Chapter 11 - Legends

(We find out how Risu and Kaeru meet in this chapter!)

“Twirl around.” Risu said as he held up a sugary biscuit.
Kaeru twirled in a circle.
“Stand on your hind legs.”
The puppy stood up on her hind legs.
“Speak.”
Kurisu leaned over eagerly. Am I actually going to hear her speak?
“Bark!” The pup called happily.
Risu laughed. “Good girl!” He scratched her ears affectionately. He threw the biscuit. “Go get it girl!” Bad idea.
BOOM!
CRASH!
SMASH!
SHATTER!
Oogway slapped his giant hands to the sides of his face. “Risu! Get control of her, quickly! She'll destroy the palace!”
Considering Kaeru was the size of a small pony, that wasn't very hard to do.
Risu thudded hard down the hall. “Kaeru, no! Stop!” He grabbed a hold of her collar and pulled back. “Sorry, it's my fault.” He blushed. “Hehe, I guess I'm at fault for letting you run in the palace...”
The wolf pup licked Risu's face happily and ate up the biscuit. “Ruff!”
Kurisu giggled. “Risu, Kaeru, dinner is getting cold!”
The elderly squirrel walked into the kitchen. “Um, master? I uhh...I'm...umm...hehe!”
Oogway laughed and scratched between his student's ears. “It is fine, I'm not mad.”
Shifu burned with envy (again). Ever since he had been a cub Oogway had always scratched the red panda's ears, his own little gesture of affection he used for Shifu and no one else. The red panda (as you can tell) had always been very possessive of his master (which in some eyes would be very selfish, but Oogway was all Shifu had in his life when he was younger).
Oogway seemed to sense the red panda's irritation and quickly changed to patting Risu on the head.
Risu smiled and laughed embarassedly. “Kaeru and I are both very sorry.”
Kaeru gave a whimper of distress up at Oogway, who laughed again. “Apology accepted young Kaeru.”
Kurisu frowned. “She sure doesn't look very young to me! How old is she, twenty two?”
“Eight.” Risu said simply.
“EIGHT?!” Kurisu practically screamed. “That giant wolf-dog-pup-hybrid-thingy is eight years old?! As in a child?!”
“Yes.”
Tigress cleared her throat. “Why is her name Frog?”
“Ahh, a very good question Master Tigress. If you're ready to hear the answer, it's very long.”
Oogway smiled as he took a sip of his soup. “Ah, well everyone loves a little dinner story. Please, tell us Risu.”
Risu chuckled. “Aww well I don't know..” He turned towards Kaeru. “May I?”
She nodded.
The old squirrel leaned back against his chair. “I remember it like it was yesterday..”
”Damn, this stupid rain forest!” A young black haired (facial hair) Risu cursed quietly. “Honestly, why do all major cures have to be made from certain herbs you can only get in a rain forest?!” He sliced some giant leaves from a hanging bush out of the way and began setting up camp. “What a place for a squirrel to stay! I belong in a nice warm tree in the forest, not a stupid tropical climate!” He cursed once more and set up a sleeping bag underneath the stars. All was quiet except for the sounds of croaking from wild frogs, and the sound of whining mosquitoes. Then Risu heard something very unusual. A strange croak, like a frog dying. It was the mixture of a howling dog and a dying frog. Risu was anxious to see what was going on, he decided to check it out. Pulling back a few large branches from many tropical trees, he reached the sound. A young pup who looked to be about three years old, was crouched down beside a pond trying to sing with the frogs. Risu walked up to the puppy.
“Hi there little one..”
The pup immediately ceased her barking and instead stood her ground, growling.
The squirrel laughed. “Ouuuu scary puppy, aren't you?” He walked up to the young pup and extended his hand to her.
CHOMP!
“Augh!!” Risu shook his bleeding hand. “Ouch, eech, ouuuch, ow!” His eyes widened as he gazed at the pup's teeth. “Little one, what big teeth you have.”
The wolf pup just growled again, all of a sudden Risu heard a different type of growling.
Grrrrrrrrr...
The pup's eyes went wide, she turned away blushing.
Risu snickered. “Oh, I see why you're such a grump...you're really hungry, huh?”
The pup stuck her nose up in the air.
The squirrel laughed and held out his hand to her, it had some beef jerky in it.
The puppy sniffed it, growled and turned her head away.
“Say what? You are just a stubborn little thing, that's what you are!”
The pup sniffled, her ears drooped.
Risu just shrugged. “Well, what can I say? The truth hurts...”
The pup retreated back under the small tree.
Risu rolled his eyes and smiled. “Well, if you change your mind...” He set up camp close to the wolf and got a fire going, cooking some meat.
The scent of the BBQued meat got the best of the puppy, and she crawled up to where Risu was, she cocked her head and whimpered.
Risu chuckled and held out a piece of meat to her. “Here young one..”
The pup sniffed his hand and gingerly took a bite. She took another bite, then CHOMP!
“Arrrghhh!! Pup, you need to be more gentle!!” He tapped her nose angrily. “Bad girl, you must be gentle.” With a sigh, Risu bandaged his other bleeding hand. “You know I need these hands to pick herbs.” He glared at her. “How am I supposed to do my work now? You'll have to help me.”
The pup just narrowed her eyes at him and settled by the fire.
The next day Risu went looking for some more medical herbs. The wolf pup secretly followed him (or so she thought). The puppy crouched down behind one of the rain forest's trees, breathing heavily.
Risu turned towards the tree, the pup ducked. The old squirrel rolled his eyes and set down his clippers. “Pup, I can see you. Your breathing could wake a sleeping giant. Will you come out and help me please?”
The puppy reluctantly stepped up to Risu, eying the herb. “Grrrr...”
Risu laughed. “It won't bite.” He pointed over towards a giant venus fly trap at his left. “That one will though.” He motioned the pup to come over. “Help me pull out the herb little one.”
The wolf pup positioned herself in front of the giant herb, latched her teeth on, and pulled, pulled ,pulled.
Pop!
The pup flew backwards, the herb went flying from her mouth and she bounced into a venus fly trap's open mouth.
Risu gasped. “Oh no!” He hurried up to the pup and pulled her legs, she was whimpering. “Okay, maybe on three. One..two..three!”
Pop!
Giving a loud “arf” of surprise, the wolf pup flew backwards into Risu.
“Oomph!”
“Arf!”
Risu staggered upwards dizzily, and grabbed the young puppy's paw. “Well...now you know to never go near biting plants.”
Over the next few days of being with the puppy Risu realized something, she was a frog! It's what she thought she was, she didn't know how to be a dog! Risu watched as she leaped around (she couldn't walk to well), she tried croaking, and even ate flies! Later that night Risu watched carving, as the pup nipped at the flies and chased frogs all around their camping area. Risu chuckled and set down his carving knife, he admired his work. The squirrel had carved a beautiful bamboo collar for the pup, it had a frog carved in the center. He walked up to the puppy and fastened the collar around her neck. “Kaeru, Kaeru is your name.”
Panting happily, the puppy leaped on him and licked the poor squirrel half to death in gratitude.
“Hahahaha! Down Kaeru! Ahahah! You like that name, don't you girl?”
She gave a weak sounding bark of cheer.
“Hmmhmm! We're going to have to work on that bark of yours...”
“Awwwwwwwwwwwww!” Kurisu cooed. “So cute! That's how you met her?”
“Indeed.” Risu said as he patted Kaeru's head. “She's my baby girl.”
Kaeru gave a bark of happiness and licked Risu's face. Then she walked up to Shifu and nudged him with her long snout.
Shifu cringed and stepped back from the puppy. “Hehe, h-hi K-Kaeru..”
She nuzzled his stomach affectionately with her giant nose.
Shifu's mouth twitched slightly and he stepped closer to Risu. “Apologies my good friend.” The red panda said as he turned towards Risu. “But, could you keep her away from me?”
Risu laughed. “Do not worry Shifu.” He pushed the red panda towards Kaeru, he fell on her foot.
“Augh!” Shifu got up quickly, he was stopped by Kaeru, who grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and pulled him pack onto her front paws.
Risu laughed. “Awww, she wuvs you.”
Shifu shudered. “I-I was afraid of that!” He quickly got back up again and moved in between Kurisu and Oogway. “Keep it away from me!:
Kaeru's ears drooped, she whimpered.
Oogway glared at Shifu.
WHACK!
“Ouch!” Shifu narrowed his eyes at Oogway. “What was that for?!”
Oogway glowered his student. “For being mean, she's only a puppy.”
Wu Lian sneered. “Yeah, midget......jerk!”
The red panda's ears positioned dangerously low. “You little-!!!” He leaped towards the red panda (again) was roughly pulled back.
“Shifu!” Oogway scolded. “Mind your manners!”
It took absolutely everything the five, Po and Kurisu had to keep from laughing. To hear Shifu get scolded like that, it was hilarious. The one red panda that constantly reprimanded for their lapse in respect, just got scolded by his own parent. The red panda that constanly scolded them with things like. “Po, stop playing with your noodles!” Or: “Tigress, stop fighting with Po!” Or even: “Kurisu, get your lazy rump out of bed!”
Po and Kurisu randomly burst out laughing, Shifu just blushed.
The red panda squirmed free and stomped towards the door. “I'm going to meditate!” He rose his voice to the highest level. “You stuuuuuuuuupid Wu Lian!!!”
SLAM!
Everyone flinched at that.
Kurisu turned towards to Po, her look said “we better go check on him.”
Oogway smiled. “I'll go with you..”
Meanwhile, Shifu wasn't meditating, his mind wasn't relaxed enough to do that. He paced back in forth in front of the “Three Legendary Symbolic Weapons”. Each represented a certain mystical animal that a warrior in the future was said to wield.
“Shifu chan!”
The red panda turned towards a concerned young kitten. “Kurisu, wh-what are you doing here?”
“To check up on you silly.” Came a wise calm voice. Oogway.
“Ahh, master, Kurisu....I am fine..” He turned away sadly.
Oogway smiled gently. “Did Wu Lian get to you again Shifu?”
“Just a little..............................oh, I HATE that brat!” Shifu yelled, stamping his foot.
“Now Shifu, hate is such a strong word, and in the future will reduce you to-”
“Oh, I don't need any philosophical riddles right now master..” Shifu muttered.
Oogway chuckled. “I understand.”
Kurisu giggled. “I find Wu Lian cute!” She poked Shifu afectionately on the nose, and fluffed his tail. “Not as cute and fluffy as you though.”
Shifu sighed. “Ughhh....trust me...Wu Lian is not-...!! Panda!! What do you think you're doing?!” The red panda yelled, his voice high with anger.
The panda was currently checking out one of the sacred weapons.
“Whoooaaaa!!!” Po's eyes were wide. “The Invisible Trident Of Destiny!” He inspected it. “It's soooooooooooooooooooo awesome!”
Shifu narrowed his eyes at the panda. “Po! You get away from there this instant!! Put that trident down, now!”
“Oh wait just a second, I want to try something!” Po lifted the invisible object and waved it around. The trident clashed hard into the “Yari of the Japanese Bakaneko”, a legendary spear that only the legendary Bakaneko can wield. The stand shattered to pieces and the spear came spiraling down to Po's head.
“PO!!!!” Shifu screamed.
Oogway gasped and was three seconds away from reaching Po.........he skidded to a stop.
There, with the yari held high above her head was Kurisu. She was doing a complete split as she held the spear. The middle of the yari twinkled slightly.
Po was standing underneath the spear, trembling and whimpering, he glanced up at Kurisu. “Whoaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa......you're not getting electrocuted!!” Indeed, “The Legendary Yari Of The Bakaneko”. was a beautiful silver and gold Japanese spear with a black gemstone in the center of the handle. The gemstone was said to change jade when the yari found it's owner. However, if a hand that is not worthy of the staff holds it, they will be electrocuted (usually killed). The ones that were pure of heart could hold it, but it would not change color.
Kurisu inspected the beautiful weapon. “It-it's so pretty....” She ran her hand over the gemstone. “Such a pretty stone too.....”
Shifu and Oogway just stood there, frozen.
The kitten smiled dreamily and clutched the spear tightly. “Ohh! I wish I owned this...”
Although Oogway was frozen in shock, his mouth moved. “Perhaps one day, you will.”
Kurisu giggled. “I only wish!” She continued inspecting the beautiful work on the weapon. “Well, come on Po! We don't want to break anything else!” Grabbing her friend's hand and setting down the yari, she hurried from the room and shut the door.
Oogway and Shifu both turned to each other and ran towards the yari, examining it.
Shifu gasped. “Oh my gosh...”
The gemstone had turned a beautiful jade.

(Whoooooooooooooooooooooaaaaa! Is little Kuri the legendary Bakaneko? (the shape shifting cat?) Well, the yari turned jade.... What did you think of little Kaeru's story?)

Bakaneko-shape-shifting cat (Japanese)
Yari-Japanese spear (Japanese)

Preview of the next chapter!

Shifu glared at the dark creature. “Get off this property this instant!”
The masked warrior narrowed her eyes. “I don't think so!” She rasped. She swung her sword around, the handle smacked Po in the face. “Oh! I'm sorry, so sorry!!”
Shifu's eyes went wide. Gasp. “Wait a minute!” He strode towards the creature and pulled off her mask. “.................Oh my gosh..”

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