Kung Fu Panda Fanfic - The Rise of a Hero

(VI) Decisions

Monkey: - Master Shifu. You must try Po's soup. It's really good. -

Viper: - Yes, master. Try a little. -

Tigress: - I must say that at least you are good at cooking. - Po didn't pay much attention to Tigress, so he turned around to see Master, but he didn't look very happy.

Po: - Master Shifu. Everything is alright? Why do you have Master Oogway's staff? - Shifu sighed deeply, and looked at them sadly.

Shifu: - Tai Lung escaped from Chorh-Gom prison. And he won't stop until he has the Dragon Scroll and only you can stop him, Po. -

Po: - Ha. Is it a joke? - Master looked at him angrily. - Master Oogway will be able to beat him. He did it once, hell do it again. -

Shifu: - Master Oogway will not. He couldn't anymore. - The Furious Five were shocked to hear it.

Viper: - And what are we going to do? -

Tigress: - We will face it. -

Master: - No. The Dragon Warrior is our only hope. - Po sat looking worriedly at the noodle dish.

Tigress: - The panda? -

Shifu: - Yes, the panda. - He answered angrily.

Tigress: - Master, please. Let us beat Tai Lung, that's what you trained us for. - She got up from his chair with disgust.

Shifu: - No. It is not your destiny to stop Tai Lung. It's from him. - He said while pointing at the staff to Po.

Po was silent. He just couldn't believe what was happening. Tigress left the kitchen angrily, but not before pausing slightly next to Po, but she didn't say anything. Finally, the other four masters also quietly withdrew.

Shifu, worried and floppy-eared, walked over to the table and sat at the table while rubbing his face with his hand, thinking about what to do. Po slowly got up, poured out a bowl of noodles, and placed it in front of Shifu. Then, he sat back down at his seat, staring at his food.

Po: - Tomorrow, early in the morning, I will leave the palace. I don't want to continue being a burden to you. -

Shifu: - You can't leave. A true warrior does not give up. - He said annoyed.

Po: - Please. How am I going to beat Tai Lung? Just a day ago I had bandages all over my body and we're not even training seriously. -

Shifu: - You will beat him. Because you are the Dragon Warrior. - Po let out a satirical curl.

Po: - Don't be cynical, master. We both know you don't believe that. You never believed it and never will. I know that from the moment I arrived you wanted to get rid of me. -

Shifu: - That's what I wanted. But now I ask you to trust in your master, as I must trust mine. -

Po: - You are not my master. And it's obvious that I'm not the Dragon Warrior. -

Shifu: - And why didn't you give up? - He said upset. - You knew I wanted to get rid of you, and you stayed. Why? - Po sighed deeply and looked at him sadly.

Po: - I stayed, because since I was a child I came up here just to see you from a distance how you trained. I stayed, because I believed that being here with all of you was nothing more than a utopia. I stayed, because no matter how many blows you gave me, or how many bruises I had, it was never going to hurt more than it hurts every day to be me. I stayed, because I believed that if someone was capable of changing me. Not be... not so me. It was you. The best Kung Fu master in all of China. -

Master: - But I can change you. I was able to turn you into the Dragon Warrior. And I will. - Po sighed again.

Po: - I admire your determination, master. But... How do you plan to turn me into the Dragon Warrior? -

Shifu went blank. He didn't have an answer, so he lowered his head and lost his gaze to the bowl of noodles. Po didn't say anything else either, and continued to have his second round of noodles. Finally, Shifu sighed, and accompanied him.

Shifu: - Hmm. Not bad. - He said something depressed, trying to break the silence.

Po: - Thank you. Master. -

Unbeknownst to them, Master Tigress was in the kitchen corridor listening to the conversation, but she did not agree with Shifu's decision. She went up to the roof to look at the stars and clear her mind, but she was sure of what she had to do.

She stood up and looked towards the town, and before she jumped, the rest of the Furious Five came to where she was.

Tigress: - What are you doing here? -

Crane: - We know what you're going to do. -

Viper: - We'll go with you. -

Tigress nodded and the five of them jumped from the palace and landed perfectly on the roofs of the town houses, finally making their way to face Tai Lung.