got to Tigress, he or she had already fled."
"Do you think that not only was the time of the attack not a coincidence, but perhaps the target as well?"
"What makes you think that?" Shifu had to do mental gymnastics to understand what Po was truly getting at.
"Look, I know I'm not the greatest at stealth, but if I were an assassin, I wouldn't waste my once chance to surprise the enemy by going after the weakest link. Tigress was injured, and I'm sure that assassin could see it. So, do you think they were after Tigress?"
Shifu's eyes widened. The skill at deducing the actions of the mysterious figure was not one Shifu thought Po would be any good at. He, of course, was wrong. "A plausible scenario." Shifu said. "That does make sense. Too much to ignore, in fact." Shifu looked towards his ceiling and continued to think. His mind raced from thought to thought, endlessly cycling through his worries.
Po felt the need to add on. "Tigress might not have told you, but we encountered another Tiger in the village. Well… she did. When we got to him, he was already dead."
"Another tiger?" Shifu rubbed his chin.
"Look, whatever is going on here, it involves Tigress. I'm sure of it."
"And that concerns you?"
"Of course it does!" It was Po's turn to pace. His weariness had run its course. Now, he was full of life and energy. Sleep would have to wait. "Look, I'll be level with you. I'm scared. I'm scared that if I'm not strong enough, then that could put the Furious Five in danger. It could put all of China in danger. This new threat, it's bad, Master Shifu." Pace. Pace. Pace. "I have to train. Yeah. I have to get stronger. Try harder. Reach that new level. I have to-"
"I. I. I." Shifu spoke firm. "What makes you think this is your destiny, and yours alone?"
Po stopped dead in his tracks. "Because I'm the Dragon Warrior."
"You are strong, Po. You have found inner peace and are a wonderful teacher and a master of chi, but you are not alone."
"Everybody keeps telling me I'm destined to defeat evil. Vanquish all threats to China. What makes this one different? I was told to defeat Tai Lung, so I did. I was told to go defeat Shen, and I did. Kai falls into that list as well."
"You are destined to bring peace and order to China, but times change. Who was once the warrior, must now become the master, and the master must teach the warriors to grow, as he has grown. He must lead."
"If this threat is as bad as it seems, then we'll need Master Oogway, because I don't know that I can."
"Po! Master Oogway once told me that a peach tree must always begin as a seed."
"Well… duh."
"Right." Shifu scoffed. "Bad example." He thought hard when suddenly, something clicked. He reached into the pockets of his robes and pulled out a set of dominoes. "See this set of dominoes? Now, lay them out." Shifu made an example by laying twenty dominos across the floor. "In the beginning, you have… well… the beginning. I was trained by Master Oogway, then I found and trained Tai Lung. As I aged, I found Tigress. Eventually, you fell from the sky and ruined my plans, becoming the Dragon Warrior."
"I remember. Could you like… skip to the point?"
"That is the point!" Shifu cried out in catharsis. "A domino set cannot skip it's beat. Everything must play out in order. Each domino can only knock down the piece in front of it, but only because it was knocked by the one behind."
"Still a bad example?" Po asked, not understanding the backwards lesson.
"No. It's perfect." Shifu smiled. "Oogway saw great things in you, Po. He also saw great things in Tigress. I have guided her this far. Now, it is your turn. Not because she is any less special than you, but because that is how the universe set up the dominoes."
"I think I understand?"
"Oogway saw the future of kung fu, and I cannot deny you of that destiny." Shifu handed Po the set of dominoes. "You are destined to guide and teach for the rest of your life, but you will also learn as well. Tigress will learn something from you that Oogway and I were unable to teach. It is with that same thought that you will learn just as much from her. Together, if you believe in my words, will you be able to conquer this threat that worries you so. I just need you to trust me."
"I understand, Master Shifu." Po said, this time with gusto.
The two masters bowed to one another.
"It is time for you to get some rest. Wake Master Crane. He will be your replacement. You will leave at dawn."
"I don't think I'm tired." Po said, full of confidence.
The next morning found Po halfway out of bed. Drool ran down the side of his mouth. He opened his eyes to the rising sun.
Dawn, he thought. Panic set in.
Po picked himself up and raced out into the courtyard. As usual, he was the last one out. Shifu stood atop the One Thousand Stairs with the Furious Five patiently waiting. He tumbled before them, slamming hard into the dirt and cobble below. He was quick to pick himself up, yet slow to wipe the dirt from his fur and the drool from his mouth.
To his shock, standing taller than them all, was Tigress. Her fur was no longer charred, and for the first time in what seemed like weeks, she smiled. She looked at Po with bright, amber eyes.
"Glad you could join us, Dragon Warrior." She bowed.
"Tigress? Are you okay?" Po turned towards Shifu. "Is she okay?"
"I'm fine, Po." Tigress confirmed, stealing a quick glance down at her paws. "I feel better than I've felt in a long time."
Po was left speechless. He stood there, more akin to a bumbling idiot than the feared Dragon Warrior. He shook his head and closed his mouth. "Very well. Good to hear." He postured. "We should get moving."
"Indeed." Shifu intervened. "That assassin is out there, and you will need to track them down. Tigress? I assume you are up to the task at tracking this new threat?"
"Of course, Master Shifu."
"Good. Now go!" Shifu pointed out towards the village and the rest of China. "Find this threat, and any answers you can about this threat that has found itself on our front door."
Po, Tigress, and the rest of the Furious Five were quick to pounce away, leaving Shifu behind in their dust. He, however, was not ready to relax. In his hand was the pendant. The shiny metal was light in his hand, and he watched it with an eye of curiosity. How many answers did this single chunk of metal hold? For now, he could only wonder.
Tigress led Po and the Furious Five down into the empty village. Not even the vendors had set up shop yet. It was an oddly quiet and horribly cold morning. Spring hadn't been this cold in a long time, and it showed. Flowers and plants were suffering and stunted. Hard times were ahead for the crops and agriculture.
Their first stop was, of course, Mr. Ping's Dragon Warrior Noodles and Tofu. Tigress made it clear, however, they were not there to slack or eat. Far from it. This was a mission.
"This is urgent, Mr. Ping." She said. The goose immediately stopped and nodded. For once, the energetic goose seemed to chill. He looked at his son.
"What is this about?"
"Well, we're kind of after someone." Po said. "They attacked the Jade Palace last night."
"Attacked?!" Mr. Ping's head lifted immediately. "What did they look like? I would love to help."
"That's the thing. We didn't get a good look at them."
Tigress stepped in. "All we need is to know if you saw anything odd last night. They attacked the palace around sunset, so if you saw anything before or immediately after, that would certainly help a lot."
Mr. Ping seemed to give it some serious thought. Po could tell his father was replaying the entirety of last night in his mind. He went over every small detail. His eyes squinted whenever he ran into a gap in his memory. Eventually, he shrugged.
"I definitely didn't see or hear anything out of the ordinary before sunset. I was just finishing up cleaning and closing up the shop." Again, he seemed to zone out. Then, something clicked. "I did hear a strange noise not too long after sunset."
"A strange noise?" Po inquired.
"Yeah! It sounded like somebody running on top of the roofs. I was far too tired to poke my head out to see what the fuss was, but it definitely seemed off."
"Where did it sound like they were coming from?" Tigress asked.
Mr. Ping looked around pointed southeast. "I think it came from over there."
Tigress bowed, then like a bolt of lightning, took off, leaving Po and the rest of the Furious Five to say their farewell to Mr. Ping. Tigress was atop the roofs in a heartbeat. Her eyes examined the wide eaves of the local roof. She leapt from one to the next, then stopped and looked up at the Jade Palace in the distance.
If they attacked the Jade Palace and ran this way… She turned around and mentally traced the expected route of the assassin. While there was no telling where they could have gone, Tigress knew where she would go. The rooftops had structure. High points and lows. Valleys and mountain peaks. She looked down at the moss that was growing in the gaps of the tiles. Sure enough, something had bushed against the moss. She looked closer. Something recent.
She continued southward, away from the Jade Palace and towards the edge of town. Whether it be moss or dust or dirt or rotten wood, there was always something that seemed unnatural. Something that had disturbed the eaves.
The Furious Five were with her in mere seconds, though they could only guess to what her conclusions may be. Po seemed miles behind.
Tigress leapt to the grass, having run out of buildings. She smiled when she saw the prints. Even the best assassins leave something, and this one left a set of faint tracks across the grass. She raced ahead to the line of trees that sat a few hundred feet from the village end. Again, she stopped. She spotted it immediately.
The broken branches. They were clear as day, and definitely not naturally occurring.
"What's she doing?" Crane whispered to Viper.
"Tracking." The snake responded.
Finally, Po caught up. He bent over and began to breath heavily. "Hey, guys." He huffed. "So, what's the rush? If I-"
Again, Tigress took off into the dense forest.
"GAH!" Po cried out, being the last to follow the tiger. Next exercise definitely has to be cardio, he thought. He took a deep breath, then followed the Furious Five into the bushes and trees. Once again off on the latest adventure.
Tigress kept her eyes peeled. Nothing got past her. Not a broken twig or a footprint in the mud or an odd scratch on a tree, but soon the forest ended. Though thick, it wasn't very large. Tigress stopped at the other end, only a few hours into her hunt, and looked up at the pass leading out of the Valley of Peace. Crane flew up beside her.
"What are you thinking?" He asked.
"The trail is gone, but we know the general direction they went in. That's all we'll need for a while." She looked around as the rest of the Furious Five, and Po, surrounded her. "It's only logical they escaped through this pass. I say we continue southward and hope we pick up more tracks."
"What if we can't?" Monkey asked.
"Then we keep going south." She said. "Crane, I want you to fly as high as you can every so often and judge the terrain around us. See if there are any passages or trails that anyone running away from the valley would logically take. We also talk to every citizen we find and ask if they've seen anyone heading away from the Valley of Peace. Sound good?"
"If it's the best we have to go on, then yeah, sounds good." Po said, regaining his wind. The panda stood up straight and stretched his muscles. "So, on we go?"
"Yeah." Tigress said softly, nodding along. "On we go."
Crane, as instructed, took to the sky as Tigress, Po, Monkey, Mantis, and Viper went on foot. They followed the narrow paths between the high, snow-capped mountains. Once passed, they were met with nothing but fields upon fields before the larger pine forest far in the distance. They raced on, with Po and Tigress both hoping to reach the forest before nightfall. Their goal was met easily.
Crane landed softly and gracefully before Po and Tigress as the rest scouted the forest.
"Find anything?" Po asked.
Crane shook his head. "There aren't any paths or trails for a while. We're on the only road leading away from the Valley of Peace."
"So, we're still on the right track." Tigress said.
"We hope." Po added.
Tigress couldn't argue. The pieces that lead them to take the trail in the first place was flimsy. All it would take was one poor judgement or red herring, and the assassin would possibly be lost forever. Still, Po and the Furious Five knew they would have to commit, and they all trusted Tigress to make the call.
Camp was made a few hundred feet into the forest. Though they all decided unanimously to rest, Po could tell that Tigress was constantly surveying the landscape. Every tree and mark and twig seemed to catch her eye. To her, everything could be a part of the assassin's trail.
"Tigress? Come sit by the fire." Po said, shuffling over to make room for her around the camp. Tigress barely turned her head towards the group.
"It's too risky to not have someone keep watch."
"Then allow me." Po said, standing up. "I got this."
"Please, I don't mind-"
"And neither do I." Po crept beside Tigress and looked down into her amber eyes. "Please? You've had a rough few weeks. Let me take this shift. We can tag team if you'd like."
"I'm not tired."
"Good. Then you can go talk. Relax. If I run into any trouble, I'll give a holler." Po didn't allow Tigress to get another response in. Just as she opened her mouth, Po turned and rushed off into the forest.
Tigress returned to the fire and waited for the Dragon Warrior's return, but they were met with nothing but silence. Hour after hour, there was no sign of Po. The Furious Five ate and watched as the moon rose above them. Monkey threw more chunks of wood into the pit just as the fire was dwindling.
"It's not like Po to miss dinner." Monkey said.
"Yeah." Viper whispered. "He didn't seem right when he left. Do you think he's all right?"
"He's the Dragon Warrior!" Mantis replied. "How much trouble could he get himself into?"
"He's Po…" Monkey said.
"Right. Fair point."
Tigress stood up. "I'll go look for him. If he doesn't want to tag me in, then I'll just go tag him out." She shuffled towards the thickest part of the forest. "I won't be long."
Tigress was gone in a flash, leaving Crane, Viper, Monkey, and Mantis alone and silent. It was, of course, Mantis who broke the oncoming silence.
"So, you think she'll go for it?"
"Depends on what 'it' is." Viper said.
"You know." Mantis exclaimed, as if they actually did. Their continued silence made him realize they did not, and that he'd have to explain. So, Mantis groaned. "You see how they are together."
"Oh boy…" Viper sighed.
"They're bound to hook up at least once, right?"
Monkey looked away.
"Am I wrong, Monkey?"
"I'm staying out of this one, pal." Just like that, Monkey was tuned out.
"Viper? You and Tigress are besties. What does she think of the fearless Dragon Warrior?"
Viper shook her head. "How should I know? Do you really think she likes to talk about that stuff? Besides, love is a process. It takes time. Maybe they don't think about the other like that. Not yet, at least."
"So… you think Po has a chance?"
Viper shrugged. "All it would take is one, big moment to bring them together. If I had to bet, I'd say they'll realize how much they truly need the other very soon."
"You what they say, right?" Crane smiled awkwardly. "Love finds a way."
Silence.
"Dude…" Mantis groaned. "Nobody says that."
Po's fists were clenched. Again and again, he dug his paws into the wood, splintering it with every hit. Leaves littered the air, then the tree fell. Po was not shocked. Instead, he moved onto the next one. In total, four trees had fallen.
"What will it take?" Po mumbled to himself. "What is my next level?" He stopped and sat down against the tree and rubbed his face. He was unaware of the blood he was smearing. The cut stung, but Po barely gave it any attention. "I have to reach it. I have to keep them safe."
From the trees, Tigress watched. Next level? She thought. Her claws dug deep into the bark of the tree branch where she was perched. Her tail swung like a pendulum.
"I need your wisdom, Oogway." Po whispered.
Tigress had heard enough. She hated seeing the panda so confused. Though she had no idea what his thoughts were, or where they stemmed from, she knew she had to help. She had to try.
With a twist, she leapt down into the clearing behind the moping panda.
"Tigress!" Po jumped to his feet. "What are you doing here? I thought you'd be asleep by now."
"We got worried."
"Right. Sorry. I was training and just got caught in the moment."
"Well… I'm here."
Po froze. "It's late. We should really-"
"You'd rather punch trees than face a real opponent?"
"No! NO!" Po gasped. "Not at all. It's just that before we left the Jade Palace, you were in bad shape. I don't want to hurt you."
Tigress wanted to laugh, but then stopped and thought about it from Po's perspective. Her sudden turnaround was… sudden, and she knew it. She looked down at her paws. The wound left by the knife was still present, but everything else before was as if it never happened. "Po…" She looked up at Po. Her eyes suddenly hardened. A smirk quickly came. She lowered herself. "Ready?"
Po smiled and loosened his body. "As ready as I'll ever be, I guess." A drop of blood leaked from his paw, pooling on the ground. Neither Tigress nor Po noticed or cared. That was inconsequential. It was nothing.
Tigress bolted and ran on all fours at the panda. Po was ready. She dipped even lower and struck with glee, but the panda dipped right. Tigress ran into the downed tree. She smiled, digging her claws into it and kneading with delight. With a powerful push, she sprang from the tree across the clearing where Po was waiting. Po readied his belly.
Tigress had forgotten about Po's signature move. It was a moment of weakness on her part, and she paid the price. Her fist rebounded, but she managed to dodge her own strike. She hit the dirt and looked up. To her shock, Po was also thrown back. He stood up and smiled in the small crater he had made.
"Awesome!" He roared. "Great hit!"
Tigress felt an overwhelming sense of satisfaction.
Po was the next to charge. He leapt into the air, landing mere feet in front of Tigress. There, the two titans came to blows. Kicks and punches were thrown, but few landed. Tigress was quicker, more powerful, and far more aggressive. Po, however, relaxed as he was, was able to read the situation and play accordingly. He remained untouched by the tiger's blows.
Suddenly, Tigress retreated, only to stop and leap back towards the panda.
Po smiled, jumped, and came down with a mighty powerful punch. Their fists collided with a power neither had seen in their life. A flash of yellow and violet light swirled between them. Waves of cold and hot air erupted from the center. When it was over, they stood there, perfectly fine and in awe.
Po was the first to step away. He clenched his paw and shook it as if it were on fire.
"OW! Ow. Ow. Ow."
Tigress looked down at hers. To her shock, it hurt. Her paw actually hurt.
Po was quick to recover in front of his idol. "That was awesome! Let's do it again! Ready?" I'll stand on this side, and you stand over there. At the count of three, we charge and connect our fists. Ready? THREE!" Po lunged as he did prior, but Tigress was too distracted. She leaned left, allowing Po to zip past. He hit the tree behind her and fell face first to the dirt. "Tigress? I said three."
Tigress, oblivious to the panda's goofy antics, looked back at Po. "Where did you learn that?"
"To what? Punch?" Po shrugged, still lying on the ground. Tigress picked her friend up and tightly gripped his shoulders.
Tigress opened her mouth to speak but her eyes shifted to something far behind Po. Deeper into the trees. Po followed, but his clumsy nature caused him to fall behind quickly.
Tigress stopped a dozen or so feet into the thick trees. There, among one of the trees, was a nest. Twigs and leaves scattered around, and not too far away was a rock pit with ash and embers. Tigress bent down to examine everything she could. The ash was old, and most of it was gone thanks to the wind. She knew it had been here a little while, but they were still on the trail. Resting on a small rock was a single feather.
"A camp?" Po asked.
Tigress nodded. "We're on the right track. Go get some rest. I'll keep watch the rest of the night. We leave first thing tomorrow."
The trail had been a good one. They found enough evidence to suggest the assassin had gone southward. Other than a little curve east, they continued down. Long enough to confirm, beyond the shadow of a doubt, the assassin's base was somewhere in the far south. Perhaps, Tigress pictured, even along the coast.
A week later, they had done it. The had arrived at the Shining Sea, but the trial had gone cold. Tigress had not found a single mark from the assassin in two straight days, but she was sure they were still on him. Now, there was nowhere else to go. They had to make a decision. Head east along the beach, or west. There was no other course, or so they thought.
Tigress sat, stumped. She took an entire day to study the surroundings, hoping to find one more piece of evidence the assassin had been here. It didn't matter how long or thoroughly she looked. There was no sign of them. She sat atop a lone pine as the moon began to rise. With the stars at their brightest and the full moon overhead, she began to knead the bark. Her claws tore into it, shredding it to pieces. Though frustrated, however, she was always immediately calmed whenever she looked up at the bright lights above, and their reflection in the crystalized water below.
Behind her, Po roared with laughter. He was sitting beside the campfire with the rest of the Furious Five. Though they talked, Tigress' mind was on other things. All she could do was listen the laughter. Whatever they were talking about sounded fun. Now was not the time for fun. She spun around, but stopped when she heard Mantis speak.
"So, Po? I got a quick question for you."
"Hit me."
"So, not too long ago, you admitted to having a crush. Remember?"
Po thought a little while but remembered clearly. Po nodded. "I remember. The dancing girl from the panda village. She's a cutie, that one." Po tried to sound confident, but it came out flat and awkward. "Mei Wei." Po mumbled.
"Yup. That's the one! You must love her so much, you can't even remember her name."
"What?" Po shot Mantis a look of confusion. Suddenly, it set in. Mei Mei was the panda. Not Mei Wei or Mei Tei or any other name he had butchered. Po's face blistered red.
"Look, pal. I ain't gonna ask who it is, but you definitely have a crush, right?"
Po nodded silently in shame.
Mantis smiled. "And it isn't Mei Mei?"
This time, Po shook his head.
"Cool. Sorry for the callout, but I had to get my notes correct."
"Notes?" Po asked.
"Yup! I got notes on all of you. Who you like, who you love. All sorts of juicy stuff."
"Really?" Viper's eyes lit up.
"Really?" Crane cowered and his face lit up just as red as Po's.
Monkey just laughed.
"Why do you have that?" Po asked.
"Oh, just in case anything drastic happens. You know? If one of you guys turns evil, I have your weaknesses written down. Or, if anyone wants to leave like Tigress did a few years back, I can pull everyone back together. It's all just precautionary stuff, really. So, Po? Just so our notes match, who do you have a crush on?"
"You guys should keep it down." Tigress said, standing tall above them. "You never know who could be listening."
"She's right." Po agreed, desperate to find an out. Luckily, Tigress was always there when he needed her. The subtlety was not lost on Mantis, or the rest of the Furious Five.
"We're just having a bit of fun." Mantis said. "If we didn't have these moments, we would've gone nuts a long time ago. Run off to sea, never to be seen again. Except for Crane, who would fly."
"Sea?" It clicked. "Fly?" Tigress turned back towards the water and watched the waves break along the shoreline. "Genius." She whispered to herself.
"Yup." Mantis sighed and stretched. "I've been called that many times."
Tigress bolted towards the water. Po was quick to leap up and follow. Mantis was left confused.
"What happened?" The bug said.
Tigress stood on the shore and looked out at the dark horizon. Far near the crest of the ocean, there were a gap in the stars. A place where not even they could shine. Tigress knew, without any facts, that their goal was just across this sea. She didn't have proof, and to most it would seem like a longshot, but she knew she was right.
"Tomorrow, we need to find a boat." Morning couldn't come quick enough.
The next morning, after breakfast, Monkey guided Po and the rest of the Furious Five down the coastline a few miles. Though they had each taken their nightshift duties, Monkey was the only one who was able to find something of value. He described it as a ramshackle dock. Upon coming up to the dilapidated structure, Po realized that Monkey's description couldn't have been more accurate.
"It's abandoned." Po said.
"How can you be sure?" Viper said, always the caution one.
"Cool it, Viper." Po said with a smile as he approached the rotten wooden doors. "People would have to be crazy to live here. Hey, wanna see a new move? KE-PA!" With a mighty punch, the doors swung open. The rotten doors splintered into tiny dust particles ad splinters. "Pretty cool, huh?" Po turned and locked eyes with an old porcupine sitting at the edge of the docks.
"Hi!" Viper said, waving her tail awkwardly.
"Crap." Po sighed.
Mantis laughed. "Yeah! That was pretty cool!"
The first thing Tigress saw inside the small shack were a row of boats. A few of them seemed like they would be able to float. One or two seemed like they would actually hold a thing or two. None of them looked like they would hold Po afloat, however.
"So, is this your home?" Po asked as gently as he could.
The porcupine's mouth dropped as he nodded. "Yeah, and that was my door."
"How about we strike a deal? We rebuild your door, and you let us borrow one of those boats? One that floats is preferred, but I'd totally understand if you gave us the one with all those holes."
They were a few hundred feet out to sea before the next word was spoken.
"Po? Can't you be an idiot when we're not on a mission?" Tigress asked, unsure if she wanted to joke or be deathly serious.
"It's a lot harder than it appears, but let's look on the bright side. We gave that poor porcupine a door that was better than new." Po said as he plucked a quill from his hand.
Tigress groaned.
Mantis sat on the rim of the boat as it rocked. Crane flew high overhead but dipped down as Mantis spoke. "So, I want a vote on this. If we had a sixth member, what would it be?"
"I thought I was the sixth member?" Po asked, dejected.
"Not really." Mantis said. "Well… yes, and no. You're your own thing. The Dragon Warrior and the Furious Five. It sounds cooler that way."
Monkey nodded in total agreement with his best friend. "If we had a sixth member, it would make strategic sense they would be a fish."
"Not very logical, though." Crane said from above.
"Yeah. Somebody would have to carry the bowl around with them." Viper added.
"Guys… stop." Tigress groaned. Her head had already started to hurt.
"We'd call you guys the Super Six." Po joined.
"Sensation Six." Mantis said.
A sudden wake rocked the boat. Water sprayed them. Mantis was quick to leap to Monkey's shoulder. Tigress hunkered down as water poured on her, soaking her clothes and fur. She hissed and growled at the experience. Crane was quick to fly higher in hopes of getting a better view.
"Guys! There's a big shadow below you. Like… really big."
"How really big?" Mantis asked.
"Like… I'm coming down to get out of the water, really big."
It was too late. A large behemoth of a beast emerged. Mouth as wide as the boat and infinitely deeper. The monster had teeth like razors. It's black and white body was as slick as slime. It was headed right for them.
"Woah, momma!" Mantis roared. "Too big of a fish! Too big!"
It crested. With mouth open wide, it came down over the boat.
Po's eyes lit up. "It's like a sea panda!" He awed at the spectacle.
Tigress huffed. "Fu-"
With a splash, their boat was taken down. In one fell swoop, the Dragon Warrior, Mantis, Monkey, Viper and Tigress were sucked into the water. Crane was left alone as the water settled.
"Viper?!" He cried out. "Po? Guys? Anyone?"
He fluttered his wings and flew higher. His eyes scanned the water for the shadow. All he could see was an empty, blue sea. Then, like a shadow, the figure reared its ugly back. Just once. Crane watched as it dipped below the water once again. This time, the thing stayed just below the surface, giving Crane a good look at what it truly was. A killer whale.
Crane followed the mass as it tore out into the seemingly endless Shining Sea.
A/N: This was a fun chapter to write. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed it! The confrontation between the heroes and the villains is all set up. I'm excited. Lu Fang is going to be an absolute terror.
Also, I had to make a small edit on the previous chapter. I hope I did that correctly. I was on a roll while typing and accidentally labeled Liang as a bird instead of the rabbit I initially wrote him as. Whoops. Wrote too fast, too carelessly.
Once again, thanks for reading this far! It is always appreciated.
