Chapter 18: Wake Up
"Wake up." A faint, distant voice whispered.
Tigress groaned and opened her eyes. She was met with a sight she had never seen before in her life. Swaths of yellows spat out in all directions. She sat up and stretched. She was forced to look skyward when the world suddenly went dark. She expected a cloud. Perhaps one predicting rain? A tree thrashing in the wind? The last thing she expected was a rock. A floating island? She let out an audible gasp. She backed up, legs frantically thrashing the dirt below. She back peddled until she hit something hard. Instinctually, she spun and readied her fists for action.
But it was just a tree.
She guided her eyes up towards the top of the titanic tree. It looked familiar. Too familiar.
What was the Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom doing here? She thought.
Then, she heard it. An echo from afar but rapidly getting closer. A laugh. One she hadn't heard for years. Ever since Oogway. Her head spun every which way, looking left, right, back and center. The last place she would've expected to find the source was above her.
"It has been a while, Tigress." Oogway said as he floated down from the golden sky. Tigress stood in shock but was able to find her breath. She fumbled to her feet and bowed before the tortoise.
"Master Oogway."
"Always so formal." Oogway chuckled, firmly planting his feet before the tiger. She stood tall above him, but the tortoise held so much grace and fluidity, she still felt small. Tigress didn't know what to say. The sight of the tortoise put a hefty knot in her throat, just as it had all those years ago.
Should I agree? Tigress thought. What does he want me to do? What does he want me to say? Think! She raised her head and stood firm. Tall. Stoic. Yet, her eyes were undisciplined. They glanced around, still taking in the wonder of the new world she had found herself in. "Where are we?"
"We are in the Spirit Realm. I know you've heard stories from Po."
She cracked a smile. "He's spoken about it. Yes." Tigress downplayed Po's enthusiasm for the wonderful realm. In reality, he had gone on and one about it. One night, the Dragon Warrior prattled on until the early hours of the morning. He hadn't noticed the Furious Five had taken turns falling asleep during his rant. Tigress was worried the poor panda would die from lack of breath. "Why am I here? Is this just a dream?"
"Dream? Perhaps. But perhaps not. Either way, does it matter?"
"I suppose not." Her head remained on a swivel, but when she turned to look at Oogway once again, he was gone. Her head snapped around, looking desperately for the mysterious tortoise. She found him floating above her with his eyes closed. He was truly at peace. Slowly, his head turned to her as he passed, and his eyes opened. "I imagine you brought me here for a reason?"
"Yes, and no." Oogway remained difficult. "You are here for a reason, but I did not bring you. You are here because the universe decided we needed to speak."
Tigress wanted to groan, but her discipline compelled her to hold any frustration and rash actions to herself. Instead, she nodded and decided to get to the backbone of this whole situation. Lu Fang had proven herself more than a match for herself, the Furious Five, and Po, the Dragon Warrior. If there was anything she could take from Oogway's teachings, it's that there are no accidents.
"I imagine I'm here because you want to talk about Lu Fang?" Tigress noted the brief sparkle in Oogway's eyes at the mention of her name. "Who is she? How can we stop her?"
Oogway laughed. "Patience, young Tigress. I am here to talk, but it is not about Lu Fang." Oogway pulled his staff close and used it as an anchor, pulling himself to the ground just before Tigress. Then, he reached out his hand and touched her heart. "I want to talk about you."
"Me?"
Oogway nodded. "You." The old tortoise landed on a small rock, high above Tigress. "I have watched your progress closely. I am impressed. Shifu has taught you well. It's only a matter of time before…" Oogway looked off into the distance. His smile grew as his words fizzled out. Then, he chuckled.
"Before what?" Tigress hoped she didn't sound too rude.
"Before you wake up, and take Shifu's place, of course. I'm sure that poor old panda is looking forward watching you rise in his stead. Perhaps he could tend to the garden. Officially retire. Wouldn't that be a sight?"
"I'm just a student. I still have lots to learn, Master Oogway." Tigress bowed, but her feet suddenly lifted off the ground. Her tail thrashed and her legs kicked wildly. Floating was a new experience for her, and it showed. Eventually, she rose up in front of Oogway.
"You are closer than you think, Tigress. The only thing you need to learn how to do…" He looked at the tiger's thrashing legs. "…is to learn how to float with grace." Oogway pulled his enormous staff close and hooked Tigress by the foot, bringing her gently to the top of the rock.
"There has to be more than that." Tigress said.
Oogway nodded. "Most importantly, you need to learn how to wake up."
"Wake up?" Tigress looked around. She knew this was just a dream. Of course, it was. The most important question to answer was if this was the real Oogway or not? "Mas-"
BOP!
Tigress winced. She glared at Oogway. The elderly tortoise held a mischievous grin. Tigress held in that instinctual growl, as she knew growling at such a seasonal master, especially Oogway, was a sin of kung fu. So, she closed her eyes and bit her tongue.
BOP!
Again, she gave Oogway a stern glare. This time, she let a growl slip from between her teeth. What was this tortoise getting at?! She thought.
"Wake up." Oogway said.
BOP!
"I said wake up!"
"What does that mean? What do you want me to do?!" Her frustration began to seep through. Oogway simply sat back down.
"Do what your instincts tell you. Wake them up, Tigress. What would you do if I were Po? Or Tai Lung?"
Tigress remained silent. She closed her eyes and took deep breaths. Eventually, she opened her eyes and looked around. She looked at the golden sky and felt the warmth flow through her fur. Oogway eventually broke the silence.
"Shifu has taught you well. You've been disciplined, and it shows. It is exemplary, but I'm afraid when it comes to Lu Fang, it is misplaced."
"Discipline is one of the pillars of kung fu."
"Now, it will get you killed. It will get your friends killed, Tigress. Everybody has something special about them, Tigress. You have this desire to be the best, and with it comes a natural aggression. A fierce instinct to win."
"That's not me, anymore. I'm past that. I'm not a monster."
"You never were. Once you realize that, you'll wake up to a whole new world. I'll see you soon."
Before Tigress could turn around, the golden skies snapped to black.
"Wait! Master Oogway!" Tigress roared as she propped her head up. She was met with a bright blue sunny sky. She was forced to squint, as somehow, the blue sky and sun were far brighter than the golden basket she was in previously.
"Nope. No Oogway here." Mantis said.
Viper was looking down on Tigress in a flash. Somehow, she had slithered from one end of the camp to the other in a fraction of a second. The snake looked down on her friend with wide eyes and a caring smile. "You're awake! That's a relief."
"We thought you were dead." Monkey added.
Tigress tried to pick herself up, but her feet nearly came out from beneath. "How long was I out? Last thing I remember I was…" She thought but could hardly remember the incident. It felt like forever ago.
"Last thing that happened…" Mantis began. "…was you used Po as a pillow. Since then, you've been fast asleep."
Tigress remembered but dared not bring it up. Instead, she observed her surroundings. She did not recognize the camp, and the surroundings seemed different from last time. The variety of trees were different, and the mountains seemed far closer than last time. She shook her head and stretched her legs. "How long was I out?"
"About a week." Crane said, emerging from the sky.
Tigress nearly fainted. "What?!"
"I thought we agreed to ease her into it?" Viper spoke softly.
"I couldn't have been out for a week. How does that even happen?" Her eyes darted around. "Were we followed? Did we run into bandits?"
"Nope." Monkey said. "Everything went smoothly. Po was nice enough to carry you."
"Po?!" Tigress nearly snapped but took a moment to breath. It was then, and only then, did she even realize the panda was missing. She looked Viper dead in the eye. "Where is he?"
Tigress was guided down a short trail. One that wasn't well covered, as the forest was quite thin at that point. Other than a few mighty trees and low shrubs, everything was pretty spaced out. Still, she rushed along the trail until coming upon a small pond. Sure enough, sitting at the edge, was Po. Tigress slowed her approach and walked into the clearing.
"I'll be there in a second." Po said softly, never looking up from the water.
"What are you doing here alone?"
Po was quick to stand up. He spun. His eyes wide with shock, but what caught Tigress' eye more were the marks. Scars and scratches ran up and down his face, arms, and back. Tigress took a step away, horrified at the sight of her friend.
"What?" Po asked.
"You're face. Were we attacked while I was out?"
Po opted to leave out the fact that, while sleeping, Tigress had not been kind to him. Po had thought about the next time he would speak with Tigress and thought about asking her to trim her claws, at the very least.
"Oh!" Po played off the marks. "No. This? What?! No. We weren't attacked."
"Are you sure?" Tigress got closer, but upon noticing a bite mark on Po's arm, stopped. She looked up at Po. Their eyes met, and there was an immediate understanding. "I… I heard you carried me… while I was… sleeping. Correct?"
Po scratched his arm. "Yep."
"And…" Tigress looked down at her claws. Her face beneath her fur grew bright red. She spun around. A warm feeling ran up and down her body. She knew what she had done but wasn't in the mindset to approach the topic. "Well, I'm awake now. Something is going on and I don't understand it. Not yet at least. If you're good to go, we shouldn't waste time."
They didn't waste time. Tigress wasn't sure how far Po had carried her, but the Dragon Warrior knew all too well. It had taken them a week to reach the shoreline from the Valley of Peace when their journey had first begun. Po was counting the days on their way back. Counting the steps. He knew they were close to the valley. In fact, the mountains grew closer and closer with each day and every step. He knew home was just over them.
As they reached the base of the mountains, Po's scratches had begun to heal. Now, they were little more than red marks across his arms and face. Mantis and Monkey couldn't help but laugh and joke whenever they thought Po and Tigress couldn't hear. They were usually wrong, and the two were usually well within earshot.
As they crested the mountains, none of the six could hold back their sighs of relief. For the first time in what felt like months, they were once again looking upon their home. The Valley of Peace. Suddenly, days of marching and travel seemed to vanish. No longer did they feel the weight that hundreds of thousands of steps had put on them, nor did Crane feel the weight of the sky as he tore through the clouds. They were home.
Swiftly, and with haste, they made their way down the mountains, finding an all too familiar trail that led to an all too familiar village. Then, just as they had hundreds of times before, they passed Mr. Ping's shop. Po didn't even have time to peek inside before the goose ran out and wrapped his feathered wings around his son.
"You're alive!" Mr. Ping cried out, burying his beak deep within Po's soft fur. "I was getting worried! Please, don't leave again! Please!"
Po smiled. "Dad, you were worried when I went to make my first delivery, remember? I'm fine."
Mr. Ping smiled and pulled away from the fluffy panda. "Right. I guess it's a father thing. One second you were here, safe in the valley. The next, you were gone! I asked around, hoping somebody knew where you were, but nobody did. As to be expected, I suppose. You are our savior, after all." Mr. Ping managed a smile that, more times than not, would force Po to smile as well. This time, however, the panda didn't. "So, what evildoer did you kung fu this time?"
Po wasn't taken aback by the odd descriptor, but he was taken aback by the question. He didn't have an answer. In fact, he was the one who got 'kung fu'd' this time. That fact didn't sit well. Po played with his fingers for a moment longer than anyone of the Five were comfortable with. Even Mr. Ping began to gauge Po's reaction and hesitance. It was then the goose began to pick up the pieces.
"What happened?" Mr. Ping asked softly.
"It's not good, Dad. In fact, it's bad. Like, really bad."
"How bad?" Mr. Ping inquired. "Like, undercooked noodle bad?"
"Worse."
Mr. Ping began to shake. "Horrible!" He fell to his knees. After a moment, the goose realized his overdramatic reaction and stood up. Still though, it was clear he was nervous. He took a deep breath. "Does that mean you'll have to leave again?"
Po couldn't lie. He looked his father dead in the eye. "I might have to."
Mr. Ping's voice was soft. Almost a whisper. "You'll come back, right?"
Po wanted to answer the question but found that what Mr. Ping wanted to hear was nearly impossible to say. He wanted to give him reassurance, but he couldn't muster the heart to lie to him like that. Instead, Po turned his gaze towards the Jade Palace.
"I think we should report to Master Shifu." Po said. "He's going to want to hear what we have to say." With that, Po bent down and hugged his father once more, then turned and walked down the lonely road towards the Jade Palace. Monkey, Viper, Mantis, and Crane each gave Mr. Ping as much of a reassuring nod as they could muster. When Tigress passed, all she could do is look down at the little goose. Mr. Ping's eyes were still set on Po as he walked away. Tigress saw the hurt in Mr. Ping's eyes and her heart sank. She wanted to say something reassuring, but the words eluded her. So, she turned and followed Po and the rest without uttering a peep.
Po was the first to swing the gates to the Jade Palace open. He walked inside with gusto, expecting the place to be nearly empty aside from a couple geese and Master Shifu. He couldn't have been more wrong. Instead, the place was bustling with strangers. At the end of the hall, eyes closed, was Master Shifu. Po and the rest were forced to push their way through the mass before they could reach the elderly master.
"Master Shifu! What's going on?" Po asked.
Shifu smiled and opened his eyes. "I am glad to see you've returned."
"What is this?" Po was nearly out of breath.
"Help I've managed to recruit. I'm proud to announce there will be a new museum. A treasure trove of valuables from all across the land. It will be a space where wisdom can be found with the flick of a finger, or the brush of a hand. A place where Oogway's lost teachings and theories of the universe can be found."
"Master?" Tigress interrupted. "What did-"
"Ah! Tigress…" His voice was soft. "I've found something I've been seeking for my entire life." He leapt to his feet and pulled his staff close. "Thanks to the Dragon Warrior, I have done some digging. For once, it wasn't for truth about myself or the universe. Yada. Yada. No. This time, I found the hidden meanings behind Master Oogway's old teachings that I have missed. Thanks to you, Po, I was able to realize that I needed to uncover what Master Oogway meant with all of his secretive and odd teachings. Now, I have found them, and despite the recent attacks, I've found them all intact. It was really quite lucky."
Po, Tigress, and the rest of the Furious Five could hardly hear. The noise inside the palace echoed like nothing they've ever experienced, and the workers tended to care more about their imminent path than politely walking around the large panda or his friends.
Then, Shifu looked up at Po and smiled even further. "I trust this mission of yours was a success. A tad later than expected, but I trust that was simply because of how you work, Po."
"Actually…" Po began, taking a deep breath. "We lost, Master."
"Wonderful. It is time to-" Po's words took a while to sink in, but when they did, they cut deep. Shifu went silent. "Lost?"
Po hung his head. "Master… She's too powerful."
"Who?"
"Lu Fang. She's… She's a panda like me. I just… I don't know! She beat me, Shifu. She kicked my butt left and right. She's stronger than Tai Lung and Shen. Heck! She's even stronger than Kai!"
Shifu's ears fluttered. "This is bad." He spun to face the Moon Pool and sighed. "I've had many talks with Emperor Hongwu. He is expecting this to be resolved quickly. He isn't going to be happy at this supposed failure."
Tigress stepped in. "Master, if I hadn't-"
"I failed." Po interrupted. "She wanted me to join her. Lu Fang thought we would make a great team. I didn't react like I should have. I… I gave in, I suppose. I saw something in her, Master. I thought I could make her see the good in people again. I let everyone down. I'm sorry."
Shifu took a deep breath. "Get some rest. All of you." He turned towards the ensuing chaos. Geese, pigs, and foxes all brought boxes and boards left and right. They yelled and hollered and screamed at one another. It was all too much. "This is giving me a headache. I-"
Then, the doors swung open, and the room turned silent. The air was stone cold. In walked Emperor Hongwu. He strode in with confidence. Each step echoed around the hall as the majestic eagle went straight up to Shifu. Emperor Hongwu towered over the eldelry panda. Po and the Furious Five stood helpless as they watched Shifu bow. Po looked towards his friends and realized they, too, were bowed. Po followed suit with haste.
After a moment of awkward silence, Shifu hoped to relieve the tension. "Welcome, your majesty. I wasn't expecting-"
With a quick wave from the enormous wings of Emperor Hongwu, Shifu went silent. "I see your warriors have returned." Emperor Hongwu spoke, eying each of the Furious Five and the Dragon Warrior with keen interest. "Am I correct in assuming the threat has been dealt with? Shifu has spoken of you all with much confidence."
Tigress was quick to step up to answer. "Your majesty, we-"
"I want to hear from the Dragon Warrior." His words were sharp. All eyes turned towards Po. The poor panda was already beet red, and that only worsened as he looked up at the golden eagle.
Po cleared his throat and straightened his posture. "What… uh… what do you want to know, again?"
"Am I right in assuming you were successful in vanquishing the target?"
"Oh… boy…" Po took a deep breath before giving out the answer. "No. No, we were not."
Expecting a fierce reaction, Po winced. What he was met with was nothing but more silence. Disappointed, festering silence. "And whose fault would that be?"
"Who?" Po managed a nervous chuckle. "Well, depending on-"
"Do not play this game!" Emperor Hongwu roared. "Who? Tell me who is to blame? You? Shifu? Those… other warriors of yours?" Emperor Hongwu brushed his wing towards the Furious Five. "Tell me, who?!"
Po thought Emperor Hongwu was acting more like an owl than an eagle, though Po didn't dare say that aloud. "It was-"
"Me." Mantis spoke up. "Me, your majesty. I was weak."
Before Emperor Hongwu could target Mantis, another voice echoed.
"Me as well." This time, it was Crane. "It was also me, your majesty. I was scared."
"And me, your majesty." Viper spoke. "I was inattentive."
"And I." Monkey said. "Your majesty, I was unconcerned."
Now, it was Tigress' turn. "It was my fault as well." Tigress watched the golden eagle snarl somehow through his beak. "I was rash."
Emperor Hongwu's gaze snapped back towards Po. "What of you, Dragon Warrior?"
"It was mine as well." Po said, now feeling the confidence rise. Somehow, knowing the Furious Five had his back made every fear he has disappear. "I led them astray, your majesty."
Emperor Hongwu stepped back and turned towards the mass of workers inside the hall. "Return home. You can all finish tomorrow." In an instant, the hall was clear of workers. They all scattered without hesitation. Then, Emperor Hongwu spun towards Shifu. "I wish to speak to you. Alone."
The emperor brushed himself past Po and the Furious Five. Master Shifu followed closely behind. He gave a slight wink up in Po's direction before vanishing behind the far shoji door.
Po let out a gasp. His head lightened and his vision nearly went black. He wobbled for a moment but was propped up by Tigress. "How about a quick snack?" Po asked. His voice was weary. He stumbled towards the kitchen. "I'll cook."
A/N: Hey! Another chapter down! I think we'll hit the 100,000 word mark! That'd be cool.
Anyway! Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Next chapter is going to be another 'character' chapter. A bit slower, but then we'll ramp up. We're in the process of resolving all those mini plots I kept adding throughout the story. I just couldn't help myself, so now I need to bring it all together.
Thank you for reading!
