Kung Fu Panda Fanfic - The Rise of a Hero

(VIII) Shocking Truths

Tigress left the valley following Po and Li's trails through the mountains, hoping that Po was ready to face Kai, but nothing could be further from the truth.

Po spent his days quietly lounging in the secret panda village. According to his father Li, before he could become a Chi Master, he first had to learn to be a "good panda." Po did everything Li told him to: wake up late, eat more than necessary, not train, sit around all day, nothing really useful.

Despite everything, and despite leading a peaceful life during the weeks that he was living with his kind, Po had a certain concern that swirled around his head. Despite following everything his father Li told him to do to the letter, he did not see any progress in his mastery of Chi. In a way, he thought he was doing something wrong.

On a quiet afternoon, Po walked through the town calmly, delighting his eyes with the joy of the pandas who lived without any kind of worry, ignoring the danger that lurked in the shadows. Po walked towards the entrance to clear his mind a bit, and a small sprout of a white flower caught his eye. He thought that it would be a good test, and as Shifu had done before, he extended his palm to try to give him his Chi, but nothing happened.

Po started to get a little worried seeing that he hadn't made any progress. But something much worse caught his attention. From the other side of the entrance of the village, at the edge of the slope of the steep ice mountain, the masters Tigress and Viper appeared, who had already regained consciousness, although both were quite injured, and Tigress was still complaining about his dislocated arm.

Po: - Girls. - She said with concern as she ran towards them to help them, drawing the attention of everyone present. - What are you doing here? -

Tigress: - Kai attacked the valley. Shifu and the others fell. -

Viper: - Kai has taken the Chi of every master in China. They're all gone. - They said sadly.

Po: - All? - He asked shocked.

Tigress: - Everyone. And now he's heading here. He's coming for you, Po. -

Viper: - He wants your Chi. Yours and that of all the pandas. - These words alarmed everyone present.

Po: - How much time do we have? -

Tigress: - Not much. - Tigress looked at Po with great concern. - Please tell me that you are already a Chi master. -

Po was shocked, he couldn't give such a disappointing answer. He looked at everyone present and saw their terrified faces as they ran to their homes to evacuate. Po asked Mr. Ping to take care of the masters while he ran to find Li, who had gone to the village urgently.

Po: - Pa. You have to teach me the secret technique of Chi. Now. -

Li: - No... no. I'm afraid you... need more time. - He said with a hesitant voice as he helped the villagers to collect their things.

Po: - I don't have more time. I have to learn it now. -

Lee: - I'm sorry. But you're not ready yet. - He said as he headed home across a wooden bridge.

Po: - How come I'm not ready? In these weeks I have done everything you have told me and I am ready enough. Why don't you stop running and teach me!? -

Li: - Because I don't know! - Li's words shocked Po as he looked at him with concern.

Po: - What about you? -

Li: - Because I don't know. Nobody knows. Maybe we used it. But not anymore. -

Po: - You... lied? - He asked with concern.

Li: - No... I... yes. - He felt defeated at not being able to hide the truth anymore.

Po: - Why? -

Li: - To save your life. I just found out that a maniac was coming for you. What was he supposed to do? Let it happen? -

Po: - Yes. - He answered as he got angry little by little. - I am the Dragon Warrior. Defeating maniacs is my job. And because of you, I left the valley without protection. - He said extremely annoyed with Li. - I left my friends without protection. And now everyone... and now everyone... -

Li: - And you would be too. - He interrupted Po as he put a hand on his shoulder. - I lost you once. I'm not going to lose you again. Can't. - Li told Po sadly, but Po was too angry to listen to his reasons.

Po: - You already did. -

Po angrily removed Li's hand from his shoulder, turned around, and walked back to the village leaving his father slumped with a terrible pain in his chest.

Between his own anger, the confusion, the shouts of the villagers and the cries of the children, Po crossed the village feeling an endless number of negative emotions that compressed his head and his heart. He stopped thinking clearly, but he knew he had to get back into shape before Kai arrived.

Using bamboo sticks, pieces of wood, rope, and various gears, Po built a makeshift training dummy over seven feet tall that looked similar to Kai's. In his hands he placed two sharp knives, which he had to avoid at all costs if he wanted to face Kai's sharp jade swords.

Po trained all night, without taking a short rest, without drinking water or eating food. He was only focused on defeating that monster. Mr. Ping, seeing his son's condition, went to Li's house to have a deep conversation that would last all night.

Early in the morning, the masters Tigress and Viper had recovered enough to be able to fend for themselves. And from one of the bamboo houses they saw from a distance how Po, already exhausted and without strength, continued training with the Kai doll. But eventually, he couldn't continue and had to sit down to rest.

Po sat on the edge of the cliff and looked sadly at the horizon. Everything that had happened - Li's lie, the death of his friends and masters, and the heavy burden of having to face Kai and save China were simply too much for him.

Tigress: - You should go with him. - She told her friend Viper.

Viper didn't say a word, and slid up to where Po was, only to find the panda crying who tried to hide his sadness when he saw her.

Viper: - Po. Are you okay? -

Po: - Yes... yes... I am. - Said stuttering with teary eyes.

Viper: - Are you sure? -

Po held back as much as he could, but simply the weight of what he was carrying ended up defeating him. Po began to cry helplessly in the dark as he tried his best to control his emotions, but it was simply impossible for them.

Po: - It's all my fault. Shifu, Crane, Monkey, Mantis. They all died because of me. -

Viper: - Oh, Po. That wasn't your fault. -

Po: - Yes it was... if only he hadn't run away. Everything could be different. -

Viper: - Po. You don't have to take all the blame on your own. -

Po: - But it's my duty... it was my duty. - Po looked at Viper with a destroyed countenance. - All this was my fault. Po bowed his head.

Finally, Po had succumbed to the enormous burden he felt. He really thought it was all his fault, but something unexpected caught him by surprise.

Po came out of the depressive state he was in when he felt Viper's lips kissing his. Back then it went blank. Her worries and mixed feelings stopped inside her head, leaving her mind completely empty.

Viper: - Po. You are not alone in this. We are all here with you. I am here with you. -

Po you just had no words. So she could only answer him with a smile while Viper wiped the remaining tears from Po's face with her tail.

Viper: - Come on. Let's find the others. - Po took a big breath of air.

Po: - Very good. Come on. -