Kung Fu Panda Fanfic - The Rise of a Hero

(II) The first lesson

After the small "talk" inside the palace, Shifu led Po to the training hall where the Furious Five were training. Opening the doors, they could see a lot of equipment and machinery to improve their Kung Fu skills.

Crane trained his flying techniques by making sharp turns between the columns and his ability to deflect arrows with his wings while balancing on a huge stone bowl. Before long, Tigress joined him, and both began to fight on top of the huge vase without losing their balance. Mantis trained her speed by hitting the hundreds of reptile-like wooden fighting dummies. Its swivel joints were a trap for newbies. The harder you hit them, the harder they will take a return hit. Viper trained his prediction on metal tubes that spit fire. Mono trained on the ceiling beams, using his hands and tail to swing and avoid the pendulum rings with blades at the ends. Finally, Tigress trained on the rotating rollers while avoiding the pendulums with thorns that pounced on her. Dodging several of them, she punched one with all her strength and shattered it, sending one of the pieces flying at high speed towards Po's face.

Po gripped the piece of wood in his hand and looked at it closely.

Po: - Impressive. - He said when he saw the splintered piece of wood and then placed it on the ground.

Shifu: - Let's start. -

Po: - Now? -

Shifu: - Yes, now. Unless you think that Oogway was wrong and that you aren't the Dragon Warrior. - Po sighed.

Po: - Do you really think I can do all that? - Shifu laughs at him.

Shifu: - Well. If we don't try, we won't know. -

Po: - Don't you have something else... suitable for me? -

Shifu: - What do you mean exactly? -

P: - I don't know. How about starting with the basics? -

Shifu: - I don't know if I have what it takes for you. - Po raises his head and sees a rubber training dummy.

Po: - How about that? - He pointed with his hand.

Shifu: - That? We use it to train children, or to keep the door open when it's hot. But if you insist -

In that, Po looks up and sees that the Furious Five are approaching where he and Shifu were. The masters showed some disapproval on their faces, but Po just bowed to them in respect, without saying a word.

Shifu: - Go ahead panda. Show what you know. - Po was embarrassed.

Po: - They will stay there? Or do I wait for him to get back to work? -

Shifu: - Hit it. -

Po hit the doll very lightly, afraid of breaking it. The doll barely moved back a few centimeters before recovering the position it had.

Shifu: - Try again. A little harder. -

Po used all his strength to hit the doll, but instead, he made a huge hole in its center. The dummy deflated on the ground while Po looked at the rest somewhat embarrassed.

Po: - I think... - He sighs. - I'm sorry. -

Shifu: - Ok. Come with me. -

Shifu walked next to Po and they both stood right in front of the rotating rollers.

Po: - What are you doi...? - Before Po finished speaking, Shifu pushed him onto the rollers.

Po did his best to keep his balance on the fast-spinning rollers while trying to evade the pendulums that were hurtling down on him. The Furious Five tried to help him, but Shifu stopped them. One of the pendulums hits him in the arm with the metal tips, causing several injuries. Annoyed, Po turns and crushes one of the pendulums with his claws but fails to avoid another that hits him squarely in the face, sending him flying into the stone bowl. Inside the bowl, he starts spinning and hitting the walls, but manages to get out as soon as possible. After several blows to the head and still dizzy, he went to where the training dummies were. The joints of the dolls begin to rotate and hit him successively from all sides. Furiously, he struck several of them only to receive another hit back. But after tearing two of them to pieces, he managed to escape from them. Without realizing it, he stepped on the tubes that spit fire. He tried to escape as soon as possible, but the fire managed to reach him, causing some burns on his fur and skin.

He finally managed to escape from that hell and walked on the platform towards the door while clutching his left shoulder tightly. Finally, he walked past Shifu and the Furious Five without saying a word.

Monkey: - Hey, buddy. Are you OK? -

Viper: - Po. How are...? - She was interrupted by Shifu. -

Shifu: - Panda! - He yelled angrily when he saw that he ignored them. - Where do you think you are going!? -

Po stopped in his tracks as the bruises and burns he had sustained were visible, and he apparently had a dislocation in his left shoulder. He slowly turned around and glared at Shifu while showing a bruise over his right eye.

Po: - I'll go to heal myself... Master. - He said angrily and left the training room.