Kung Fu Panda Fanfic - The Rise of a Hero

(IV) The Journey. Part II

Very well. I'll make some modifications since the trip of the Furious Five and Po to the city of Gongmen is a bit meaningless, due to the succession of biomes in which they appear. I will use Hong Kong City as the reference to that city and Xi'an Province as the starting place. (Possible location of the Jade Palace) Leaving the desert biome aside and using the Guangzhou River as a route to reach said city. Explaining this (which does not affect the plot in the least XD) continued.

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Leaving the Valley of Peace, the Dragon Warrior and the Furious Five entered the long mountain system of southern China. The route was very steep, with great plateaus and extremely high cliffs. A stumble or a simple carelessness would be reason enough to have certain death.

The journey lasted for days, if not weeks, with no other means of transportation than his own feet. They advanced as far as they could during the day, and set up makeshift camps to spend the night, rest, and eat something.

Most of the time, Po was wrapped in his thoughts. He was trying very hard to remember anything, anything that would give him a clue that would answer any of his questions. But it was impossible for him to remember something that had happened so many years ago.

The other master were visibly worried about Po. They were still wondering what had happened to him in the musicians' village. What was the reason why he was paralyzed? Immobile in the face of imminent danger. That never happened to him before. But none of them dared to ask.

Finally, they reached a fishing village next to a mighty river in southern China. According to the residents, that river flowed downstream and would take them directly to Gongmen city in a couple of days by boat. The villagers were more than honored by the presence of the Dragon Warrior and the Furious Five, and gladly agreed to lend him a barge so they could navigate the river to their destination.

The river trip was quite enjoyable. The current was not very violent, and the barge glided gracefully on the calm waters. A night passed and they were already halfway there. They stopped sometimes to ask the fishermen about the situation in the region, but the news was not encouraging.

According to them, Shen locked himself in the palace once he seized power. Masters Crocodile and Ox were taken prisoner, and were locked up in the highly protected jails of the city. On the other hand, the streets of the metropolis had been occupied by Shen's immense wolf army, and they showed no mercy to the residents.

The news only spurred Po and the rest onward. They knew that every minute counted and that they had to stop Shen at any cost. Night finally fell on the second day, and everyone was sleeping peacefully inside the barge house, everyone except Po.

Po's fur stood on end in his sleep, his breathing was uncontrolled, and his whole body was sweating. More memories bombarded her mind. Memory of blood, hate, fear, revenge. The sign of death echoed in his memory as the symbol he saw painted on the wolf bandit leader's shoulder pad manifested itself in violent disturbances and bloodstains. Finally, Po got up in shock. His heart seemed like it would jump out of his chest and his breathing was completely unbalanced.

He looked around and was relieved to see that he was still inside the barge. He took a breath of air, and went outside to clear his mind, thinking that he hadn't woken anyone. When he left, he noticed the light of the full moon and the vast sky adorned with millions of stars. At that moment, the only thing he could feel was peace and tranquility.

????: - Good night for sailing, huh? -

Po turned around and noticed the fisherman who agreed to ferry them to Gongmen. A somewhat rude rabbit, with a strange black patch over his left eye.

Po: - Yes, it is. -

Fisherman: - If the wind does not change, we will reach Gongmen at dawn. -

Po: - Very good. Thanks for bringing us. -

The rabbit nodded his head and stopped paying attention to him. Po patiently gazed at the horizon, until a drop of night dew ran down the mast and fell on his head. Po looked up and tried to imitate Master Shifu's movements, but the drop kept falling, interrupting his concentration.

Po: - I guess it's not time yet. - He said after signing and moving slowly towards another area of ​​the barge.

Viper: - Time for what? - Said master Viper, who had woken up and had been looking at him for a while leaning on the mast.

Po: - Oh, master Viper. I'm sorry I woke you up. -

Viper: - It's okay, Po. You know? The others and I are worried about you. A while ago you looked different. Distanced. Is something wrong? - Po sighed deeply.

Po: - I had never questioned it before, but where I come from. I mean, obviously my father, he's not my father, but who am I? -

Viper: - Your father. The Goose? -

Po: - Ha ha. Of course. I know it's not very logical, but I'm still going to love him no matter what happens. But I have a feeling that on this trip I may know something more. -

Viper: - It is natural to want to know about our past, regardless of the origin. And I hope you can find what you're looking for. - Po thanked him with a silent smile and got lost in his thoughts while looking at the horizon.

Monkey: - Hey! - Mono shook him by the shoulders and Po got a good scare.

Crane: - You really love practical jokes. - He said while the rest of the masters left the barge booth.

Monkey: - Everything okay, buddy? -

Po: - Yes. I was just

Fisherman: - The city is in sight! - He shouted from the back of the barge.

The five masters and Po were stunned to see the immense city, and the huge tower of the imperial palace that towered hundreds of meters above the panorama. The fisherman took them to the port area and docked at one of the docks. Immediately a pair of wolves approached the barge to inspect.

Wolf 1: - Hey. What business do you have in Gongmen City? -

Fisherman: - I came to buy some things for my town. -

Wolf 2: - Do you comes alone? -

Fisherman: - Yes. -

One of the wolves boarded inside the barge and searched the entire place. Finally he came out of the interior and confirmed what the rabbit said.

Wolf 1: - Very good. Proceed. It's two coins per night. -

Fisherman: - Two coins!? It's twice as much as last time. -

Wolf 2: - That's how things are, doormat. Take it or leave it. -

The fisherman paid the fee and walked away from the docks, but not before seeing the Dragon Warrior and the Furious Five, who had hidden under the docks.

Fisherman: - We count on you. All of China is counting on you. - He said and walked away, leaving a strong sense of responsibility in the hearts of them.