Alrighty, here's a new chapter!

...

Chapter 16: The Chase

And so there we were, about to be taken away to jail probably by the Juniper City lawmen. Zhen and I didn't sweat it, usually when stuff like this happened we'd be out not long after we got in.

Po decided to make things interesting. He took a moment to reflect on what he should do. Something in him couldn't bear to see us be taken away to who knows where. Plus, a small part of him told the panda that we knew how to approach the Chameleon…it would be a lot harder to get to her without Zhen and me.

And so, he followed them from behind, soon poking one of the men to get their attention in a vain attempt to free us, "hello, officers! Dragon Warrior here!" They finally face him again and inspect the hero of the Valley of Peace…not thinking much of it, "these two are in my custody. The three of us are on official Dragon Warrior biz!"

The two officers just looked at each other and back to Po with looks of confusion, "who?"

"Dragon-what now?"

The panda was taken aback by this, "uh…you know…Dragon Warrior!" Silence followed just as he started darting his eyes back and forth between them, "nothing? R-really? I saved the Valley of Peace a few times…saved Gongmen City?"

Zhen and I looked at each officer…wondering if they'd get it…nope…they don't. The fox and I just looked at each other with amused looks, but it was going to get even more amusing for we diverted our attention to Po once more.

The latter placed the straw hat on his head and brandished the Staff of Wisdom; he soon gave a smirk before giving them a show, "perhaps you know me better as…" he twirled the staff in an almighty display of valor and will before finishing his statement with a heroic pose, "the Kung Fu Panda!"

A short silence followed before I burst out laughing to break the awkwardness. Everyone just looked at me like I was crazy…honestly, I probably was at that moment. I just realized something pretty hilarious about Po…he's acting JUST LIKE ZHEN! Oh my goodness, that just made my day! Zhen loves to put on a show…always building up the suspense, getting everyone hyped up…ending it with such a bang! Po did the same exact thing here and it was freaking adorable…it's as if they're siblings, hah! I had to point between him and Zhen to try and get her to spot the similarities. She just grumbled in my direction, of course. I made a mischievous grin at her in return, oh…that was an instant classic…a scroll of the ages right there!

My delightful musing is cut short, of course. Ultimately, Po's efforts are in vain (no surprise there) and we are all thrown in a cage to be carried away to the city jail.

Zhen's expression was even more amusing to me. Po just gave a sheepish grin to the vixen in response. I seemed to be the only one having fun right now. They both totally could have a sibling relationship!

"Oh, come on guys!" Po shouted for the guards to free us, but it wouldn't help. I nudged the vulpine, pointing to a simple lock as I held my giggles, things were about to get crazy if she followed through. Knowing Zhen all my life…she will.

The gray fox next to him had had enough and she nodded to me. Her demeanor changes to a mischievous one, "your way didn't work, now let's try it mine." She transformed her jade earring (that Chameleon gave her as a teenager) into a key and sure enough unlocked the cage easily…classic Zhen move.

"Easy breezy" She smirked, pushing the metallic door open.

"W-wait a minute…what's your way!?" Po just had to ask, all innocent and stuff. He's not ready for how we do things in Juniper City, heh!

Zhen pulls him out as I jump out of the cage right behind the duo. The vixen harmlessly landed on some sandbags just as Po landed on a cart of fruit. Very shortly after it's followed by me landing on his belly. I spring into action, jumping off and helping Zhen push the demolished cart, with Po in it, to safety. Once he manages to slip out, we make a run for another street to evade the law.

"You guys can't run away from the law! You two are wanted criminals!" Po said as he chased us down. As we ran, I managed to find something of interest and quickly went to the side to snag a wanted poster to show it to Zhen. She smirked in return, showing it to the panda, "well, look at that, they actually made you look menacing!"

It was a wanted poster for Po…all the hero could say in return was, "wow…word spreads very fast here!"

It sure does, I mused…hiding a giggle, you'll learn to like it Po…maybe you'll have people run up to you begging for you to sign your wanted poster like they do for Zhen!

Zhen pulled us out of our momentary thoughts with a click of her tongue, "we've got to get out of here before they…"

Sure enough, we hear a rumbling and the ground starts shaking like an earthquake. Zhen and I looked at each other as I smirked, "…backup…"

I gave a mischievous grin to the fox, like you always say…it's more FUN this way!

It's all bovine guards, rushing at us from all directions.

Po just had to say, "that's a lot of bull!"

I just had to scoff, oh, I like that remark…if only Zhen had those kinds of quips before we met the panda!

"Run!" Zhen shouted as we made for an alleyway to escape. With her quick thinking, she handed the panda and I bamboo sticks that were placed against a wall. Zhen and I rush for the dead-end wall in front of us and flawlessly make it over…it's not our first escape after all!

The same can't be said for the third member of our party: he tried to emulate our jump but all he did was crash through the decorated wall. Zhen and I looked back as we landed to see what had happened and we both had to giggle at that.

"You know…he could make all of this SO MUCH more interesting" Zhen looked up and gave a smug grin to me before I looked down and nodded.

She and I already figured out an exit strategy: we'll use the storm drains to try and escape… foolproof! Po made it to us and the three of us started making our way, with the grayish vulpine leading the way. We look behind us to see the army of officers chasing us.

Zhen wasn't kidding, it IS a slow week!

There was what seemed to be an entrance to a shop, but it was simply a façade made and used by the Den of Thieves to escape capture (a little more on them later.) Too late did the guards find out…moving the tent out of the way to see us disappearing into the pipe under their hooved feet.

We three slid down the storm drain. I gulped when I saw Po had reached the end and got stuck. Zhen, second in line, slammed into him and the duo got thrown out: landing on an occupied rickshaw.

I landed not too far away to see them driving off without me! With haste, I spot a rickshaw without a passenger. I got through a crowd, stole a bag of coins, and threw it at the driver as I got on: pointing ahead with narrowed eyes! Thus, I'm back in the game, for now!

As we got closer, I got myself properly positioned to jump and rejoin my group, but then a wall of guards came rushing for us. Po and Zhen quickly move their rickshaw left into another street as I direct my driver in the same direction…barely avoiding capture!

What none of us realized was that there was a flight of stairs leading down and we all crashed down below; however, Zhen and Po were thrown off toward the rooftop of a building as I am, once again, left behind.

Darn it!

I'll have to find another way to get to them…

I look to my right and see another flight of steps that led up. I decided to follow the river across from the duo. Keep in mind, that I also had some guards following me from behind.

With haste, I ran past a group of pedestrians until I spotted several boats in the river I could hop across from to get to the other side. I jump off the ledge, landing on one such boat. I look up to see the officers leaning by the edge…grunting at me in response. I give a wave to them in response before I continue on.

I soon began hopping from one boat to another, soon reaching the other side. Just as I do, I look up to see Po and Zhen in the sky…riding what appears to be a kite the shape of a dragon. I rolled my eyes in response, at this rate I'm going to lose them. What then, do I just go back to the Chateau and wait for them there? Doesn't sound like a bad idea actually.

Turns out, however, that fate had other plans for me.

I see a large kite being blown toward my direction that I could grasp and be taken up in the air. I could see bovine guards coming from all directions. It was a no-brainer: I grabbed on and was taken into the sky…above the buildings to be met with the large expanse of the city. I can see Po bouncing in the air…they got off their dragon kite. Zhen had already descended but the panda had his own turmoils to deal with at that moment.

Nevertheless, they weren't too far away from me now and I grabbed the rope of a nearby kite to descend. Once I'm low enough I land on a rooftop and make my way down.

Then, as if my ancestors wanted to torment me further: I saw Po being thrown across from me (he probably ricochet off the paper lanterns that were now attached to him.) I was so close to him too! I grabbed the sides of my hair in frustration…groaning so loudly from this.

Well…it's more fun this way, I mocked Zhen's voice, as she would usually say it, in my head…amusingly enough.

Anyway, I had to press on…quickly running and jumping across rooftops before finding them (the panda and the vixen) running down an avenue and into a shop…

Unknown to me, it's pretty hilarious what happened inside that antique shop: Po and Zhen were followed inside, but everyone had to tip-toe through to ensure nothing would be broken. The fox, while grabbing her bushy tail to make sure it didn't hit anything, thought to herself, we gotta get off the streets…and I know exactly where we can go!

Funny enough, the intermission inside the shop gave me more than enough time to catch up with the two of them!

Once outside, she led Po through a decorated alleyway until they reached the end (which had several percussion instruments intricately laid out.)

Well, Mei…looks like you're not coming with us, she thought. But as if on cue, I landed across from them and she dispelled the thought, convenient.

There was no time to ask how it all went for me (not that I could vividly explain or anything, but I wish!)

I dusted myself off as Zhen walked past me and tried to play the drums to open the secret latch. I knew EXACTLY what she was trying to do, she and I used to use this route to get to the hidden village when we were kids. I can't believe she was seriously considering hiding out in the Den of Thieves!

I stopped her with an arm, what do you think you're doing!?

But, she pulled back and folded her ears in frustration at me, "what-you got a better idea? Let's hear it, Mei!" She snapped back coldly before I looked over to hear the guards approaching.

In some ways, she was right…there was no way out other than to take the route to the Den. I had no time to debate or stop her either, or this will end quite unceremoniously.

And so, I was forced to step aside quickly before her usual smug grin returned and she continued her way to the instruments, "thank you."

Po just looked at me with a questioning glare, wondering what all that was about me, but he was about to find out, sure enough.

Zhen picked up some drumsticks as one guard shouted from down the alleyway, "there they are!"

I looked toward the corsac fox and grimaced sharply in response, if you're going to do this…hurry this up!

She started making a series of notes on several drums as a form of passcode. Po looked on with confusion, "Zhen, we don't have time for a drum solo!" The panda turned to me and I gave a reassuring face to him…but it didn't seem to help.

He sees us getting surrounded by countless guards, getting into a combat pose as I prepare to jump down with my partner. Sure enough, one of the instruments pops open to reveal a way inside and she gestures for him to follow. It turned out to be rough…he BARELY fit through, but we managed to get him in. Zhen snaps her head to me and gestures to me to follow him, "go!" I nodded, sliding in before she closed the latch…leaving the law officers confused and with nowhere to go.

This would end up becoming a pivotal moment in our journey, Zhen and I would soon realize. For now, however, we were safe and we were now, inevitably, headed toward the one place that we knew as our first home as kids. But, it's also a place we never thought we would ever go back to again...

The Den of Thieves.

…

Hey everyone, the next chapter oughta to be interesting. I thought about how maybe Zhen and Mei might react when they see Han and the other thieves again after being away for so long. I wish that in the movie we could have explored more of Zhen's reaction upon ending up in her childhood home. That would added so much depth to her background, especially before we find out that she is actually close to Chameleon.

Either way, the next chapter ought to be out in a few days. Until then, take care!