The Ticking Contingent: The Countdown vo.2

"I am the Dragon Warrior...."

Po floated effortlessly in the air as he came to a stop in front of a grand temple floating just behind him. He could feel all the chi he was using emanating around him as he faced Kai. The old general was furious, and he made a point of letting Po knowing by declaring that he would take the panda's chi, even if it took him another 500 years.

"Chitty chitty chat chat," Po mocked, knowing that there was nothing the bull could do. Po was the one in control now. "Chit...chat."

Kai let out an angry yell and charged at Po, blades unsheathed. However, Po had already come up with a plan to take him out permanently. While ecstatically soaring through the spirit realm, a thought had occurred to him. He had reflected on what Oogway had written about Kai, about what Kai had done to his friends, what Kai planned to do to those he loved way up high in the mountains of the panda village. Taking a little breath, relaxing, feeling all the energy around him, Po morphed his chi into a singular yin yang and faced Kai with a serious expression.

"You want my chi so bad?" he told the bull. "Then take it."

And the Dragon Warrior gave every single bit of chi he had to Kai.

He didn't know how long he was out for following this action, but soon all his chi had been returned to him and he found himself engulfed with bright golden light, a beautiful golden sky with shimmering waters, and the startling sight of Oogway whom he hadn't seen in years. Master Oogway of course was always easily entertained and laughed upon seeing Po get startled after dipping into the golden water and bobbing back up. The spirit realm sure had some weird physics laws!

"I can't believe it's you!" Po cried. Looking carefully at the old master he added: "You look extra shiny."

"And are you," Oogway told him with an amused smile.

"I know right?!" Po exclaimed gleefully. "It's like the best cape ever!" He tugged on the new clothes he had and let them go sailing behind him semi-gracefully. "When I run with it, it looks really cool."

"It suits you," Oogway said honestly, watching Po spin about with little to no control. "You've grown."

"Yeah," Po replied, thinking of the years of training and self-control he did at the Jade Palace. "Gotta' lay off the panda buffet."

"Grown up," Oogway corrected with a laugh, helping Po onto a little boat in the water so he could sit still for a moment. He then started rowing it towards a little island with a peach tree, his favorite sitting spot, as he explained to Po that his intention was for  Po to mature in his kung fu by letting Li know his son was alive and well.

Po gasped in surprise. "You sent the universe mail!!!" he exclaimed. "Whoa!!!!"

Oogway laughed again. Ah, to be young and easily amused. It reminded him of his younger years. But those had passed. Now it was time to pass on the mantle. He had wanted to die after Po had progressed to this point, but the universe had other plans. And he was never one to argue with that. So he had waited until the universe had truly needed Po, and then he had acted accordingly.

"You finally became the panda you were always meant to be," he told the Dragon Warrior as he and Po finally reached the island and floated to dry land. (Not that there was really any water, but arguing with the physics and logic of this world wasn't really on the table).

"But how did you know I could?" Po asked, eagerly hoping to pick Oogway's brain and get a real answer instead of a riddle of words.

"On the first day we met," Oogway explained simple with a little smile. "I saw the future of kung fu, and the past. I saw the panda who could unite them both."

Po thought briefly about what Oogway had written in his scrolls about the panda village, and reflected on his kung fu journey for a brief moment. It had been a rough road to get to where he was and there were times he didn't think he could do it. He had always wanted to be just like his heroes, but had to learn to do things his way. He couldn't always be stoic like Tigress and Shifu, nor run from the past. The past would always catch up. And he supposed it really did. His family were the originators of chi. Though lost, he had helped them to bring it all back, and now everything was coming full circle.

How interesting indeed.

"That is why I chose you, Po," Oogway continued, interrupting Po out of his thoughts. "Both sides of the yin and yang. And my true successor."

Oogway then bowed his head and held out his staff to Po. It was much different than the peach one he had, not to mention shinier and a lot cooler. The Dragon Warrior wasn't quite sure how to react to this. He was so used to being the student! This was an extremely high honor! This was Oogway's job! And also staff.

"I-I-I can't take that," he protested.

"Just take it," Master Oogway insisted. He whispered with a hint of a laugh, "I have a bigger one."

Po slowly took the staff from the old master's class, still trying to justify the transfer of ownership. He was Oogway, very enlightened and wise beyond years, but he? He was.....

Then Po stopped. Reflected. Remembered.

I'm trying to turn you into you.

"Ohhhh!" he realized. "Wait, really?!"

Oogway seemed amused by his excitement and was even more amused when Po, always a little childish and fanatic, even when grown, began to excitedly test the staff out for himself! Po of course was delighted to own the single coolest staff in history, though he was quick to remember that Oogway was still watching him when he heard the old tortoise chuckle in amusement at his antics. Po chuckled sheepishly.

"So..." he asked. "What do I do now?"

"I don't know," Oogway replied as petals started to surround him once more. "You tell me."

Po panicked, not wanting the master to leave before he got everything figured out. However, he had forgotten that Oogway's home was the spirit realm, as the master reminded him by settling in the branches of the nearby peach tree. Po once again felt slightly embarrassed and chuckled to cover it up.

"Right," he said.

"It is you who must decide whether to stay or go," Oogway informed him.

Po was surprised by this comment. "Wait...I can go back?" he asked with a hint of excitement rising.

"Who knows? I never tried."

Po glanced back at the new staff he had and then down at the mystical water surrounding him. He slowly dipped his new staff into it, creating a glowing yin yang symbol which immediately began to surround him with petals. Po felt waves of excitement and amazement go through him as he was slowly transported back to the mortal realm. He was feeling a little nervous since he wasn't sure what was going to happen once he got back, but there was one thing he did know:

He was the Dragon Warrior.

And he would do whatever it took to keep those around him safe.