Chapter 28 - Kung Fu Squirrel?!

(Ouuuu! In this chapter a little boy is finally introdced to the story. Is he going to become Kung Fu student number five?)

Shifu sighed. It was nearly six thirty, he'd have to get up really soon! The cub gave a sleepy grunt and rubbed his eyes. His ears perked up, he could sense that there was someone else in the room besides him. Shifu pulled the covers up over his head and peeked down. What he saw made his eyes buldge. "GAH!"
There under the covers was a little bunny in her nightgown peering up innocently at him.
"MINGY!?"
Ming Yang uttered a loud "hiyaa!" and tackled the poor cub down to the ground.
"Ming Yaaaaaaang!!!" Shifu yelled angrilly. "Get off me!!"
Ming Yang threw the blankets on his head.
"Stop!" A muffled shout came from under the golden quilt. "You're going to smother me!!"
Giggling, Ming Yang took the quilt off his head.
Shifu was absolutely fumming. "I have to get up in a half hour! I WANT TO SLEEP!!"
"So do I.." A sleepy voice said from the doorway. A very tired female red panda cub stepped into the room. Her fur was a mess, she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and walked over to Shifu (who was flat on the ground with Ming Yang on top of him). "What's going on here..?"
Glaring, the cub pointed to the young bunny. "Ask her!" He snapped, crossing his arms.
Ming Yang gave a whine. "Whaaaaat? I'm not tired, and I want to play with someone!"
Shifu groaned and fell back against the hard floor. It had been like this for two weeks now, Ming Yang had a horrible habbit of waking up very early, or sleepwalking. He woke up at three the other night to banging on his door. Ming Yang had opened it, saying she was going to make some pancakes and asked if he wanted some. Then she just sort of konked out on the floor. The poor cub had to drag her back to her bed. Shifu wasn't sure how much more of this he could take! The constant bickering and physical fighting with Wu Lian had earned them both five punishments in just the past two weeks, being woken up by Ming Yang really early and then being late for training from having of slept in! It was to much for a seven and a half year old to take! However he managed to keep in high spirits with the girls and always usured his master that he was fine with the new changes. Indeed, some of it he didn't mind. He most certainly did not mind Leona....she was hardly a burden. The vixen spent most of her time in her room drawing, or in The Forest of Tranquility. If there was one thing she loved it was peace, that's why she always spent most of her time by the calm springs in the forest. Shifu didn't quite understand it, what on earht did she do there? What was there to do other then stand by the small pond and stare at it? It was strange for sure, but he never bothered asking. Leona was not the type to open up and spill out all her feelings, whatever it may be. Instead she seemed to prefer keeping it bottled up untill it would release itself and relieve her heart in heart wrenching sobs. Still, no one would bother asking why she was always so quiet.
The door from across the hall opened slowly. "What's going on?" In a satin purple nightgown, young Leona tiptoed across the hall and into Shifu's room.
Wu Lian smiled awkwardly. "N-nothing Leona, go on back to bed."
The vixen could not easily be fooled. She walked up to the bedside, eyes curious. "You're all up..?"
"Unfortunately, yes..." The cub muttered angrilly.
Leona smiled lightly. "Then, let's all surprise Master Oogway by making breakfast for him."
Ming Yang's eyes sparkled. "Wooooooowww! What a great idea!"
"Truly!" Wu Lian agreed, smiling.
With that, the three children hurried out into the kitchen.
Shifu gave an exasperated sigh, none the less....he followed the girls into the kitchen. "Hmmm......wh..why can't we go back to bed..?" He yawned and stretched.
Wu Lian tossed him an apron and some oven mitts. "Quit being lazy!" She scolded.
Shifu's eyes went wide. "What? I'm not lazy!" The cub snapped. "I just don't see why we have to get up early and get breakfast ready! Why can't we do that when we get up at seven?"
Wu Lian shrugged. "We were all awake! No one wanted to sleep anymore anyways..."
Shifu stamped his foot. "Correction! You didn't want to sleep anymore! I wouldn't mind sleeping the whole entire day!"
"Well you can't midget!" She shot back.
"Don't you think I know that?!"
"Stop fighting!" Leona pleaded, tears collecting in her eyes.
Ming Yang drapped an arm around the vixen. "Both of you stop yelling at eachother!"
"She started it!" Shifu seethed.
"Did not!" Wu Lian growled.
"Did too!"
"Did not!"
"Did too!"
"Did not!"
"Did too!"
"Enough." A stern voice commanded.
The four children turned their attention to a rather irritated old tortoise coming down the hall. "Stop fighting Wu Lian, Shifu." He rubbed his eyes and yawned. "What's going on? Why are you all up so early..?"
Shifu yawned. "It's Ming Yang's fault, she woke us up."
"Right." Oogway chuckled "And you woke me up Shifu." He poked the young cub fondly in the nose, he giggled and blushed slightly.
"S-sorry Master Oogway....heehee..."
The old tortoise smiled and lifted up the lid to the pot. "Smells very good Wu Lian."
She beamed. "Thank you Master Oogway..hehe..I tried really hard!"
Oogway smiled. "I can tell!"
Wu Lian blushed at the compliment.
Shifu sighed. "So Master Oogway, what will the lessons be today..?" His eyes began to droop rapidly.
Oogway smiled down at a rather tired red panda cub that leaned against him, slowly falling asleep. The old tortoise pushed the sleepy cub's head up. "Shifu..."
".....Mmm?" He was silent again.
The old master turned towards the three girls. "Well, actually I need to go down to the valley, so you children will be alone today."
"Alright!" Ming Yang exclaimed. "We can finally go berry picking in the forest!!" She gave a small girly squeal of delight. "Won't that be fun Shifu?"
"....." All that was heard was some soft breathing.
Oogway's mouth twitched slightly. "Ming Yang....I don't think he was quite ready to get up yet."
Leona peered over the stove. "No, I guess not..."
The old tortoise took Shifu into his arms and brought him back to his room. The cub was out cold, Oogway brought the blankets up to his chin. He came out a few moments later. "No one wake Shifu....he's very tired, I'll let him sleep in for once."
Wu Lian waved from behind the oven. "Fine with us Master Oogway, we're not going berry picking for a while."
The old tortoise smiled. "Behave, alright children?"
Wu Lian beamed. "Count on us!"
Ming Yang gave an angelic smile. "For sure!"
"W..we'll try to be very good..." Leona said timidly.
"Alright! Get up midget!" Wu Lian yelled, pulling the blankets off the young red panda cub.
Shifu groaned. "Nooo!! Go away!" He turned over, rolled up in a tiny ball and crossed his arms. "Go away..."
Wu Lian and Ming Yang both grinned evilly at eachother.With that they pounced on the bed and started furiously tickling the poor cub into hysterics.
Shifu screamed and began howling with laughter. He rolled around on the bed, trying to avoid the girl's pokey fingers, squealing and thrashing. "AHAHAHAHAHAA! NO!! ST-STOP IT!!!!" the red panda got tangled up in the sheets and rolled off the bed. "O-okay.........yah got me................aw."
"Weeehh! Isn't this fun Shifu?" Ming Yang asked, twirling around with her basket.
Shifu stuck his tongue out. "Yeah.....loads of fun" He said sarcasticlly, rolling his eyes.
Leona's eyes sparkled. "Wu Lian look!" She held up her full basket. "It's full!"
Wu Lian smiled. "Good job Leona! They look so good!" She popped one in her mouth. "Berries are really ripe this time of year!"
Li gave a mew and stuffed her face into the full basket. Everyone laughed.
Ming Yang's laugh was the first to die down, she perked up her ears. "Hey...do you have the feeling we're being watched?"
Everyone turned to look at her like she was crazy. "No..."
Ming Yang squinted her eyes into the bushes. "We'll I sure do." All of a sudden the bushes began to rustle. Everyone gasped.
"A-alright..." Shifu stuttered. "Now I have the feeling that somebody is here!"
The bushes began to rustle so violently that everyone stepped back in terror. "Oh.." The children gave low moans of horror as three tigers leaped out from the bushes on all fours. They snarled wildly and slashed their razor sharp claws through the leaves of the small green plant. Their sharp fangs dripped with saliva, their eyes were like dark pools as red as blood. They were far more vicious then the three tigers that had previously chased them.
Tears came to Leona's eyes. "Oh no..they're going to eat us up!" She flung her arms around Ming Yang.
Shifu took a step forward and leered at the fierce tigers. "What do you want? Who are you?" He demanded in a low and shaky tone.
One of the tigers stepped forward. "We are the subsitutes for those losers Lio Sha and his pansies. I am Hong. These are my men Deshi and Sheng. We're here to take you Shifu back to Giao Xun."
Shifu gasped. "I might have known it! When will that stupid pussy cat ever stop chasing me?!"
Hong sneered. "When you surrender!" With that he turned to his men. "Take them down! Do whatever you want with the other brats, but the cub must be taken back to Giao Xun alive and unharmed, got it?!"
His men nodded, with that.......hell broke loose. Deshi yanked Leona up by the tail, she screamed and sobbed.
Ming Yang bared her tiny little teeth. "YOU LEAVE HER ALONE!!" With that, she pounced on Deshi's head and covered his eyes. "LET HER GO!" With that, she bit his ear hard. He bled.
"YOU LITTLE BRAT!!!!!!!" He swiped at the bunny, reaching for her with his sharp claws. Shifu landed a stong kick to the tiger's stomach. He doubled over in pain, and dropped Leona.
The young cub rounded up his friends. "Come on! Hurry!!" the children ran as fast as they could to the end of the forest, a giant cliff made them halt.
"We're trapped!" Ming Yang wailed.
The tigers began closing in.
The young cub uttered a low threatening growl. "Stay away from my friends!! If you want me, that's fine, but don't you dare touch my friends!"
Wu Lian's eyes went as wide as saucers. "Shifu!! Get your head down! .....Unless you want it bitten off!"
Deshi gave a loud meniacal laugh. "What a great idea! Sadly, Giao Xun demands we bring you to him in full piece..."
Shifu spread his arms out in front of his frightened friends protectively. "Stay away from them!" He seethed.
Hong smacked his lips together.. "Giao Xun didn't say anything about the two little girls!"
"We don't eat wimpy little children! " Sheng shot back.
Hong rolled his eyes. "Whatever, let's get them!" With that, the three tigers pounced, but they were thrown back as a small streak of brown zipped past them, it was like a stream of colors beating the tigers up. Teeth went flying, as well as blood. The colorful streak sliced across them so fast that the tigers couldn't fight them because it was way to small and fast. The tigres backed off and ran through the forest. The streak of colors did a flip through the air and landed hard on it's feet, it turned twards them. The four children could not believe what they saw! The small fiesty little creature that had scared the fur off those little pussy cats that had defeated the three threatening tigers that even little Shifu who had master'd well over three hundred and seventy scrolls couldn't beat! That creature was none other then...
"A squirrel?!" Everyone gasped.
The young squirrel (who looked to be the same age as them) smiled. "You all okay? Looks like I came in the nick of time!"
The children were speechless. They couldn't believe the creature that had saved their furry butts was a young tiny-but frisky little squirrel! He was all brown except for parts on his face and belly, with a maroon tunic that had a silver zipper all the way down the seam. He also wore a black belt with a small swiss knife sticking out one of the pockets He was wearing small brown sandals with bandaged feet. Most certainly a Kung Fu student.
"What's your names?" The squirrel asked, face twitching impatiently.
"Shifu."
"Wu Lian."
"Ming Yang."
".....L-Leona."
The squirrel flicked it's large bushy tail. "I am Risu, nice to meet you all! How old are you?"
"Seven."
"Nine."
"Seven."
"...S-six."
Risu stood up, balancing on his tail. "I'm seven as well. Do any of you know where I can find the great Master Oogway? I seek training from him!"
Shifu blinked. "My godfather? Yeah, he's at the other side of this forest, but he's in the valley right now."
Risu frowned. "Oh is he? Well I-......!! Waitasec! You-you godfather?!!! The founder of Kung Fu is your godfather?!!"
Shifu straightened himself proudly. "Precisely!"
Risu gave a silent "wow". "Wicked! Err...I come from a valley far away, the typhoon hit us all super hard, our beautiful Tree of Life has been drowned with water.....sadly." His small ears drooped. "So...I was sent here!"
Shifu smiled. "It's nice to meet you Risu, thank you for saving us." He bent down and let the squirrel crawl into his palm.
Risu blushed slightly. "Hehheh! I just did what anyone else would've done..."
Shifu patted Risu's head. "Come on, we'll take you back to the Jade Palace with us. We'll see if Master Oogway will take you in!"
Risu's eyes sparkled. "Ohhhhhh, that would be nice." He gave a bow. "Thank you Shifu!"
The cub smiled and brought the young squirrel into the palace. The children could hear rustling of paper bags. "Master Oogway!" He rushed around the corner, into the kitchen. "Master Oogway, hey!"
The old tortoise turned and smiled at the young cub. "Oh, Shifu. .....?? Who's your new friend?"
Risu smiled and bowed. "Master Oogway sir! It is an honor..."
Shifu grinned. "This is Risu, he wishes to be trained by you."
Oogway leaned on the counter. "I see."
Risu beamed. "My father "Song Shu" was one of the gratest warriors at our valley."
Oogway was slightly confused. "Then why doesn't he train you?"
Risu's smile vanished immidiately. "The typhoon hit our home hard sir................he is no longer with us."
The old tortoise became sympathetic. "Oh...I'm so sorry."
The young squirrel smiled bravely. "It's fine though! He died with honor.......saving our people from the flood that hit The Tree of Life."
Oogway nodded slowly. "To die with honor........it is the best way to go." He stopped and recalled in his memory Kohaii's death.
Risu was silent for a brief moment, before speaking again. "He wants you to train me......if that is to much trouble I will leave." He whispered quietly.
Oogway shook his head quickly. "No trouble at all, I would love to train you."
The squirrel's eyes sparkled. "Really?? Thank you so much Master Oogway! You are truly the greatest." He bowed.
Oogway returned the bow.
Shifu's eyes shone. "This is so great! I was wondering when another boy was going to show up! It really sucks being in a palace with a bunch of girls!"
The old tortoise chuckled.
Risu smiled. "I'd like to thank you oh great Master Oogway!" He presented a long, thick smoothly carved bow.
The old tortoise's jaw dropped. "Wha...y-you....did you make this??"
The young squirrel smiled proudly. "Carving, it's what I do best!" He took a piece of wood of the counter and began carving. Everyone stood watching anxiously as the sound of scratching wood was heard. Finally, the squirrel turned it around for everyone to admire, there was a long pause as the children and the old master stared at the wood's home made depths. Inbeded in the wood, with a small neatly carved heart in the corner were the words "thank you."

(Finally!!! A new boy! Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!! Shifu finally has a boyfriend! ..............Oops! Did NOT mean to make it sound that way!)

Previiiieeeewwww!

Shifu was growing frantic, the branch was splitting down the middle quickly. In a few moments Benjirou and Taplo would fall!!
"Oh no!" Ming Yang gasped. "We need to o something! They're going to diiiiiiiie!"
Wu Lian reached out and placed a hand on the young bunny's head. "Relax Ming Yang, Shifu will get to them in time!"
The young cub stretched his hand out, slowly inching up the branch. "Taplo! Grab on!"
Fearfully, not raising his eyes from the rapids underneath him, the goral reached up and grabbed Shifu's hand.
The branch began to crack louder, and snapped off. The horrorified children gave bloodcurdling screams as they plumbeted into the rapids below.

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