Kung Fu Panda Fanfic - The Rise of a Hero

(III) Meeting my Enemy

Without wasting a second, Po found a cloak and a hat and headed to the northern mountains, where the iron mine was located. This was not a matter to be left aside, since Tai Lung's sudden appearance was undoubtedly something of the utmost care. Especially for the fact that he had attacked civilians in that way.

The snow leopard was supposed to have changed. Especially after the stories that Tigress herself told him about the events of GongMen. Something that only contradicted what Po suspected. Maybe he became corrupted in the spirit world. Perhaps he followed in Kai's footsteps and had been cut down by power once again. However, this would only be mere speculation.

Po arrived at his destination after days of travel. Frozen peaks where snow blew constantly. A place where it would be "impossible for a simple footprint to have left its mark." However, disaster was present everywhere. Po had to examine everything in detail, but he couldn't find anything.

Late into the night, Po had no choice but to make a fire and cook something to eat. He was preparing a large portion of steamed dumplings when a noise caught his attention.

Po turned around, but nothing particularly caught his attention. He looked in all directions, but couldn't see anything. Then, he heard it once more. A strange sound, as if someone was complaining about some pain.

Po advanced slowly, alert for any imminent danger. I didn't know if it was someone hostile, so it was better to be prepared. But his caution turned to fear when he saw a miner almost buried by a large amount of rubble.

Miner: - Help... help... - Was all he could say when he saw him.

Po: - Resiste... -

Po looked at the rubble above him. He was a strong miner, which is why he was still alive, but under the nearest rubble he could see the chilling scene of several hands and feet coming out of the tons of stone that buried him. At least ten dead within sight... Who knows how many more could be under those rocks?

With a movement of his staff, Po drew a character that materialized as a trail of Chi, which was concentrated on his fist when he gave it a powerful blow on the stone that broke it into a thousand pieces. Enough time to grab the injured miner and get him out of there before other debris fell under its own weight.

Po took the miner to his campfire, where he was able to heal him with his chi and relieve the pain, but that broken right leg would definitely need medical attention. But at least with the power of chi the pain had diminished, and the dumplings that Po offered him satisfied his battered stomach.

Po: - What happened? -

Miner: - I... I don't know clearly. We saw it... We saw it... It was him... Tai Lung... I would never forget that face. We don't know how... Vero was alive... Or so I thought. -

Po: - What do you mean? -

The miner looked clearly affected. As if he were using all his strength to try to remember everything in detail. But with his weakness and fatigue that would be almost impossible.

Miner: - I couldn't tell you clearly... Tai Lung devastated everything... He came with an army of... reptiles of some kind and took all our steel... Then... he reduced everything to ashes. -

Po: - Reptile army? What type of reptiles? -

Miner: - They were... lizards... something similar... I couldn't say... Many of us were trapped... We didn't manage to survive... I... I thought I would die... there... -

The miner could not contain his tears, now that he could breathe easy and knowing that he would live another day in this world. Po rested his hand on his shoulder to try to calm him down. So that he could rest and regain his strength. But he still had something else to tell.