The Way Of The Prawn
Po stepped out of his room with an empty bowl. He ran out of dumplings last night. The Dragon Warrior was on his way to the kitchen when he heard Leo's door open and closed down the hall. He wanted to talk about what Leo did today. The panda walks down the hall and slides the door open and before he could enter the room, he stopped and couldn't believe what he saw.
His bowl slipped out from underneath and shattered on the floor. "Leo?"
The human looks over his shoulder and saw the panda standing in the doorway with a broken bowl on the wooden floor. There was nothing but silence between the two. Leo turns his head away from the panda.
"Shit." Leo curse as he buried his face against the mask. He stands up and turns around to face the panda.
"Is that...?" Po pointed to the mask.
"Yes. The mask of the Black Spirit." Leo replied as it was no big deal.
Po didn't hesitate to come into the room. His jade eyes were focused on the mask. He knew Leo wasn't a fan of some things. The human is like Tigress when she's serious and doesn't display her emotions. He glances over to the chest to see the black bodysuit, gloves and shoes. Leo watches him walks to the chest. He stares at the contents and looks back at Leo. "Leo, you're The Black Spirit?"
"I am The Black Spirit, Po." Leo answered. He sits down on his bed.
"This is awesome." Po smiled a bit but his smile faded away. "But... I don't understand, Leo. I mean, why did you become The Black Spirit in the first place when Constable Hu outlawed kung fu that time?" He glances to Leo.
"Another part of my past has come back, Po." Leo replied.
"You mean like someone else you know?"
"Yes." Leo nodded. "The last time I saw this person was in a cave. This person fell into the darkness of the cave. I thought it was the last time I saw that person."
"And this person survived. But what does this have do to with you being The Black Spirit during the Kung Fu Ban?"
"Before the Kung Fu Ban began, Po, I began to notice the signs of this person's return. Knowing what this person is capable of, I had to become The Black Spirit again."
"You were The Black Spirit again?"
"Yes, I was the Black Spirit back on my world before the others found out."
Po nodded his head.
"But you can't tell Shifu and The Furious Five about this, Po. And you can't help me."
"What?" Po gasps. "Leo, if this person is here in China, then we have to tell Shifu and the others. We'll help you beat this person."
"You can't help me. I started this a few years ago and I thought it was finished. I have to do this on my own. But I can't be certain if this is the same person."
"Then how will you know if this is the same person who survived?" Po asks him.
"That's what I'm trying to figure out, Po. If it's not the same person that I think it is, then it must be something else."
"Maybe your mind is playing tricks on you. You have been training hard." Po suggested.
Leo didn't reply to the Dragon Warrior's comment.
"Are you sure that we can't tell Shifu and the Five about this, Leo?" Po asks him. His voice sounds concern.
"Yes. I dealt with this person before, and I rather have this whole thing kept between us. Promise me you won't say a word about this to anyone."
Po thought about it for a moment before he came to a decision. "Alright, Leo. I promise I won't say a word to anyone."
"Thank you, Po."
"I got to say, thanks for helping me and Hu take on those bandits and Lidong. You really had me worried there when I was chained up."
"My apologies, Po." Leo apologized to him. "I had to make it look convincing and I couldn't stay any longer when the Furious Five came to see what's going on. I didn't want Tigress to catch my scent."
"That would be awkward. Have you ever thought of what you were going to do if Shifu and the Furious Five find out?"
"I'll have to tell them the truth one day."
"That would be good and I understand that you can't tell them about this."
Leo nodded his head and hands the mask over to Po so he can a take look.
"This mask is awesome." Po smiled.
"You should see the others reaction when they discovered I was the Black Spirit a few years ago." Leo said.
"Hm. Well, I should clean that up now and replace the bowl I dropped a few minutes ago." Po pointed out to the bowl. "I was on my way to the kitchen to play mahjong with Monkey, Mantis and Crane. Until I saw you go in your room..."
"And you walked right into this." Leo gestures his head to the mask as the panda sets it down next to him on the bed.
"Yeah." Po nodded as he stands up and walks over to the broken bowl.
Leo watches him pick up the broken pieces. "Where's Tigress and Viper right now?"
"They're talking to Master Shifu in his room." Po answered.
"I see. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Night, Leo."
"Oh and Po?"
The Dragon Warrior turns to him.
"Don't say a word about this to anyone." Leo said. "I'm going to figure this out."
"I know, Leo."
"Good, because this is our little secret."
The next day, Leo was in the Hall Of Warriors with the rest of Five and Shifu. Po and Crane arrived back at the Jade Palace and informs them they were attacked by a clam who stole the gold.
Leo didn't find it funny that a clam beat the Dragon Warrior.
"Enough."Shifu tells them to stop laughing. "This is the fourth shipment that has been stolen this week. You confirm of what I've hearing from the reports."
Everyone follows him into his room and the panda takes out a scroll. It was map of China and another country.
"Where did this bandit come from?" Leo asks him.
"The bandit comes from Japan, according to my sources."
"The next time I see that clam, I'm going to kick his ass back in Japan with his clan." Po said.
"The Japanese are sending a great warrior who knows this bandit well. It will be our job to assist him when he arrives."
"But if I don't kick that clam's ass, I'll never get my rep back!" Po exclaims.
"This is not about you." A new voice spoke.
Leo turns around and looks down to see a giant tiger prawn wearing a Japanese Gi, Hakama. His jade eyes met the prawn's amber eyes.
"I am Master Yijiro of the samurai clan Ishida. I will aide you by my left or death." Yijiro bows to them.
Everyone except Po bows to him.
"Hey, Master Jumbo. If the Dragon Warrior can't beat this clam, you sure as hell can't beat that clam."
"You doubt my skill?"
"Tiny, I doubt everything about you." Po taunted him.
"Then you leave me with no choice." Yijiro draws his sword. "I demand satisfaction!" He jumps towards the panda and the Dragon Warrior dodges the sword.
"Relax, everyone. Little Mr. Whiskers won't be a problem for me." Po assures them.
"Wait." Shifu stops the Furious Five from interfering except for Leo. He notices the human didn't attempt to try to stop the fight between Po and Yijiro.
The panda dodge the sword by leaning to the back and sides while ducking. Yijiro's sword came close to Po's pants. He looks all over his body and there not a single scratch on him. "You missed me, ha! Pretty lousy swordsman ship!"
"Just wait for it, panda-san." Yijiro said.
All of a sudden, Po's pants fell down to the floor in front of everyone.
"Ah!" Po gasps in embarrassment, reaching for his pants and pulls it back up while he notices Leo looks away.
Yijiro grabs Po's wrist and made him flip onto his stomach. "Your overconfidence is unseemly for a warrior." He threw him against the wall and landed on the panda's stomach. "This is why Kiara beaten you easily. You are also very chubby for a panda."
"Most impressive swordsmanship you displayed, Master Yijiro." Leo approaches him.
"Thank you." Yijiro jumps off the panda's stomach and looks up at the human.
"What can you tell us about Kira?"
"Kira is much more than a thief. We samurai live by a code of honor and sacrifice until one warrior turn from that path. Kiara Kozu became a lone samurai. He used stolen gold to raise an army that caused great misery throughout the land. We fought and defeated Kiara's army gloriously, but he fled here to China." Yijira explains. "He will use the stolen gold from here to raise an army to lay waste to your country."
"So how can you and the clam survive out of the water?" Po questions him.
"By sheer force of will." Yijira answered.
"If Kiara is raising an army, then I must alert the Imperial Soldiers." Shifu stated.
"A wise decision, sensei. I will take three warriors with me to confront Kiara." The prawn said.
"Fine, but stay out of my way. I have to save my reputation." Po said to the prawn as he heads to the doorway.
"No, panda-san. You have taken this personally. It will be deadly in combat." Yijiro hops onto the table. "I shall take Master Crane, Master Tigress and Master Leo."
Leo couldn't help but spoke to the prawn's comment. "I respectfully don't want to be called "Master", Master Yijiro. But I shall help you stop Kira."
"As you wish, Leo-San." Yijiro said.
Po steps aside for the four warriors before turning to face Shifu.
"Sayonara." The prawn said to Shifu before the four warriors left the room.
The next morning, the four warriors were walking in the bamboo forest Crane taking the lead. They arrived at a tree and a moth rock.
"We're here." Crane stops as Yijiro climbs onto the rock. "This is where we got jumped by that clam."
"Kira will be close, so we must rest here to compose our spirits before our battle." Yijiro said.
Leo has said nothing as he scans the area.
"Tigress, I have something for you." Yijiro takes out a small white belt with a red circle as Tigress kneels down and receives it. "This will bring you good fortune in war. It symbolizes the Spirit of Bushido, the code of the Samurai."
Tigress ties it on her head. "I am honored." she tells him.
Before Leo could speak, he heard a snapping sound from above. The human tackles Tigress out of the way before he get slammed by Po. Tigress shoves the panda off of her boyfriend.
"Are you alright?" she asks him.
"Yes." Leo answered as Tigress pulls him back up. He turns his attention to the Dragon Warrior. "Po, what are you doing here? You had orders to stay at the Jade Palace. Where's the honor in disobeying orders?"
"My honor was stolen from me by a clam. And I'm going to get it back." Po replied, standing up.
Leo didn't want to waste his time arguing and turns to the prawn. "What is your decision?"
"The panda can stay. I respect him that he shows no fear." Yijiro decided and walks over to a blueberry bush and pick a blueberry. "If you hope to defeat Kira, you must learn to see from the eyes of bushido." He toss it in the air and hits the berry toward Po's paws.
Po watched the berry split in two. "How do I do that? Not that I need to."
"You must silence your ego. Come at me." Yijiro replied as he got into his stance.
"With pl-"
Leo watch the prawn caught the panda's punch and threw him to the ground behind him and sheath his sword.
"There is no hero or villain, but the battle for a true samurai warrior."
"But I-"
"There is no "I". There's only what needs to be done. Again!"
Leo, Tigress and Crane watched Po getting tossed around several times. Crane started cleaning his wing as Leo and Tigress continued to watch. The panda closed his eyes and started to breathe calmly for his mind to relax. Leo and Tigress saw the panda was blocking a few of the prawn's attacks until Yijiro kicks him in the stomach that sent him flying a couple feet from them.
"You lasted well for a few seconds." Yijiro hops onto the panda's stomach. "Then what happened?"
"No "I"." Po lets out a sigh.
The prawn got off of Po to allow him to get on all fours. "You are not ready, panda-san. But you have great potential."
"Where's Leo?" Crane notice Leo wasn't with them.
Tigress saw looking over a boulder and the warriors followed him. They saw an army marching inside a temple of the mountain. All of them sneaks inside the hall. As they the end of the hall, there was a room full of water buffalos. One water buffalo steps to the side to reveal a small brown clam on a table.
"Soon all of China will be ours." Kira said to his men.
"Stupid clam guy." Po muttered.
"And I ask you, brave warriors. Who likes gold?!"
A water buffalo who was standing behind the clam started tossing gold coins for the men to grab from the floor.
"It seems I do need your help, Po-San." Yijiro looks at the panda. "But remember we do this my way." He turns toward Tigress, Crane and Leo. "Tigress, Crane, Leo, you three will draw off the guards. I will flank. And-" He notices the panda wasn't with them.
"Clam!" Po yelled as he started to attack several water buffalos already.
"Damnit!" Leo cursed. "So much for the plan!" He drew his sword and rushed into the room with the others.
"What?!" Kira gasps when he saw the panda, Tigress, Crane and Leo. "The panda is here and he brought reinforcements with him! Destroy them!"
Leo saw two water buffaloes coming towards him with spears. The human dodges sideways from the spear and gutted the first attacker before slicing the head off the second water buffalo.
He was able to block a third water buffalo from his sword.
"Fire!"
Leo jumps over the water buffalo's head before stunning him with the hilt of the sword. He lands behind the buffalo as the water buffalo scream in pain by getting impaled by the arrows in the stomach and the sword from behind.
The archers watch their comrade fell dead on the ground.
Tigress was having no problems dealing with several troops. She threw in two palm strikes to the first troop and did a spinning hook kick with an upper cut to another troop that sent him a couple feet in the air and crash into his companions.
Leo heard a crashing sound from above and saw the boulder rolling towards Po and Yijiro. Yijiro pushed the panda out of the way as he got hit by the boulder and crashed into the wall, making a hole. Leo quickly rush to the hole in the wall and saw a chasm.
"Avenge me!" Yijiro yells to them before disappearing into the darkness.
The four warriors couldn't believe what happened.
"Po, you didn't listen to him!" Tigress snapped at him.
"Destroy them!" Kira commanded the soldiers.
Leo turns around to see the soldiers drawing their weapons. "Ha!" He fires beam from his forehead to the incoming attackers as Crane grabs Po and Tigress.
"Come on, Leo!" Crane shouted as he flew out of the hole.
Leo spreads his fiery wings and flew after them. He fired one last beam to destroy several spears that was thrown. The young man saw Crane was struggling and drops Tigress and Po on the ground. Leo lands near them.
"You're welcome." Crane panted.
"Tigress, I'm-" Po was apologizing until he got punched across the face from Leo. The panda moans, rubbing his face.
"What the hell were you thinking?!" Leo snarled as he sheaths his weapon. "Because of your blundering action, Yijiro is gone! If you just listen to the orders that are given to you, we would've captured Kira now!"
Po looks down in shame. They heard some commotion coming from the mountain and looks to the temple. The army was already moving.
"Kira is marching towards the Valley!" Crane exclaims.
"The village will be destroyed." Tigress said. "Crane, you have back to the valley and warn everyone."
"What about you guys?"
"Fly, Crane!" Leo urges him. He watches the army leaving the temple.
"Oh how this brings back memories what happened five years ago on the snowy mountain."
Leo said nothing to his demonic self. He snarls softly and left his hiding to spot rejoin Tigress and Po. As Po sets Tigress down against the tree and remove the white belt from her head and places it on him, Leo knocks the panda out from behind and the panda fell flat on his face.
Leo spreads his fiery wings once more and flew off into the sky. He saw the army walking on the stone path. Leo flew ahead of the army and fired a beam towards the ground in front of the soldiers. The soldiers became startled and surprised. Leo landed in front of them several feet ahead.
Leo lifted his head towards them with serious fierce eyes that made several of them took a several steps backward in fear while others held their ground. "You're not going anywhere." Leo growl furiously at the army.
"Get him!" A soldier shouted.
Leo got into his stance as the soldiers ran to him. He quickly jumps in the air and dove with a spin while firing a beam. Some of the warriors couldn't dodge the beam in time. Both of his hands were covered in a red glow. He thrust two powerful palm strikes into the ground, making the ground to shake.
"Hah!" Leo yelled as he charges toward the soldiers. He thrusts his sword through the first soldier and did a backflip kick to the jaw of the second soldier that stuns him, followed by a punch to the head.
Three soldiers with swords came at him in three different directions. Leo caught two of them with a strong palm strike that to their stomach and performed a strong head butt to the third soldier in the face. With the third soldier stunned, Leo knocked the swords all of their hooves and jumps over the third one to dodge a boulder that was coming to them.
Leo quickly saw a few of the soldiers were hurt and injured from his attack. Others, however, had minor injuries except Kira. Leo sheaths his sword and raised both of his hand to the flames to catch on fire before the wings disappeared. "Haa!" Leo shouted as he charges to the soldiers. The human made quick work of the soldiers. Each attack was a single knockout hit with quick speed and hard attacks.
With the last soldier defeated, the flames disappeared and Leo drew his sword out to Kira.
"You may have defeated my army, human, but you won't stop me!" Kira drew his sword out.
The two warriors began their duel. Leo had no trouble of defending against the clam's attacks. Leo was quick to block a slice from above and to the side. Kira was getting frustrated and managed to break through the human's defenses and was about to kick Leo's stomach. Leo quickly counters back with a fiery palm strike to the foot that sent Kira flying towards a stone wall bounces off it.
Leo slices through Kira without hesitation. He watched the clam hits another rock and fell onto the steps. The human walks over and kicks the top of the shell. Kira was knocked out and bleeding a little. Two coins were tossed on the shell, bringing Leo to raise his sword in the direction the coins come from. It was a water buffalo who was holding his companion by the arm. Leo's fierce glare force the first one to kneel down and allowed his companion to lean on him for support. He looks down at the two water buffalos.
Leo hops onto a boulder and looks around him. Kira's army was defeated. He felt the flames on his hands disappear. The skin on his hands didn't burn or smell from the burning flesh.
"What happened here?" a familiar voice spoke.
Leo turns around to see Yijiro being accompanied by the Imperial Army. "It's good see you alive and well, Master Yijiro. How did you survive your fall in the cave?"
"There was a ledge. I found the Imperial Army and led them here to stop Kira's army. But what happened here?"
Leo sheathes his sword and folds his arms. "I stopped Kira and the army. I did what needed to be done."
"I see." Yijiro looks around.
"If you excuse me, I want to be alone for a while, Master Yijiro." Leo said before hopping off the boulder and walking away from the prawn.
Yijiro watched him walk away and turns toward the unconscious clam. An imperial guard came over put Kira in a cage. The prawn turns around to see Po and Tigress running towards him.
"You're alive!" Tigress exclaims, picking him up.
"How did you survive?" Po asked.
"There was a ledge I grabbed onto."
"And what happened here?"
"Leo defeated Kira and his army before we arrived here. He said he wants to be alone right now." the prawn answered.
Leo, Tigress, Po and Yijiro made it back to the Jade Palace with Kira. The prawn stood before the warriors.
"There are no words between us to say farewell." Yijiro said.
"Perhaps we could visit you in Japan." Tigress said.
"Until then, your place is here."
"Please accept this sacred scroll as a token of honor." Shifu gives him a scroll.
"I thank you sensei. But the gratitude goes to the bushido of the highest degree, Leo." Yijiro looks at the human.
"Thank you." Leo bows to the prawn.
Po and Tigress watches Yijiro hands the scroll over to Leo and starts dragging the cage down the stairs. As soon as Yijiro left, Po turns to Leo.
"Leo-"
"My apologizes for knocking you out, Master Po." Leo apologized. "I was not going to let you go off on your own against the army." The human walks away from the two warriors.
"I was going to tell him he's lucky to get that sacred scroll."
"Hm. I think there's something that he must've regret." Tigress folded her arms.
"What do you mean, Tigress?" Po looks at her.
"I saw Leo walking behind us after he fought the prince back in Gongmen City. He had his head lowered and Panther whispered something to him."
"You think it reminded him about something from his past?"
"I can't be too sure yet." Tigress watches her boyfriend walks to the Peach Tree with a concern expression on her face.
Was something bothering Leo? Or when will Leo be a Kung Fu Master?
Author's Note: I have to say this chapter turned out great. Po discovered Leo is The Black Spirit. And now that Po found out, Leo explains a few reasons why he did it, but he wants to do this on his own without their help. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Don't forget to Follow, Favorite and leave a review, everyone!