Chapter 14 - An (Unfriendly) Encounter

(A character from Kung Fu Panda movie is finally coming in! Hehe, you'll LOVE this chapter!)


“Leona!”
“Shifu?! No way!” The masked warrior whipped off her dark mask. “Oh my God!”
Kurisu frowned. “Huh?” The frightening masked warrior was nothing but an innocent elderly fox with bright and curious green eyes.
“Shifu! Oh my God, it-it's really you!” Giving a squeal of delight, the vixen wrapped her arms around the red panda and lifted him up. “Oh, Shifu!”
“Leona!” He rejoiced, hugging her tightly. “It's you!” He couldn't avoid at least wet eyes of happiness, but Leona was crying fully.
“Shifu!” She swung him around. “Ohhhh!!”
Oogway gave the vixen a warm smile. “Ah, my dear sweet Leona, I see you've had quite a personality change?” He chuckled. “The quiet and innocent fox I taught has now become a confident and short tempered warrior!”
“Oh, Master Oogway!” Leona sobbed happily, throwing her arms around him. “It's really you! I thought you had passed on.”
The old tortoise smiled and sighed. “How many more times do I have to tell this story?”
“Depends if Ming Yang and Akimi show up.” Shifu said with a laugh. He smiled. “These are my students, Leona. Kurisu, and Po.”
Leona smiled and extended her hand to the kitten. “Kurisu, it's nice to meet you.”
Kurisu stared at her as if she was crazy and pathetically returned the handshake. “Yeah, a real pleasure...” she muttered, sourly.
Shifu grinned. “Come Leona, let's catch up over some tea, shall we?”
The kitten gave an exasperated sigh. “Um, hell-O? I'm freaking bleeding to death here! Master!” Her lip trembled with anger and hurt. “Don't you even care about me at all?”
The red panda's eyes widened. “Oh-!” He rushed over to the kitten. “Sorry Kurisu, let me see the wound.”
She obeyed, taking her bloodstained fingers off the gash.
“Yeesh, that's deep.” He smiled. “It needs stitches, but you won't bleed to death.”
Leona's face creased with worry. “I'm SOOO sorry, Kurisu!”
The kitten sighed and gave a weak smile. “It's fine, don't worry about it.”
Kurisu groaned as she held her wrist. It hurt, really badly. Although, not as much as the stitches had. She had clutched onto Shifu's tiny hand while hiding her head between her knees, fighting back tears. But, it was all over now, and she was bringing out a delicious Japanese strawberry shortcake out to her friends and master. “Here it comes!” She sang.
“We're waiting!” Po sang.
As the kitten made her way out the kitchen, she tripped on the matt and the cake went flying. “Nooooo!!!” Cake and icing rained through the kitchen, burying Mantis and covering Shifu's head.
The kitten uttered a low moan of horror and sadness. “Ohh...” Why can't I do anything right? “Master-I-I-”
Shifu sighed and wiped the strawberries from his face. “It is fine, Kurisu, do not worry, just clean it up and bring out something else.”
Kurisu nodded sadly. “Okay..” She mumbled and turned away towards the storage room.
Mantis surfaced through the sea of shortcake and glared at Kurisu. “Of course, Kurisu, of course. You throw it ALL on the little guy! Honestly, when are you ever going to shape up?”
Shifu sighed. “Mantis, enough.” He reprimanded.
“You cause nothing but misery!” The bug growled.
Shifu gave the insect a wide eyed glare. “Mantis, be quiet!”
But it was too late, the damage was done. The kitten recoiled as if someone slapped her. “U'm-u'm s-rry..” She could hardly get the words out as she bolted from the kitchen.
Everyone glared at Mantis with a growing rage.
Mantis sighed. “Let me..” He slapped the plate of cake into his face.

Kurisu just sort of sat there on a log in the Forest of Tranquility crying about her worthlessness. “Why does everyone bother keeping me here?! I just cause nothing but misery-waaaaaaaaaaah!”
“Argh! Could you please stop that?!” A gruff voice demanded from the trees. “You're giving me a headache!”
The kitten's eyes went wide with terror. “Wh-what? Wh-who's there?”
A sigh was heard from the tall tree. “Look kid, why don't you tell me what's the matter, so you can shut up?!”
Kurisu gasped. “H-hey! That isn't very nice! You don't want to mess with me! I'm a Kung Fu warrior, buddy!”
“That comes as the greatest of surprises. Kid! You're looking at one of the former student's of the Jade Palace. THE greatest warrior that ever lived!”
“Looking? I can't see you!”
The figure emerged from the tree. “Can you see me now?”
Kurisu just stood there staring in open mouthed shock. “I-I don't believe it! You're-you're-”
“Spit it out!” The figure snarled. “I don't have all day!”
“Tai Lung! H-how could that be?! You-you're dead!”
“Right kid, if I was dead then how could I be standing in front of you?”
“.........Witchcraft?”
“What?! No! I'm not dead! Get it? NOT DEAD! Geez., just how stupid are you kid?”
“Hey! If you're going to insult me, at least use my name! KURISU!”
“Okay then, “Kurisu”...what are you doing here?”
The kitten crossed her arms. “I'm not telling you! You're the bad man that destroyed half the valley, and hurt Shifu chan!”
Tai Lung frowned. “Shifu chan? ...Oh, so you're Japanese?”
“...Yeah, what's it to ya?”
“Just wondering why you're using such a disrespectful honorific for a Kung Fu master, at least use “sama”...or something.”
Kurisu eyed him suspiciously. “How do you know Japanese?”
“Kid, I've been all around the world! Some places longer then others...”
“KURISU!”
“RAGGHH!!” The snow leopard unleashed his claws.
Kurisu got into a fighting stance. “Bring it on kitty cat!”
Tai Lung retracted his claws. “Kurisu, if I wanted to kill you, you'd already be killed by now!”
Kurisu slowly lowered her stance. “Then, what are you doing here? This is Jade Palace property, you aren't even supposed to be here! How could you possibly even be alive?!”
“You ask to many questions, kid..”
“Oh, forgive me for wondering why the HELL you are even alive, when Po chan used “The Wuxi Finger Hold!” The ULTIMATE killer!”
“Maybe if he knew how to use it correctly, yeah it would be.”
“Soooo, you weren't splattered across the valley?”
“Yes, sure...and miraculously rebuilt my own body..” Tai Lung said sarcastically.
“Oh, shut up!” The kitten growled.
“Anyhow, what's a little titch like you doing away from the palace so late?”
“.....I'm not wanted there..”
“That doesn't surprise me, you're annoying.”
“Alright, that's it!!” Kurisu roared, lunging for Tai Lung, she caught the branch and dangled helplessly in the air. “When I get up there, you're dead!!”
Tai Lung just watched her. “You know, it would be so easy just to pry off those fury little fingers and send you hurtling towards the ground..”
“I'm almost up there!” Kurisu yelled, not really making any progress at all.
Tai Lung rolled his eyes and pulled her up on the branch.
“......Yes, well....YOU'RE TOAST!” Kurisu attempted to pounce on him, but he held her up with one finger.
“Yawn. Are you done yet? This is getting really old..”
Giving him an acid glare, the kitten slumped down beside him on the branch. “......” She stuck her tongue out at him.
Tai Lung rolled his eyes. “REAL mature, kid. How old are you? Two?”
“Fourteen, and three months away from fifteen!”
“Four going on five? Figures...you're about the size of a toddler..”
“FOURTEEN GOING ON FIFTEEN!!” Kurisu yelled angrily.
“You are SO weird...” The leopard said with a sigh.
“.....Which is probably another reason why no one wants me...”
“Did Shifu say he didn't want you?”
“No, but I think I can tell.” Tears filled Kurisu's eyes.
Tai Lung groaned. “Don't start the waterworks again! Why do you think no one wants you?”
“I'm clumsy, weird, stupid, and I have NO talent in Kung Fu!”
“I thought you told me you were a warrior?”
“A young one in training, I'm not even a master yet!”
“It just takes time.” Tai Lung said simply. “You can't expect to become one overnight you know..”
“I guess, but it's not just Shifu. I had never really felt loved by my own parents! My father was-”
“Was?” Tai Lung asked with a frown. “I don't like the sound of that, did something happen to him?”
“Yeah, my whole family was killed by someone named...uh...Jo Shun, or something like that.”
“Giao Xun, huh? Hmm...figures..”
“You know him?”
“Not personally, really. Shifu and Oogway do though. Apparently Shifu's father was killed by him, and Shifu was nearly killed as a cub when he tried to protect Oogway.”
“Oh my God! Are you serious?!”
“Yeah, believe it or not, there's worse people then me.”
“You don't seem too bad....” Kurisu said thoughtfully. “What about your parents? What happened to them?”
Tai Lung sighed. “I don't know, Shifu never told me.”
“Well maybe he didn't know and if he did, maybe he was trying to protect you from the painful truth?”
Tai Lung shrugged. “I don't know, maybe.”
Kurisu studied him carefully. He doesn't seem like a malicious killer to me, just a misunderstood soul.
“You should consider yourself lucky..”
Okay, scratch what I just thought about him. “Excuse me?! You arrogant jerk! I just told you that I lost my family, and you think I'm lucky?!”
“Well, at least you know where your family is! For all I know they could be dead or alive, or suffering somewhere....do you have any idea of what the torture is not knowing?!”
“I guess I never thought of it that way, sorry.”
“...It's fine, don't worry about it.” Tai Lung said softly.
Kurisu hesitated. “How long has it been since you've seen them? Like forty years?”
The snow leopard glared at her. “That isn't very nice! Do I look like I'm forty years old?”
“.......Fifty years?”
“Watch it!” Tai Lung growled. “Or I will pound you! I'm thirty nine!”
“Oh come on! I was only one off! Don't be so over dramatic..” Kurisu said, rolling her eyes.
The snow leopard narrowed his eyes at her, then turned to look at the stars. “The stars around the Jade Palace always look so bright.”
“That's just because were on a mountain.” Kurisu said matter-a-factly.
Tai Lung sighed. “I know that.”
“...Just checking.”
Their peaceful stargazing was interrupted by a loud “Grrrrrrr!”
Tai Lung's face heated a little. “Err..”
“Heehee! Looks like somebody is hungry!” Kurisu laughed, then reached into her knapsack and pulled out a container of apple snow. “Here, eat up!”
Tai Lung just stared at it, making a face. “Pink goop? .....Thank you..”
Kurisu pouted. “What an insult! It's apple snow, not pink goop!”
Tai Lung cringed. “No, but thanks for trying to poison me..”
“Oh come on, don't be such a baby!” The kitten stuffed her spoon in his mouth. “Eat it!”
“Mmph!!” Tai Lung swallowed thickly, through squinted eyes. “.........It's good.”
“I know it!” The kitten said, beaming. “I made it myself! You can eat up the rest of that, I have way more in the fridge, I'll just reload it into my knapsack and I'll be on my way.
“To where?” Tai Lung asked through a full mouth.
“Well, since no one wants me, I'm leaving.”
“I'm sure you're wanted. You seem like an okay kid to me. Maybe you should stick around, I could use a little chef to come by every night and feed me more of that apple goop.”
“Apple snow! What do you mean by every night? Are you really here every night?”
“Usually, I'm surprised no one has found me yet.”
Kurisu frowned. “I don't think I can come by every night, is there anything else out here you can eat?”
“Those apples, far out in the woods.....they aren't very filling though.”
The kitten sighed. “I don't know, Tai chan...maybe I'll stop by tomorrow and give you some tofu onion miso soup..”
“Thanks, that would be-..! Waitasec-Tai chan?!”
Kurisu smiled shyly. “It's okay if I call you that, right?”
“Uh, no.”
“Oh come on! You can think up a cute nickname for me.”
“Would you like one that matches your personality?”
“Yes.”
Tai Lung tapped his chin. “How about “the annoying thing?”
“...!!! Tai chan! That's mean!”
“Who told you I was nice?” The snow leopard asked with a smirk.
“You were nice to me a few minutes ago..”
“Don't expect that often.”
“...Then don't expect to be fed often!” Kurisu growled, she began inching her way down the tall tree trunk. “I should probably get going now, if he does care then Shifu will be worried about me.”
“Fine with me, I could use a little peace and quiet...”
Kurisu glared up at him and hurled a small pebble at his head.
“Ouch!”
The kitten stuck her tongue out at him. “Jerk!” With that, she scurried off.
Tai Lung rubbed his head and groaned. “Annoying little titch..”

(XD, oh dear...it appears my little Kurisu has developed a very awkward friendship with Tai Lung, which is NOT a very good idea, or is it? Hehe, is Tai Lung here to cause trouble? Or simply to restore his life? You'll never know.......not for a few more chapters at least!)

Previeeeeeeee!

As Kurisu made her way back to the palace, she tried slipping through the door without being caught. The mountain air was cool; cooler then usual. The kitten decided if she wanted to talk to anyone, it would be Shifu. But, she didn't want to speak with anyone in the palace right then, anyways. The kitten paced about in her room, debating whether to leave the palace or not. After a few minutes, she finally decided to talk to Shifu about how she was feeling and find out if he even cared for her at all. Slowly, careful not to wake anyone, she crept into the hallway and towards his bedroom. “Master?” The candlestick in her hand burned brightly into the pitch black bedroom. “Master?” ..Shifu? Are you here?”
No reply.
“Shifu?” The kitten made her way to the bed. She poked a lump under the quilts; a scroll? What did it say? In the dim candle light, she was only able to make out one of the sentences.
"He hurt me more then anyone I have ever met."
That worried her. What had happened to her master?

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