LEGOBRICK13: Hey Riley! You good over there?
Riley:*is currently unconscious and in the Yamcha pose...you know which one I'm talking about*
LEGOBRICK13: I'll just take that as a hard no, then.
Lyla: What did you expect? He just got the snot beat out of him.
LEGOBRICK13: I know that, but I thought he would've at least woken up by now.
Cortex: Are we certain he'll be fine?
LEGOBRICK13: Hmm...let me try something. *pulls out phone and turns up the volume*
*Volo's theme starts playing*
Riley: *eyes fly open as his body quakes in fear*
LEGOBRICK13: *turns phone off* I'd say that did the trick.
*Volo's theme is still playing*
LEGOBRICK13: ...He's standing right behind me...isn't he?
Lyla and Cortex:*nod slowly as they look behind LEGO*
LEGOBRICK13: *turns to face Volo* Awwwwww...crap baskets.
Cortex: While LEGO reaps the consequences of daring to summon him, I suppose I'll address shirkahn.
shirkahn - Nice! Pretty unorthodox fight, but hey, everything goes in situations like that. If Riley's persistence and tenacity don't humble Shifu and Tigress, maybe Oogway will before his death. Looking forward to the next chapter.
The fight was made that way to show that Riley already does possess some skills, but also keeps in line with his personality to find ways to catch Shifu off-guard. LEGO decided to use a soccer/football as the conduit, given the potential in the future regarding Riley's home; plus it was a sport he would play when he was younger, so he has personal experiences with it. In a fight (especially ones for survival) anything goes, so Riley will take advantage of that fact and use the environment to his advantage; something we Pokémon tend to do between weather and terrain effects.
Lyla: We thank you all for the support so far and hope you all enjoy this chapter. Now if you'll excuse us, we're just going to hide for a while as LEGO deals with him.
Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon or Kung Fu Panda, nor any of the art used. Any OC's however, are mine unless stated otherwise.
-
Chapter 6: Bridges
The scene cuts to the bunkhouse, as Riley's winces of pain can be heard from his room.
Riley's body is seen sporting a few bandages wrapped around his forehead and paws, a few empty vials saying "Potion" nearby.
"I always forget just how much that stuff stings when it's applied. Let me tell you something, it doesn't feel good." Riley sighs. "Thanks again for the offer of acupuncture. Though, it's probably harder to do with my thin arms and legs."
Mantis moves to check one of the needles behind Riley's shoulder, tapping it as he speaks. "Who am I to judge a warrior based on his size? I mean... look at me."
Riley sighs at this as he starts to talk again, "Shifu may be able to make himself sound really inspiring and all, but that doesn't matter when I know he's trying everything he can to get rid of me." he says with annoyance. "If he thinks he's going to out-grudge me, then he doesn't know who he's messing with."
"I would defend Master Shifu in this situation, but I do think he's being a bit harsh with you." Viper says, as Mantis jabs a needle into Riley's back and causes him to flinch.
"I agree. You managed to actually counter some of my attacks, and then even after everything today you still managed to land a few hits on Master Shifu. I agree with what Crane said earlier, things like that have to amount to something, at least." Mantis voiced his opinion from behind Riley.
Riley smiles slightly at the two's words. "Thanks. It's nice knowing that at least you four don't entirely hate me."
Viper's expression became curious. "Say, Riley; were you serious about why you won't call him 'Master'?"
Riley gave a nod. "I was. The way I look at things is simple: people should always treat others with respect, but should they continue to refuse reciprocating that respect, then treat them the same way. It's like trust, it's a two-way relationship. Though...that isn't the only reason."
Mantis peeks over Riley's shoulder. "So, what's the other reason?"
"My people like to call our teachers 'Sensei' instead. It does have the same meaning, but the term 'Master' can also be applied to...other things." Riley said cryptically.
The meaning seemed to click with the two after a few moments, as they realized what he was referring to.
"Ohhhh..." Viper said.
"That's...reasonable." Mantis admitted.
"But that last one doesn't really make an effect on my thoughts on Shifu. If he starts treating me with the respect every decent person deserves, then I might stop being such a pain for him to deal with, might. He won't get me to quit, and it's his fault for making me mad at him; my anger tends to make me even more determined to do something."
"What about earlier with Crane?" Viper asked.
"I'm stubborn, not an idiot. I knew I didn't stand a chance, so I wasn't going to waste his time with the inevitable 'spar' that would've occurred." Riley points out, with air quotes.
Viper and Mantis look at each other before shrugging in agreement.
Mantis jumps over and onto his back with another needle.
"Look, I know he can seem kind of heartless...but, you know, he wasn't always like that." Mantis finished.
Riley raises a brow in doubtful curiosity at this.
Outside, Tigress is walking down the hallway when she overhears them talking. She stops outside their door.
Viper picks up where Mantis left off.
"According to legend, there was once a time when Master Shifu actually used to smile." Viper states.
"Sorry, but I don't think he even knows the definition of 'smile' unless it's a smug one." Riley responds flatly.
Viper continues, "But that was before..." she stops, hesitating.
Riley looks to her with curiosity and concern.
"Before what?" he asks.
Before Viper can lean in to tell him, the door opens as Tigress enters the room. "Before Tai Lung." Tigress states.
In the background, they see Crane's shadow silhouetted on the wall.
"Uh, yeah, we're not really supposed to talk about him." Crane says nervously.
"Well, if he's going to stay here, he should know." Tigress said firmly.
Riley's brow furrows at the name. "Tai Lung? I think I remember overhearing a traveler back at home talk about someone with that name."
The Viper looks surprised at this, and Tigress looks on in genuine surprise too.
"You don't know anything about him?" Viper asked.
Riley shook his head "Can't say I have outside of that one traveler, and I don't even remember what they said about him either. Am I right to assume this guy isn't a very good person?"
Tigress' face turns back as she explains, "He was once Master Shifu's student many years ago, but now he resides under tight security at Chorh-Gom Prison; a prison made specifically to house him."
"Yikes. That's one dangerous student." Riley sweats nervously.
"But he wasn't just a student." Tigress states.
-
Flashback. Narration courtesy of Tigress.
A younger Shifu steps out of the Training Hall Courtyard and finds a baby leopard cub on the steps, swaddled in cloth.
"Shifu found him as a cub. And he raised him as his son."
While being fed, baby Tai Lung yanks off some of Shifu's whiskers.
"...and when the boy showed talent in kung fu..."
A slightly older Tai Lung approaches the training dummy. He kicks it across the floor, and it hits the wall, knocking a spear from the weapons rack. Shifu approaches, impressed, and Tai Lung nudges him affectionately.
"...Shifu trained him."
Shifu teaches Tai Lung how to punch.
"He believed in him. He told him he was destined for greatness."
Tai Lung faces a wooden warrior.
"It was never enough for Tai Lung."
Cut to a full-grown Tai Lung demolishing the warrior while Shifu looks on with intense pride. Master Oogway is also watching, but does not look impressed.
"He wanted the Dragon Scroll. But Oogway saw darkness in his heart and refused."
An enraged Tai Lung rampages through the village.
"Outraged, Tai Lung laid waste to the valley."
Tai Lung returns to the Jade Palace and crashes through the doors into the Hall of Warriors, where Shifu and Oogway are waiting for him.
"He tried to take the scroll by force. And Shifu had to destroy what he had created."
Shifu leaps at Tai Lung to deliver a kick. However, at the last second, he sees only baby Tai Lung running towards him.
"But how could he?"
Shifu pulls his kick short. Tai Lung counters with a devastating strike and Shifu crashes to the ground with a broken leg. Tai Lung leaps for the scroll, but Oogway intercepts him with lightning speed strikes at his pressure points. He falls to the ground in a heap. Shifu stares at what has become of his beloved student with sadness and disbelief. He crawls toward Tai Lung, but is ultimately unable to touch him.
"Shifu loved Tai Lung like he'd never loved anyone before..."
Sometime later, a young Tigress in the training hall strikes the dummy in the same manner as Tai Lung, but this time, the spear in the rack spins rather than topples.
Shifu corrects her form. Nothing more. The young Tigress looks crestfallen.
"...or since."
Flashback End.
-
The sad, young Tigress cross-dissolves to adult Tigress, as everyone stays quiet for the moment.
Tigress' face morphs into a scowl.
"And now he has a chance to make things right, to train the true Dragon Warrior. And he's stuck with you...a weak, runt of a Riolu who treats this like a game."
The rest of the five, including Monkey and Crane, feel the tension in the air rise.
Mantis inspects him and notices Riley's body shake and his clenched fists...
Fists that each had traces of blood dripping from between his fingers.
Riley mutters something that no one can make out.
"Is something wrong?" Tigress asks with snark.
Riley head hangs low, his eyes overshadowed.
"I said..." Riley pauses, his fists clenching further as he gives Tigress a glare.
"Do. Not. Call me. That." Riley growls.
Tigress was caught off guard by this level of aggression he was exuding. The training gym was one thing, but this? This seemed closer to what she had seen merely hours ago; pure hate.
Her presence clearly unwelcome now, Tigress leaves the room and walks a few steps before hearing Viper again.
"Riley, your hands! Why did you do that?!" Viper asks worriedly.
"S-sorry you had to see me like that you two." Riley apologizes.
"I mean I get that she insulted you, but why would you hurt yourself like that?" Mantis asked.
"I...the last time someone called me that...I'd rather not talk about it right now. How about we get ready for dinner? I can make us some noodle soup like Mr. Ping does." Riley offered.
"You know how to cook?" Mantis asked.
"Of course. I spent a lot of time in the wilderness by myself before arriving in the village. I was actually helping Mr. Ping out for two weeks before the Dragon Warrior ceremony, and I learned enough that he was surprised it was only my first-time making noodle soup." Riley said.
"I think I might take you up on that offer then." Viper replied.
"Same here." Mantis added.
Tigress fully walks off and is now alone with her thoughts.
'Why did he go out on his own? I thought Riolu and Lucario tended to travel in pairs with their kind, at least according to what I read earlier.' Tigress had briefly gone to look up more about Riley's kind before returning to the bunkhouse.
Her ears perk up as though she heard something nearby. She looks in the direction of the sound as she adopts a fighting stance, only to find nothing. She lowers her stance but still stays on guard as she continues her trek.
As she leaves however, a faint red glow emanates from out of view, as we cut to see a narrowed blue eye watching the corridor she left through.
-
In the Training Hall, Shifu is sitting in meditation, surrounded by candles. His inner turmoil causes him to fidget incessantly.
"Inner peace... inner peace... i-in... in-in...inner peace."
A very faint flapping sound in the distance does not help matters. Eventually, he turns around.
"Would whoever is making that flapping sound, quiet down!"
There is suddenly silence in the sounds place. Satisfied, Shifu resumes his meditation.
Shifu continues "Inner..."
WUMP!
A goose drops in from the open ceiling behind him. Scowling, Shifu gets up, but smiles when he sees who it is.
"Oh, Zeng. Excellent. I could use some good news right now." Shifu says with hope.
Zeng hesitates. "Uh..." Needless to say, he had anything but good news.
-
Minutes later, Shifu is rushing up Peach Tree hill. Oogway stands under the tree, slowly performing Tai Chi movements, blossom petals floating elegantly from the branches as Cortex can be seen perched upon one of them.
"Master! Master!" Shifu calls out.
"Hmmm?" Oogway turned to his student, as Cortex followed his gaze.
"I have... it's... it's very bad news." Shifu says out of breath.
Oogway shoots him a soft smile "Ah, Shifu. There is just news. There is no good or bad."
"Master, your vision...your vision was right! Tai Lung has broken out of prison! He's on his way!" Shifu informed him frantically.
Oogway doesn't look fazed by his student's information, with a smile growing on his face, as Cortex speaks up from the branch.
"Of course, he's free." Cortex stated as a matter of fact.
Shifu looks shocked at Cortex. "How could you have possibly known?!"
"Hello, Shifu." A familiar voice said menacingly behind him.
Shifu whirls around to see Tai Lung standing over him with a wicked grin, purple kanji floating around him, and what could only be described as 'boss music' playing in the background.
Cortex gives him an eye-smile. "Quite simple: he's standing right behind you."
"CUT!"
Shifu is seen catching his breath as a Venusaur steps on-screen as they make the petals of the tree grow back.
"You nearly gave me a heart-attack there!" Shifu said, holding his hand on his chest.
Tai Lung is seen holding his gut as he laughs. "Sorry, I couldn't help myself." Tai Lung looks off-set. "Thanks for the help, by the way!"
The form of a Zoroark grins as they shoot him a thumbs-up. "Happy to help!" she responds.
Oogway chuckles. "I'm glad I took up LEGO's offer in making this story, even if I don't understand the references."
Cortex nods. "Same here."
Take Two
"Master, your vision...your vision was right! Tai Lung has broken out of prison! He's on his way!" Shifu informed him frantically.
The tension in the air grows as everything seems to stop for a moment.
"That is bad news... if you do not believe that the Dragon Warrior can stop him." Oogway responds.
"The Riolu? Master, that Riolu is not the Dragon Warrior. He wasn't even meant to be here... it was an accident!" Shifu says with a mix of disbelief and frustration.
"There are no accidents." Oogway denies.
Shifu sighs. "Yes, I know. You've said that already. Twice."
"Well, that was no accident either." Oogway shrugged.
Shifu holds up three fingers. "Thrice."
"Ever the impatient one, Young Shifu." Cortex shook his head, making his presence known to the red panda.
Shifu notices Cortex, his brow furrowing. "Who are you? And I'm not some child." Shifu says with indignation.
"Ha! Compared to me, you're a toddler, not that the way you've been acting lately has been any different from one throwing a tantrum." Cortex laughed, causing Shifu some confusion. "And call me Cortex, just for the record. You could say I'm an...old acquaintance of Oogway." Cortex continued cryptically.
Oogway gives a little chuckle. "Cortex's words are true, my old friend; the Riolu will never fulfill his destiny, nor you yours, until you let go of the illusion of control." Oogway told Shifu.
Shifu gives an incredulous and confused look at Oogway. "Illusion?"
"Yes. Look at this tree, Shifu." Oogway looks up at the tree's branches, where blossom petals continue to fall. "I cannot make it blossom when it suits me, nor make it bear fruit before its time."
"But there are things we can control." Shifu kicks the tree and a hundred peaches fall to the ground, and startling Cortex, as Oogway gazes at him in silence.
"I can control when the fruit will fall!"
A peach is launched into his face. He growls, looking up at the tree to see an angered Cortex while Oogway chuckles.
"As can I you insensitive whelp!" Cortex yelled at him, before jumping down from the branch and onto the arc of Oogway's staff with a glare and a huff.
Shifu proceeds to continue his point. "And I can control..." Shifu tosses a peach in the air, leaps up, and splits it with a chop, freeing the seed. "...where to plant the seed...hi-yah!" Shifu punches the ground, creating a small hole. The seed falls into his paw.
"That is no illusion, Master!" He tosses the seed into the hole.
"Ah, yes." Oogway steps forwards while Shifu begins pacing in frustration. "But no matter what you do, that seed will grow to be a peach tree. You may wish for an apple, or an orange...but you will get a peach."
Shifu stops pacing and turns to Oogway. "But a peach cannot defeat Tai Lung!"
Cortex snorts. "Certainly not with attitude like yours it won't."
Oogway smiles. "Maybe it can. If you are willing to guide it, to nurture it. To believe in it. Surely you have seen his potential." Oogway says, before covering the seed with dirt.
Shifu begins to look conflicted. "But that's the problem. When I look at his determination, his defiance...all I can see is..." His mind flashes once more to earlier, with Riley's form being replaced by Tai Lung's.
Shifu shakes his head to disperse the image. "Please, Master. How? I need your help." Shifu asks desperately.
"No two people will ever be the same, you just need to believe." Oogway says simply, as he leans in towards his friend. "Promise me, Shifu. Promise me you will believe.
Shifu hesitates. "I... I will try." [Author's Note: Yoda would like to know your location.]
Oogway smiles. "Good."
Oogway looks over to Cortex with a sad smile, seeing the clear frown on his face as he jumps down from Oogways staff and onto the ground next to Shifu. Oogway then turns away as he glances up at the starry sky. The petals begin rapidly falling from the tree as the wind picks up.
[Author's Note: Arceus almighty these movies' soundtracks are flippin' amazing!]
"This is where we parts ways, my friends." Oogway says, turning back to a confused Shifu and the solemn Cortex.
"You must continue your journey... without me." Oogway says, before handing Shifu his staff.
"What are you...? What...?" Oogway begins walking to the cliff's edge. Shifu realizes what he's doing and runs after him.
"Master! You can't leave me." Shifu cried out.
Cortex held his head low, while the petals surround Oogway as he stops at the cliff's edge and turns back to the two of them.
"You must believe." He gives his parting words.
"Master!" Shifu called out desperately.
Oogway is engulfed by peach blossoms as he begins glowing with a lovely blue light. As the winds settle, Shifu stands at the edge of the cliff, clutching Oogway's staff, staring after the mass of petals as they float up into the sky.
"May we meet again...someday...old friend." Cortex says softly from behind him, his head hanging low.
Cortex turns around, hopping over towards the stairs. He looks back once more to the distraught Shifu.
"Let us hope the flames might still be quenched." Cortex says with finality, before turning back to the stairs; his form disappearing with a shimmer as he descends.
-
Author's note: I hope you enjoyed and feel free to comment!