Confidence
To say the panda was upset was an understatement. As Tigress explained her midnight exploit, Po's glare didn't disappear from the entire talk. He crossed his big arms and furrowed his eyebrows. Zhen sat next to the striped feline with a timid, bowed head to avoid her master's disapproving gaze. Tai Lung and Shifu sat on opposite ends, glancing at each other with slightly troubled faces. The barracks' kitchen was tense.
The big panda took a deep breath. "So... you decided to figure out what was wrong... without me?"
"I didn't do this to pay you back, Po. I know I am very hypocritical for doing this and I'm sorry. But realistically, we need to know if Jiaohua is trustworthy or not."
"And what does the information say?" Shifu asked.
"Ohhhh there's a lot of blackmail on these dudes. None of them mention him or his wife, but now I know why China is the way it is," Zhen muttered.
Po sighed, "And you went with Zhen? Why?"
Tigress's face fell. "You wouldn't know what stealth was if it bit you in the face. And... I knew you would be understandably too conflicted by this. But I needed to know the truth. Just the truth. I'm sorry for leaving you out, but it wasn't because I didn't trust you to understand. You're not that stealth-conscious and I just wanted the truth. If Lin and his father were simply playing us, it's worth figuring out before we cut all ties. And... " She gave a loud sigh, "He's telling the truth."
"You could've been hurt or kidnapped," Po gruffly said.
The entire table turned to Po with an unimpressed glint in their eyes.
Tigress lifted an eyebrow. "Po, you're the most likely person here to get hurt or kidnapped. You know that."
"Hey! I'm offended by that completely true statement," Po remarked while the others chuckled a bit. The room got quiet for a while before the bear stood up. "Well, what you did wasn't too bad compared to me. Besides, I don't have any good reason to be mad here. You two can handle yourself. Lei Lei can't. But I'm not that bad at stealth." Tigress gave a small smile. "If we need info from the Emperor, I think it's best to go straight to him. Eliminate the middle man."
"The five of us should go," Master Shifu said, "The others will stay here and keep an eye on the village. And Lin. We have to be careful about his stay here. Po and Zhen are right about one thing. If we can show Lin that we do care about him and his wellness, we might avoid further conflict."
"It's... a bit hypocritical. But then who isn't," Tai Lung muttered. The five agreed and prepared for their journey to the royal city. After debriefing the rest of the Furious Five, Po, Zhen, Tigress, Tai Lung, and Shifu all left before the sun had enough time to reach its noon position. Crane walked through the village, lazily yawning as his feet tiredly trudged the same ground he always did.
"Of course, Po and the others go on another adventure with me as village babysitter. No, no, I shouldn't be jealous," Crane muttered. It was hard not to. Lately, it felt like he was taking a backseat to things over and over again. As he turned another corner, his eyes lifted to a stone and dirt street where a well-known wolf darted across.
"Come back here you little runt!" shouted two bigger goat boys following Lin into an alley. Crane grimaced. He knew that alley had no outlet. He flapped his wings and took to the rooftop. He saw the little wolf cornered with his back against the wall while the goats clapped their hooves together with menacing smiles; they were menacing to Lin at least. "Alright you, you're going to pay for what you did."
"I said I was sorry! I didn't mean to bump into you!"
"You made me drop my Baaaao rice," bleated the goat. "And you're going to pay for that."
"I'm sorry, I didn't OWW!" Lin cried as the goat knocked him flat on his butt. Lin huddled down into a ball while the goats grew closer to him. "Please don't hurt me," He whimpered.
"Alright, that's enough." Crane swooped in and landed right between the goats and the wolf. "This is hardly the attitude for spilled food."
"Master Crane! We were just-"
"Leaving," Crane said sternly. The goats trembled through their stubby horns and ran away with their short little legs. The bird knelt to the huddled wolf. "Are you okay?"
Lin sniffled, "Yeah. I just... I hate it when that happens."
"This happens a lot?"
"Before I met Lei Lei, yeah," Lin pouted, hiding his head in his tucked knees. "People pick on me because I'm small or because I'm a wolf. My daddy thought things would be different here."
"You've moved a lot?" Crane asked. Lin nodded. The bird sat down next to the wolf, taking off his hat. "It is a little different, right? You made friends with Lei Lei."
"But I don't want to be picked on all the time. I wish I could beat people up. That way they wouldn't hurt me."
"But you would hurt them too, wouldn't you?" Crane smiled. The little wolf pouted at the unfairness of the world. "I'm sorry, Lin. But even with Kung Fu, you can't use it to hurt people like that. Life isn't about paying people out because they hurt you. Tai Lung and Po can tell you about that," The bird muttered.
"I just... hate being hurt like this," Lin sighed. Crane tentatively wrapped a wing around the boy and drew him closer.
"There's always going to be pain in the world. But you get stronger."
"How?"
"With time," Crane smiled, "Maybe I'll teach you."
"You'll teach me how to kick butt?!"
"Where did you hear that?"
"From Mr. Po?"
Crane groaned, "Of course. Well, the Dragon Warrior probably wouldn't want you kicking butt just yet. And I know your parents wouldn't want you to." The little boy pouted again. "But I can teach you a little bit about confidence. At least, I hope I can. Come on, let's get you to Lei Lei. That's where you were going, right?"
"Uhh yeah," Lin nervously grinned. Crane's eyes widened a bit. The boy was young so he probably couldn't tell what he was feeling at the moment, but the nervousness in his grin told Crane all he needed to know.
The bird stayed with Lei Lei and Lin at the noodle shop where Crane went on to tell the wolf boy about confidence and how to get out of trouble. "Do you get in trouble a lot, Master Crane?" The boy asked.
"I try my best not to, but Po could tell you about how to..." He paused. "Actually... any of the OTHER masters can teach you how to get out of trouble."
"Even Mr. Tai Lung?" Lei Lei asked.
"Yes, though I think he's still learning to warm up to you, Lin," Crane smiled. The boy smiled back but only for a moment.
"Master Crane? Why do the other masters not like my daddy?"
"Oh boy," Crane muttered, looking at the clear blue sky for a bit of help. "Your... father is in a tricky spot. He needs help, but we don't know how to help him yet. And... it's difficult to tell who's telling the truth."
"The truth?" Lin asked.
"Yeah, we need to know who's doing the right thing and who's doing the wrong thing."
"I know my daddy is doing the right thing!" Lin said with more confidence than Crane thought the boy had.
"I'm sure he wants to do the right thing for you. But some people need help. It's not that we don't like your dad. It's... just a... big problem."
"Oh! It's like a big recipe with a bunch of little steps," Lei Lei said.
"Y-Yeah, like that," Crane smiled. "I think I'm going to like talking to you two."
"Where did the other warriors go?" Lin asked.
"They'll tell you when they get here. For now, who wants to learn how to fi- I mean to defend themselves?"
"ME!" The panda and wolf cried. So for the next two days, Crane regularly watched over Lei Lei and Lin. He began to teach the two a bit of the basics of Kung Fu, though he stressed to them not to use it to bully others. Lin liked being with Crane a lot, though he'd often sneeze because of the bird's feathers. The child's father told Crane not to dirty him up so much.
"What do you mean?" Crane asked Jiaohua.
The older wolf smirked, "The misses is getting tired of picking out your feathers in his clothes." Crane nervously laughed. "But thank you for teaching him. I... I didn't think you'd care this much for the son of a thief."
Crane looked at the smaller wolf playfully sparring with a little panda. The bird smiled, "Lin and I have a lot in common. More than you think."
Lin would often follow the bird on his walks and patrols, learning all of Crane's stories. He especially liked the one about how Crane found his confidence.
"Why do you like that story?" Crane asked him one time while they sat in Mr. Ping's shop.
The little boy beamed. "You were like me. Small and helpless! And you still did a lot of great things! I want to be just like that!"
Crane had to smile. It was like looking into a mirror. Of course, the bird had to tell the boy several times that no matter what, he couldn't teach Lin how to fly.
"So no more jumping from high places!" Crane squawked. "Mr. Ping has complained enough about you jumping from his roof."
"Yes, Master Crane," Lin shyly replied.
Viper teased the bird a bit. "I didn't know you were making your own Training Hall."
Crane chuckled nervously, "Well, it's just... since Lin's around I thought that... uh... you know."
"Uh-huh. You big softie," Viper tittered.
Meanwhile, the others journeyed to the Emperor's palace to tell him the news.
"I see," said the gazelle, peering into the deep red floor. The warriors were in Emperor Heping's private chambers where no one could hear them. "I was wondering when that would happen."
"You... you planned this, your Majesty?" Po asked.
"Not... entirely," Heping said, sitting on his bed. "When Jiaohua married Mai, I knew the 'social order' would be shaken so I told him to leave the area for safety. He agreed, but I knew that some people wanted Mai just for her looks rather than her heart."
"A concubine," Tigress guessed.
"Or a sex slave. I didn't care for either, so I told him to take her. But... There's a reason why I had to replace Jiaohua with Pantu. As it stands, I didn't know who was trying to kill him and take Mai. I was hoping that Pantu would find out, but... it turns out he had a hand in it."
"So... he was the person that was trying to take Mai?" Po asked.
"No, he worked directly under the person who was. Before Jiaohua, Pantu was working with an official who had every excuse under the sun to 'visit' me during Mai's serving times," Emperor Heping sighed. "It doesn't help that he's my brother."
"Prince Qipian?" Shifu asked. The gazelle nodded. "Pantu used to be his bodyguard?"
"Yes, and I think being around my brother has ultimately corrupted Pantu, but he is responsible for his own actions. When I heard what Jiaohua was doing, I figured he was looking for information about the person who wanted Mai. I didn't know he would find every bad thing going on in my country." Heping scanned the scrolls the team brought. "This will be difficult.
"Fixing the country will be a lifelong journey, but right now we can start with your brother. Where is he now?" Po asked.
"Suspiciously, he decided to leave for a month-long vacation not too long before you came. We have a summer house situated near the Valley of Peace."
"Oohh that's not good," Po mumbled, "He might be after Jiaohua."
"Or worse," Tai Lung added.
"We have to get back to the village," Zhen said.
"Wait, could I... talk with Master Po for a moment, in private." Zhen, Tai Lung, Tigress, and Shifu all looked at the panda with concern. The panda gave a lopsided smile.
"Don't worry, guys. I'm sure it's nothing major."
"Everything about this is major'," Tai Lung replied. The four of them exited the private chambers. Tigress paced around while Tai Lung leaned against the wall. He watched the tiger's stare burn a trench into the red carpet. "I'm sure he'll be fine."
"No you're not," Zhen argued.
"I'm trying to help calm her down, fox," Tai Lung grunted.
"Yeah, but you don't lie to do it."
"She has a point," Tigress lightly muttered. "What bothers me is Lei Lei. I just hope we can end this before she gets too close to Lin."
"This isn't Lin's fault, Master Tigress," Shifu said. "And to be controversial, neither is it Jiaohua's."
"I don't want either of them to be hurt."
"Someone always gets hurt," Zhen ominously said, making the three stare at her. "That's what Chameleon told me. After being with Po and you guys, I can say it's partly true. But we have a choice of how to help the pain. Sure, Lei Lei and Lin can get hurt in this whole thing, but we'll be there to ease the pain as much as we can. You guys give those kids something I didn't get with the Chameleon. A loving family."
They all stared at her for a moment. The fox rubbed the back of her head. "Yeah... Po's sentimental junk is rubbing off on me, but it's still true."
Tai Lung chuckled a bit, "Maybe you are destined to be Dragon Warrior after all." Before any other words were said, the doors opened. Po walked out with a thousand-yard stare.
"What did he say?" Shifu asked.
"I can't tell you, but we have to get back to the village, pronto," Po said. The four nodded. They raced to the village as fast as they could, but a strange air hung around the large panda as they passed through the thick bamboo forests and rice paddies. Shifu and Zhen shared a concerned look in the back while Tigress and Tai Lung both side-glanced each other, exhaling. "I know you guys are worried," Po finally spoke up after hearing the felines exhale for the ninth time. "But... what the Emperor said to me is... very scary."
"Scary?" Tai Lung said, trying to hold back his mocking tone. "What did he say?"
"Let's get to the village first, then I'll tell you," Po replied. A day later, they made it back to the village having said nothing more. As they entered the Valley of Peace, a familiar tingling entered the panda's nose. "Do you smell that?"
"Smoke," Tai Lung grunted.
"Oh no."
They raced to a small mound overlooking the village. Fire and smoke enveloped houses and roofs as screams echoed around the mountains. As the five ran down into the village, clashing swords and shouts rang around the burning houses.
"It's a large bandit raid!" Shifu shouted. "Tai Lung, Tigress, Po, take care of the bandits. Zhen and I will make sure everyone's safe!" Tigress, Po, and Tai Lung went from street to street. they quickly knocked the weapons out of each raider in their path. Raging smoke stung their lungs. Each cry for help caught their attention. Tigress helped the trapped people; Tai Lung fought off bandits stealing goods; Po punched and jumped over a bandit's sword. He kicked it out of his hand, round housing his opponent's side. Tai Lung roared as he attacked the bandit behind Po, smashing another one into a villager's vending stand.
"I thought you were over the whole wrecking the village phase," Po snickered
"I KNEW you would make that joke!" Tai Lung grumbled, "Says the panda that's using the bandits as a hammer!"
"It looks cool!"
"FOCUS!" Tigress shouted as she kicked another bandit over Po's head. "Alright, the main street is clear, now what?"
Suddenly, a group of wolf bandits tumbled out of the alleyways and street corners and surrounded them, wearing dark pants.
"INCOMING!" From the rooftops, three figures stomped the wolf bandits right into the ground. The largest of the three smashed his war hammer straight into three of the crooks while the slender one sliced their weapons in half. The middle one took off his hood.
"Jiaohua! What are you doing? Aren't these your bandits?" Po asked.
"They aren't. I would never attack the village while my son was in it. But I think they're in league with the person I've been looking for. Where is-"
"Po!" Came a shout from behind. The panda looked down the road where Crane, Viper, Mantis, and Monkey came huffing towards them. The bird crashed in front of them, struggling to get back up with his soot-filled wings. He didn't look injured, but he panted heavily, struggling to get some clean air into his lungs. "I'm sorry. I... I didn't get there in time."
"Guys, what's wrong?"
"They... they were... looking for... people... and... they... they took Lei Lei and Lin," Crane gasped.
"WHAT?!"
Po's jade eyes narrowed on the village around him. A wolf bandit from the ground struggled to get away, but Po grabbed him up to his face. "Your leader, where is he?"
"Why should I-"
"Because there's another way to get to the Spirit Realm that involves a lot of blood. Now where is your leader," Po growled.
"N-N-North of here! In the foothills of Jiangxi Mountain range!"
"Right where the Emperor's summer house is." The panda threw the wolf into a cart, smashing the wood. His fiery jade eyes snapped to the team. "Tai Lung, get Zhen and Shifu and tell him the news. Tigress, we need to control the area, take the others and kick the bandits' butts. After that, we're going after Lei Lei and Lin." The snow leopard and tiger nodded, darting off faster than the wind.
"We're coming with you," Jiaohua said, clutching his sword to his side. "They stole my son. It's time I finish this."
"It's not going to be easy," Po sternly warned them. "And I'm not sure if you'll get off scot-free by doing this."
"We pledged to be by our brother's side no matter what," Hao declared.
"Whatever happens to him, happens to us. We'll stand with him," Xuyao hissed. Po nodded as the others finally returned.
"The village is safe," Tigress reported.
"Are you guys ready?" The panda asked.
"We are," They all said, mirroring Po's intense glare.
Po nodded and turned towards the north where their villain was. Cracking his knuckles, he gritted his teeth. "Good," He grunted. "Let's end this."
The line had been crossed. It was time for justice.
Continued...