Cloudless Authors

Chapter 十七

The masters all wanted to help Po out, but the Jade Tortoise had left behind some serious injuries. Mantis was trapped underneath some fallen limbs with his arm pinned to the ground by the weight. Viper was barely conscious against one of the walls. Shifu and Tigress were smashed into one of the weapons racks against the opposite wall, destroying the weapons and making them stuck. Crane's wing was sprained and Monkey was unconscious. However, Tai Lung was unaware of any of these things. Seeing the club dangling precariously over the Dragon Warrior, his first instinct was to get himself upright as best he could and run over to the pile of rubble. No sooner did he get to his feet did the club slip free and come careening down to the ground. Po heard the noise, though he was in too much pain to really move. He shakily tried to at least grab something and pull himself out, only to feel a strong force push him over towards the raised floor. Po rolled over the rubble and onto an untouched part of the floor. His cries of agony were just as suddenly drowned out by a very loud !CRASH! right behind him. 

The training hall soon fell silent with the exception of Po's heavy panting. He didn't try to get up. He was in excruciating pain and he was afraid of making it worse. As he lay there however, he could hear gasping breaths from behind him. A cold chill ran through the panda's body as it slowly dawned onto him what had just happened. Footsteps began to quickly approach his direction, one set obviously belonging to Master Shifu. The steps came to a stop a couple of feet behind him and Shifu frantically said, "Quick! Lift that off of him!" 

The fallen club was soon thrown to the side and the footsteps made their way over in Po's direction. 

"You take the left side and I'll take the right," came Tigress' voice. 

Po soon felt himself being lifted up, though a sharp stab of pain in his shoulder forced the two masters holding him to try and be more careful. Po was helped onto the side of the training hall and moved into a comfortable floor position. With a better perspective, he could now see the full damage that had just occurred. The entire place was practically torn to shreds thanks to the Jade Tortoise that now blocked the front doors. Tigress and Crane were moving as fast as they could in order to free Mantis from a potential rubble tomb and Viper was slowly sitting up and keeping herself from passing out. 

None of this, however, compared to the terrifying damage found just a few feet away from the door. Having gotten crushed by the giant club, Tai Lung lay sunken into what used to be the rotating spiral beams. He was still alive, as indicated by his heavy breathing, but he wouldn't be for much longer. At the moment, he was laying belly down in the rubble with Shifu offering comforting pats and reassuring words. Po was close enough to hear the entire conversation, unlike his friends who were more concerned about preventing more deaths. 

"I...." Tai Lung managed to choke out with what little air he had. ...did...t...."

"Don't talk. Save your breath," Shifu encouraged. 

Tai Lung wheezed and rasped for a moment before finally letting out a gasping, "Sorry."

"Sh, sh, it's okay. Everything's okay now." 

From the side of the training hall, Po tried to sit himself up with his good side, but he was still too weak from nearly being squished. Instead, he was forced to lay back down on the floor and listen as Tai Lung's breathing began to quiet down. Within a few seconds, Po heard absolutely nothing. The training hall became absolutely silent apart from Mantis breathing a sigh of relief followed by a quick, "Oh!"

No one said a word.

Po managed to pick his head up again and looked at his master. The look on his face was absolutely grieved and he was hugging his son as hard as he could. The students kept as silent as a tomb, unsure of what to say. Po, never at a loss for words, quietly asked, "Master Shifu?"

Shifu inhaled sharply and looked the panda dead in the eyes. "Not one word, Po!" he snapped with a small crack in his voice. "I don't want to hear you! I just want silence!!!" 

The order was complied with and the masters all silently filed out of the room to leave Shifu alone. Crane helped Monkey and Viper out while Tigress carried Po and Mantis held a few of the panda's nerves to keep him from screaming in pain. They quietly made their way outside and exited the training hall arena where they stood outside the doors, unsure of what to say to one another. If they even should. Tigress decided they were too close to speak and nudged Crane down the slope along with their friends. They walked along until they reached the Sacred Hall of Warriors. Tigress then instructed everyone to take a break. 

"OWWW!!!!" Po yelped as Mantis finally released his nerves. 

"Sorry, buddy," Mantis apologized. "My arm was getting a cramp." 

"Well mine feels like it's being ripped out of my body." 

"At least you're alive," Viper remarked, weakly making her way over to the Dragon Warrior. "The club could have killed you!" 

The group fell silent again.

"Why did he push you out of the way?" Mantis wondered out loud. "You die, he becomes Dragon Warrior." 

"Over my dead body," Tigress snarled. 

"Maybe the man actually had a change of heart," Viper suggested as she gently massaged a sore spot on Po's lower back. "Tigress, you were fighting him when Monkey came in. What exactly happened? Did he say anything?"

"Does it matter? He intruded when he wasn't wanted!" Tigress snapped. "When I see an old threat trying to tell me he's not looking for trouble, I don't just put my guard down like some sappy imbecile!"

"Of course not! No one would expect that," Crane quickly interjected. "Tai Lung has always schemed and scoured for that scroll. All of us would have the same reaction."

"He said he wasn't looking for trouble?" 

"Viper, this is Tai Lung we're talking about! I mean, the fact that he was still willing to fight people says a lot about his character." 

Viper sighed. "I guess I can't see him as terrible after what what he just did for us," she admitted. 

The group began to fall back into silence, but Tigress quickly interrupted it and suggested getting everybody back to the barracks. Viper offered to help her boyfriend now that she was more fully awake, but the leader suggested she help Monkey instead. 

"I'll grab the doctor," Crane offered. 

"Thanks, hon," Tigress replied. 

Crane then flew away for help while the masters tended to the task of helping their friends to bed. 

THE END

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