Kung Fu Panda Fanfic - The Rise of a Hero

(IV) Origins.

After the huge failure as a teacher, Po returned to the village and spent the entire next day with his father, helping him in the restaurant. Po was hiding in the kitchen, preparing the vegetables somewhat depressed.

Mr. Ping: - Is everything okay, son? You haven't wanted to say anything since yesterday. -

Po: - I'm sorry, Pa. It's just... that I'm very frustrated. -

Mr. Ping: - Frustrated? Because? -

Po: - Master Shifu put me in charge of the Furious Five. He said that I would be his teacher from now on. I! What could I teach them? -

Mr. Ping: - Good. I guess Shifu did it because he saw something in you. -

Po: - He said the same thing. But I'm still not ready to be a teacher. - Mr. Ping replied with a smile.

Mr. Ping: - Oh, Po. Do you think I was ready to be a father when you came to my door? Of course he wasn't. At first I made a lot of mistakes, but over time I learned, until I could become a more or less decent father, I think. - Po looked at him with admiration and gave him a hug.

Po: - Pa. I couldn't ask for a better father. -

Mr. Ping: - Thank you, son. - They remained for a few seconds until a voice interrupted them.

????: - Hey. Hello. Is there someone? I want to order some noodles. -

Mr. Ping: - Right away, sir! - He yelled from the back of the kitchen.

Po: - Relax, Pa. I'll take care of this one. Now I think I should stretch my legs. -

Po got up from his chair a little more animated and went back to the kitchen to place the order, but when they both walked through the door that led to the restaurant, they got a big surprise.

On the other side of the counter was a huge pot-bellied panda, just like Po was before he joined Kung Fu, only older. Po and the panda looked surprised, until he reacted.

Panda: - It can't be. Are you alive! - The panda rushed to hug Po by surprise. - I thought you had died that night too. -

Po looked up and saw the panda's teary eyes, confused, but had a vague idea of ​​who it was.

Po: - What night? -

Panda: - The night that Shen razed the village. -

Po was shocked. I was already sure who that panda was. Still it was hard for him to believe. The rest of the diners stared at the scene in astonishment, until Mr. Ping intervened.

Mr. Ping: - Very good, everyone. The restaurant closes for today. -

Client: - Hey. But I already paid for the food. -

Mr. Ping: - Take your plate away. What they have not paid can be withdrawn as well. Just for today. -

The diners left the premises and Mr. Ping closed the doors of the restaurant in the middle of the lunch hour. Po and Mr. Ping sat at a table in front of the sobbing panda, and waited for it to calm down a bit.

Po: - Tell me. What happened that night? -

Panda: - When Shen attacked with his army of wolves, he took us by surprise. Many died that day. You were outside the house, and I saw how two wolves pounced on you. I took my hammer from when I worked in the mines and rushed to save you. Your mother took you in her arms and I ordered her to run as far as she could. That was the last time I saw her alive. - He said destroyed and did a long pause. - Some of us managed to survive, and we didn't hide in a village hidden in the mountains. -

Mr. Ping: - And how did you find us? - He said something suspicious.

Panda: - I can't explain it with words. It just happened. Suddenly, I knew that I had to come here. It was like a message from the universe. -

Mr. Ping: - That sounds pretty weird if I may say so. -

Po, Mr. Ping and the panda, whose name was Li Shan, talked for a while in the restaurant about everything that had happened these years. Li told him how the surviving pandas managed to thrive in villages hidden in the mountains "above the sea of ​​clouds," he added. On the other hand, Po told him how he had become the Dragon Warrior and the things that had happened.

Li was somewhat relieved to hear from Po how he defeated Shen and made him pay for his crimes and atrocities. The news did not comfort him, but he felt a certain joy in knowing that his wife, Po's mother, had been avenged.

The conversation was quite tense. Considering that Mr. Ping did not actually accept a stranger appearing out of nowhere and claiming that Po was his own eye, considering all the years he spent caring for and loving him. But the most uncomfortable was Po himself, who found himself between his grief-stricken biological father and his grumpy adoptive father.

Suddenly, there was a noise coming from inside the town and Po jumped alert.

Lee: - Son. What's going on? -

Po: - I don't know... Pa. - He said something doubtful while looking at Mr. Ping. - But something's not right. -

Then, Crane descended from the skies and approached where Po was.

Crane: - Po. We need your help. -

Po: - What happened? Bandits? -

Crane: - No. We've never seen this before. - He said worried, sowing great uncertainty in the hearts of Po and his two parents.