Chapter 18 - True Meaning Of Love

(If you love Shifu/Po father-son cuteness, then you will love this chapter!)

How did this happen? Shifu wondered, as he dunk a cloth into the icy water from the bucket and laid it on Po's feverish forehead. Why did it all happen? And Why did Po have to get the worst of it? “Po?” He was still unconscious. The red panda gave a soft sigh as he wrapped up the panda's wounds with some gauze. We were all having so much fun. Despite the bad things that happened to me, it was so much fun being together with my students, friends, and master. He paused, an expression of sadness placing among his face. So why did Giao Xun have to ruin it?
It had happened, only shortly after Shifu dried off from the spring.
“Po-! Kurisu-!” Shifu gave a low and threatened growl. “Stay back!” The red panda was being cornered by his two students. “Master! What are you doing just standing there?! Help me, they'll kill me!”
Oogway gave an amused grin. “It is quite amusing to watch.”
“Go away.” Shifu pleaded. “Haven't I been through enough today? Why does everyone always pick on me?!”
Oogway just laughed. “Because, you are such an easy target!”
“Go away!” Shifu wailed. “Leave me alone!”
“Get him!” Kurisu called, tensing like a wild animal about to pounce.
Shifu rolled into a ball and covered his eyes.
“Waaaaaaa!” Came a high pitched cry from the bush. “Waaaaaaa!”
Kurisu relaxed her position and turned just in time to see the tiger cub run out from under the bush. “Sweetie, what's wrong?” The kitten scooped her up.
The tiger cub pointed to the bush. “Wa!”
Shifu uncurled from his protective ball. “Is there something in the bush?” He stood up. “Go check, Kurisu.”
“Um-um, okay..” The kitten stuttered as she made her way to the bush.
Shifu chuckled and flicked his wrist. “Relax, it's probably just a spider..”
Kurisu crawled down low on her knees and peered up the bush. “Hello, Mr. Spider? ....Ohh...” What she saw, cemented her to the stop in horror.
A tiger with eyes the color of crimson blood, leered down at her.
“...AUUUUGHH!!!” She rapidly crawled back to her friends. “B-big spider! BIG SPIDER! NOT A SPIDER! HOLY SH-”
“Kurisu!” Shifu reprimanded. “There is no need for language like tha-” Then, he caught a glimpse of the tiger. “Oh-my-...no-! No-!”
The tiger gave a wicked grin. “Long time no see, Shifu.”
“Deshi! What on earth? Wh-what are you doing here?!”
The tiger snorted and spat at one of the trees. “Trust us, we don't want to be here either, Giao Xun's orders though.”
“Us?” Shifu demanded. “What do you mean us? There's more then one of you?”
Eleven other tigers flipped out from the trees and bushes.
Deshi sneered. “Get them.”
The battle began. At first all of the tigers went after Kurisu and Po, but Oogway came to their rescue with a few swift kicks.
“Don't you dare touch them!” Oogway hissed in a menacingly low tone. “Let them be!”
Deshi just smirked. “I'd be careful if I were you, old man! Giao Xun gave us some of his weapons, and you know how sharp those are!” With that, he stabbed the back of Oogway's arm.
“MASTER!” Shifu screamed. “NO!” He ran to Oogway. “Master, Master, are you alright?”
“I'm fine..Shifu-!” Oogway said tensely from the searing pain. “Protect your students, I can take care of myself!”
Reluctantly, Shifu left Oogway's side and turned towards Deshi. “You're going to pay for that, you arrogant orange pumpkin!” He seethed, using the name he had called Deshi when he was a child.
The tiger smirked. “My, we have grown up I see. Not in size, of course!”
Giving a low growl, Shifu backed up glaring; before delivering a strong and swift kick right to the tiger's throat.
Deshi gagged and staggered back, slightly. “What a strong little squirrel.”
POW!
Deshi flew back into the cool spring water, as Risu stood out with his fist outstretched. “Why, thank you! I have been working out, after all!” He said with mock cheer.
Shifu gave Risu a grateful smile. “Thanks.” His smile, didn't last long, for he heard a loud scream of pain. The red panda spun around just in time to see one of the tigers cut deep into Kurisu's injured wrist. “HEY!” He sped up the small hill that the tiger was perched on. “DROP HER!!!!”
The tiger obeyed, releasing her into the now crimson grass.
“Kurisu! Kurisu, are you okay?!”
The kitten gave a long agonized wail as she held her heavily bleeding wrist.
“Sh, it's okay, dear, I've got you.” He spoke soothingly as he carefully bandaged her wrist by wrapping the sash from his robe around the wound. This is a nightmare, a total nightmare! What happened? He just couldn't place it in his mind. It was supposed to be a terrific day! What had started as a simply harmless chase as his two students tried to pin him to the ground and tickle him, had turned into a gruesome and bloody battle with eleven malicious warriors! What worse, they were winning! Of course they're winning, they've been trained by Giao Xun! Shifu shook his head slowly, eyes blurring with confusion. “What happened to our perfect picnic?”
“Hello, Shifuuu..” Sang a soft and deadly voice from behind him. The red panda turned..and froze instantly.
Towering above him, while holding a gleaming blade in one hand, stood a jaguar with dark ashen fur. “Have you missed me?” He raised the dagger high above his head, but Shifu could do absolutely nothing but stare.
“SHIFU!” He heard a scream from behind him. “WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! LOOK OUT!” It seemed to happen in slow motion, as Po quickly skidded in front of him and spread his arms wide protectively.
The dagger came down and sliced deep into the panda's chest, near his rib cage. “Hurk-!” He staggered back once, and then collapsed.
All at once, the red panda snapped out of his trance. “PO!” He began shaking Po's motionless body. “Po? PO!” Tears sprung to his eyes. “NO!”
Breathing heavily, Deshi approached Shifu with a huge sword. He was so dizzy he didn't even realize that he was holding it the wrong way! However, it still did a lot of damage.
“Shifu!” Oogway called. “Look out!”
Shifu spun around just in time to see a blur of metal, felt a sharp pain, and then, ...nothing.
So now, the red panda sat by the side of Po's bed, laying a hand on his chest to check his breathing. It was steady..but raspy.
He touched his head gingerly, it throbbed horribly. “Ouch..” Shifu gave a soft sigh. “I'm so sorry, Po.” The red panda was exhausted. He lay his head on Po's stomach and closed his eyes. A few moments later, Shifu felt a soft and furry hand envelope him close to the furry white stomach. “Po?”
“Hey..master.” Po's voice was feeble and crackly.
Shifu's ears perked up. “Po!” His hand shot to Po's feverish forehead. “What's your temperature?”
Po smiled. “I'm fine..master.”
“...Really?”
The giant panda nodded sincerely. “Really.”
“Okay then.”
“..?”
WHACK!
“Ouch!” Po exclaimed, holding his head. “What did you do that for?” He glared at the red panda.
“You idiot!” Shifu yelled. “What did you think you were doing?! You were almost killed!!”
Po narrowed his eyes at his master. “This is the thanks I get for saving your life?!”
“No, this is!” Shifu yelled, hitting him again. He clenched his fists. “Panda..” The red panda bit his lip, his voice quivered. “Do you have any idea how worried I was? I..I..” His voice was shaking so much with grief that he could hardly speak. “I..I really thought I lost you, Po. When I saw that knife hit you..I-I was so sure that you-you..” He gave a sob and pressed his fingers to his eyes. “Damn, I will never forgive Oogway for this!!” I wouldn't be such a furry ball of emotion if he hadn't forced me to bawl out that night!
In a quick motion, ignoring his injuries, Po leaned over the bed and wrapped Shifu up into a hug.
Shifu just stood there, not knowing what to do at first. He slowly returned the hug as tight as he could.
“I'm sorry.” Po murmured. “I didn't mean to make you worry, but, isn't that what you do when you love someone?”
Shifu frowned and pulled back. “What?”
Po smiled gently. “To love someone means that you'd do anything for them, even risk your own life to save them when necessary. Wouldn't you do the same for me?”
The red panda sat there, stunned. He crossed his arms and turned away as his stupid “intolerance for sentiment” kicked in, yet AGAIN.
Po just smirked and chuckled.
Shifu turned around slowly in his chair, trying to fight off the massive blush that did not seem to want to leave him alone!
“Po..”
Both the panda and Kung Fu master turned to see Tigress slip in through the doorway, carrying a bowl of apple snow. “Kurisu made it for you.” She set it down on his bedside table. “How are you feeling?” Her voice was soft and compassionate. “Are you feeling better at all?”
“A little.” Po admitted, giving a small smile.
“You're very lucky Po, the knife didn't hit any vital organs.”
“Thank goodness...”
Tigress exited the room quietly.
Shifu just sat there with Po in silence. “....”
“So, would you?” Po asked, finally.
Shifu grimaced and stuffed a spoonful of apple snow into the panda's mouth. “Just shut up and eat, panda.” He mumbled as he slipped through the doorway.
Po just laughed quietly to himself as he took the spoon out of his mouth. “I know he would.”
Meanwhile, Oogway was making his way down the bunkhouse hallway, he smiled when he saw Shifu. “Shifu!” He rejoiced. “You're okay!” As he bent own to hug him, he was pushed back by his face by a certain annoyed little red panda.
“I am SO never going to forgive you for this!” He growled.
“What?!”
SLAM!

(XD, the ending was funny. I loved making Shifu/Po father-son cuteness! ^^ I wasn't able to put the part with Kurisu and Tai Lung like I had in the “preview of the next chapter”. So, I'll put it in the next one. (Now I just need to change the preview in the last chapter.)

Preview of the next chapter!

“You are taking care of a BABY?” Tai Lung demanded, eyes wide. “How are you going to pull that off?”
The kitten narrowed her eyes. “What do you mean: “pull off” I'll take care of her just fine!”
“I can't imagine you with a child...”
Kurisu laughed and hopped up onto the branch. “Believe me, me neither.”
“So, what does the little bundle of joy look like?” He asked, as he helped her up on the branch.
“See for yourself!” Kurisu said proudly, pointing to he ground.
“.....She looks like grass..”
“Huh?” The kitten turned and peered down at the ground. “Oh no!”
The baby was gone.

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