//------------------------------// // 18. Believing and assuring. // Story: Baa-Ram-Ewe! // by Darkonshadows //------------------------------// -Location: ???, Paprika- I whined at Arizona and Velvet, the two just looked at me with bland expressions as we walked around the edges of the swamp. “Well what do you expect us to do Paprika? We’re not exactly capable of going into other dimensions like Ollie is. Her method of traveling between worlds isn’t exactly what anyone would call safe, I barely trust her when it comes to teleporting us around in the same world.” Arizona the world’s strongest cow just sat there looking at me as I gave her a frowny face. “Also we can’t use the keys we used to seal the shadow monsters away to open gateways to random places in the hopes that Pom might come through one of them. That’s kind of why the world started getting attacked by shadow monsters in the first place, at least according to Sunburst anyway. Also Princess Twilight already has a lot of ponies working on it.” “Look dear, I’m sure Pom is perfectly fine and is keeping those with her safe. Though I do find myself rather concerned that she doesn’t have any of her, rather messy, mutts with her.” Velvet, the world’s most beautiful reindeer, came up to me and gave me a tender hug. She even allowed me to snuggle my face against her floof; this was almost enough to cheer me up, almost. “Not much we can do really, not unless ponies want to mess with dimensional travel to everyone’s detriment again. This is a delicate matter and it could cause the destruction of our world. Celestia, Luna and even Twilight Sparkle all agree that dimensional travel should be fiercely regulated lest we lose more people. We barely came back from Fœnum with the help of the other versions of us that live there using their versions of our keys, it’s not going to be any easier for Pom to return a second time from a completely different world and goodness know she’ll be trying to get back to Tianhuo.” I pressed my face against Velvets and sighed happily at being able to do this, these two made me feel like the happiest alpaca in the world. Still didn’t make me stop worrying about Pom once I learned from Tianhuo that our fluffmancer lessons were cancelled. “She really liked teaching Pom how to use her fluff huh.” Arizona looked off to the side. “Try to cheer her up fluff butt, I’ll get to sorting out this mess we got going on around here.” That’s when Arizona ran to leapt straight into the open maw of a giant Cragadile; I wasn’t particularly worried about this, as Arizona was far stronger than it was. “Arizona, darling, Just don’t get any muck on my floof while I’m comforting Paprika about our friend!” Velvet yelled over the noise of Arizona starting to wrestle with the poor rocky croc’s tonsils. “No promises!” Arizona yelled from inside the thrashing monsters closed mouth as its head jerked to the left and right with hoof shapes poking through the skin. “Tinsel, be a dear and shield mommy if Arizona tries to splash me on purpose.” Velvet received an affirmative salute from her silver eyed ice sprite, her ever diligent and loving childlike familiar. -Kung Fu Realm, Jade Palace, Ocellus- “She will be fine once she gets some rest. For her, it has been a rather ‘trying’ day.” This Oogway guy seemed really nice, but… “How old are you?” I asked blankly. “As perceptive as your caretaker, I’m a thousand years old.” Oogway said with a smile. “Also no, I am not immortal.” “Not much time left in you I take it.” Smolder stated rudely. “Nope.” How did Oogway make that one word sound so sagely? He then tottered off with his staff clacking against the floor, leaving us to stand there. The weird thing about Oogway… I couldn’t get a read on his emotions. It was almost like he didn’t exist to me, except I could clearly see and hear him as being physically there. It was unnerving. “Bit for your thoughts Ocellus.” Oh come on Smolder, you know I don’t like that saying. It makes me feel like you have to pay me to get me to talk to you… I’d talk to you any day of the week and would try for every day. “What’s with the disgruntled… oh right, you don’t like that phrase. Sorry, but Gallus uses that one fairly often and we haven’t exactly wondered how our friends are handling our disappearing to who knows where.” “At least Gallus isn’t greedy like some griffons can be. Well except with friendship, but that’s a good thing. I think they should be handling things well enough themselves.” I reached out my left hoof and Smolder took it into her right claw and gripped it. “I don’t think I would be taking things very well if I wasn’t right here with you Smolder.” “Yeah, I read you loud and clear Ozzy.” After releasing my hoof and throwing her arm around my neck in a hug, Smolder looked me in the eyes. “Now spill, what’s bothering you?” “Oogway doesn’t feel like he has emotions, he must have them under control to an incredible degree for me to not be able to read him. It just feels odd to meet someone who reads as emotionally flat.” It was a little unusual to me as everyone had emotions, everyone living and breathing! “I could at least get a bit of a read on everyone else. Frog was embarrassed to be squashed, Antelope felt curiosity towards Pom more than anything and Thundering Rhino felt only oddly upset and not actually angry at having lost to Pom. There was a lot of shock going around when Po was named the Dragon Warrior, but Pom wasn’t surprised in the slightest.” “Huh, really, I would have figure that rhino guy would be quite angry. I think Pom knows because that Oogway guy probably mentioned something to her.” Smolder rubbed her left claw across her chin looking off to the side. “How were Pom’s emotions during her fight?” “Don’t remind me of it, Pom’s blind terror tastes kind of funny and not in a Pinkie Pie giggling kind of way.” It made me wonder how Pom pulled off the win when she was pretty much terrified the entire time. Most of her emotions were blaringly obvious to anyone with eyes, though some of the hidden ones confused me. “Well she still won, so that has to count for something right?” After saying this Smolder scrutinized me. “Why did you speak up to help Pom?” “While I don’t like Pom, I don’t actually outright hate her or want to see her hurt like she currently is.” Even I knew that getting hit by a large exploding panda would hurt a lot. “Ocellus, Smolder, I be needing your help!” Shanty shouted as she ran up to us. “Okay, where’s the fire Shanty?” Was it ironic that Smolder said that while releasing a burst of flames from her mouth? She also released me and put on her tough girl act immediately, with Pom out of commission she was technically our leader. Did Smolder have to act tough in front of others all the time? Why was she so afraid of being cute when she already always was? I think she should embrace it more, I at least want to see her wearing one of those fancy dress robes they have around here. “Po be needing our help soon, sheep-loo really don’t be liking him very much and he be wanting to make him give up on being the Dragon Warrior by tomorrow!” Shanty seemed to be quite distraught to hear this, her emotions were mixed and I was trying to sort them out by order of importance. “It being Po’s dream and leak-poo be wanting it to be becoming a nightmare!” “Why would you be so… oh… I get it!” Get what Smolder? “Shanty really relates to Po. Did you feel anything else when Po was announced the Dragon Warrior Ozzy?” “Awe from the crowd given how he came in, resentment and jealousy from every warrior there.” Giving it some thought I decided to add onto my statement. “I think Pom was mostly relieved she only had to do one fight and didn’t have to go against the Furious Five and four other opponents.” “Yeah, they would have shredded her.” Smolder agreed with a nod. “I be thinking that Pom isn’t that weak.” It seemed Shanty was of a different opinion and was even defensive of Pom. “She be surviving that stone hammer.” “Saw her fluffmancer talent save her the first time. Her talent likely protected her from the fireworks explosion on the second occasion, but apparently not from force of being crushed by Po.” Well at least Smolder gave me hope that we could use Pom as a living shield against dangerous things, but it wouldn’t be reliable. “Must not be capable of stopping constant pressure yet, still fairly impressive given that she calls herself a minimal talent at it.” “Yes, that be happening.” Stamping her hooves, Shanty was getting quite impatient. “Now we be needing to help Po!” “Where is he anyway?” I asked while looking around, we knew where Pom was resting at the very least. “The Dragon Warrior, he is currently being led to the training hall. Out that way and to the right, can’t miss it.” A nearby gander stated to us and continued about his business. “Be careful of all the dangerous contraptions in there!” “Thanks for the directions!” Smolder shouted after him while waving. “Come on let’s go see what is going on, they can’t be that horrible to Po, right?” We opened the door to the training hall and were witness to one of the most dangerous looking rooms in existence, also Po getting tangled up in the various pointy bits throughout the room. “This will be easier than I thought.” Yeah, that Shifu guy wasn’t someone I was going to like very much as he enjoyed watching Po get repeatedly pummeled painfully by horrible implements. After the part where Po was getting scorched by the floor that shot flames straight up into the air in pillars, the scorched and battered panda slowly dragged himself over to the so called Furious Five and Shifu their apparent master and trainer. I didn’t like the fact that nobody bothered to go help him at all. “There is now… a level zero.” Shifu puts out a bit of fire on Po’s head. “Huh, I think he be doing pretty well.” It was easy for Shanty to draw their attention to us. “Really, I think your just saying that.” Po said in a sad manner after the beating he just took. “You are being very tough and you be taking lots of painful hits, but you can still be moving afterwards when others wouldn’t be able to. You even be making it through every obstacle!” Shanty trotted over to Po in a cheerful manner and sat next to him as he sat up. “Sure you not be being very graceful yet, but I be learning much from watching you. I really believe in you Po!” “You do?” Po said while giving her an odd look. “Surprisingly, despite that rather painful looking display, I actually agree with Shanty. You’re going to be a great Dragon Warrior.” Smolder agreed after what we just watched? “You have this dragon’s seal of approval at the very least.” “You’re a dragon? I thought you were some kind of malformed…” Master Monkey, the monkey of the group with the pants didn’t get to talk much more, mostly because he took a powerful blast of fire to the chest that knocked him against the wall. The other four of the Furious Five didn’t leap in to attack smolder for it. “Don’t insult a dragon, not even as one as young as I am or you’ll get burned!” Smolder crossed her arms and glared at monkey. “You were kind of asking for that Monkey.” Mantis stated with plenty of humor coming off of him on the emotional spectrum; Crane also found it humorous but wasn’t showing it nearly as much visibly. “I can’t honestly say I see what they are seeing, but Oogway has lived for a really long time and he seems quite wise.” I nodded to myself. “So if my friends believe in Po, then I want to do so too.” “Thanks for the vote of support.” Po muttered dryly as he dusted some soot off of himself. “Can I be showing you what I be learning from working alongside you?” A hopping Shanty suddenly said while eyeing the painful looking obstacle course with no small amount of confidence and a blend of determination. “Um, who are you three exactly?” Shifu gave us curious looks. “Pom’s our caretaker and she’s Shanty’s teacher too, we’re here as guests of Jade Palace. Also we’re friends with Po.” Smolder glared at the small red panda. “Got a problem with that? Anyway, I’m Smolder, different kind of dragon than any local ones you might see around here. Ocellus, my best friend and that over there is Shanty.” “Aye that’s my name, I be wanting to test this obstacle course!” Shanty really was excited to try and go through it. “Um I don’t think that’s a good…” Snake tried to say, she was raising the tip of her tail to make motions with it and it went limp as she trailed off, because Shanty ran into the obstacle with a grin and a brave yell. “Yahar!” Following that Shanty ran to the rolling section of the floor to start the first obstacle, with just about everyone calling for her to stop. So it was okay for Po to be humiliated and not Shanty, just because they were jealous of him being chosen for a wonderful opportunity that sounds kind of like a scholarship. There was also the chance that Shanty could get hurt and she was a kid, so I can see why they would want to stop her. Shanty did the same thing Pom did when it came to the balancing dishes thing and ran across the rolling floor while looking unbalanced. Our friend easily evaded the seven swinging spiked clubs on ropes and managed to looked like she was only having a little bit of trouble with the obstacle spiraling cylinders. Shanty either leaned backwards or almost fell forward, yes she somehow did it without falling over or losing her odd moving steps in time with the rotating flooring. Shanty leapt from the rolling floors and spiked clubs into the large tortoise shaped and curled up into a ball to start rolling around inside of it while giggling gleefully. This went on until Shanty launched off one edge rolled down the opposite side and then launched off the same edge again. She uncurled in time to put all four of her hooves against the blunt side of one of the swinging clubs, the very same one that hit Po, and kicked off it to the next obstacle. Tilting her head curiously at the gauntlet of spinning peg totem things, Shanty hit one of the pegs with a right hoof jab to watch it spin. She tilted her and then grinned and then backed up a bit before running forward and performing a hoof stand at the start of the spinning pegs thing, she then used her running momentum heave herself into the air where she did the same kind of flying cartwheel that Pom had done. Only things didn’t go as well for Shanty as it had for Pom who likely has experience with doing it. Shanty ended up taking one of the pegs to her right side and felt to the floor among the dummies, but she still got up grinning and started to move forward. Despite being hit multiple times by the spinning dummies, she managed to stop a few blows from hitting her with sharp kicks of her rear legs or standing swings of her front hooves. The goat exited the spinning dummies covered in many small bruises and entered the field of fire that we watched scorch Po. She took on a position as if she were cleaning dishes and we watched as she dodged through the plumes of flames with several quick rotations in either direction, she narrowly avoided getting directly hit and winced as her hind legs were grazed by the flames. Making it to the wall, Shanty looked up at the rings above all the stuff down here, said rings were covered in sharp blades. “This be taking up quite a bit of energy.” Loudly stated Shanty as she looked at the wall. “Goat Climb!” She leapt at the wall and once all four of her hooves connected, she ran up the wall and stopped to turn her head and look at the rings. The Furious Five and their trainer Shifu just stared at her blankly as she sat on the wall gauging the rings. “Goat fly!” With twist and a burst of energy from her hooves, Shanty kicked off the wall into a flying kick leading with her left rear hoof and went through all the swinging bladed rings to slam into the opposite wall. Slowly sliding down the wall, Shanty was panting roughly and looking far weaker than she had before she climbed the wall on the opposite side of the room. “See Po! That is not being so… so…” Shanty flopped face first onto the ground unconscious with a loud thud. “Uh, how long has she been learning this kind of stuff?” Po stuttered slightly, looking a bit wide eyed at what Shanty managed to do. He had never seen Shanty training at all, but the way she moved through the rolling cylinders looked familiar somehow. “Only in the past few weeks or so.” Was I in shock? I think I was in shock that Shanty managed to do the entire course in nearly the same way Po did, only with less flailing about in pain and she even did the part he didn’t get beaten up by. I guess Pom really was teaching Shanty things and not just trying to patronize her. “She must have really expended the rest of her energy utilizing her special talent at the end there.” “Special talent?” Shifu asked in curiosity. “Yeah, she has the unique ability to climb any surface and launch off of said surface she’s sticking to. I watched her doing that between trees in small bursts, but it drains her really fast.” I had asked Smolder and Pom to never leave me alone with Shanty again after that, she was like a pinball at times with how fast she could move. “She can’t do the launching thing while standing on the ground normally. It’s something unique to her personally as far as we can tell.” “That and she needs to work on her stamina more. Compared to you guys I’m only basically trained in self-defense, but are you seriously going to tell me that Po doesn’t have what it takes after going through all that? I seriously don't think I could have done any of that.” Turning from the audience to our panda friend, Smolder grinned at him while patting him on the left arm. “Shanty wanted to prove to you that you can learn to do just as good as she can with what little training she has and she just did all of that for you. She doesn’t want you to quit before you even started Po.” “She was pretty awesome, even if she got hurt doing it…” Po felt a little awkward about it, he also felt oddly inspired after seeing Shanty do all that. “She’s only dinged up a bit, at least she didn’t get seriously injured on any of the spikes or blades. In fact, like her, you made it through everything without spilling a drop of blood.” Smolder was trying to be reassuring. “That’s impressive enough for me, considering you aren’t trained at all and still toughed it out. Imagine what you can do when you do eventually get training!” Shifu tasted like sour lemon hearing Smolder helping assure Po that he would become something great, which is what we came here to do. Tigress was tasting like a sour lemon too. Crane was a muddle of emotions, he had a slight dour frown on his face though. Mantis was more thoughtful and rubbing at his antenna as he looked at Po. Neither feeling negative nor positive. Viper… didn’t actually dislike Po, huh. Nothing but positive feelings towards all of us, I liked her the most of the Furious Five now. Monkey was afraid of Smolder? Makes sense to me. “That’s it for today, we’ll see what tomorrows training brings.” Announced Shifu and he stalked off angrily. “So far… you’re a disappointment.” There was a slight hesitation in Tigress’s feelings, she glanced at Shanty before stalking off. The other four stayed behind as Po picked up the exhausted Shanty and cradled her gently. “So do the rest of you think like that?” Cynically enough, I had a rant ready before they could even say anything. “Are all of you seriously telling me that you were any better before you were taught anything? This is his first time doing anything like this after he was chosen to be the Dragon Warrior, give him a break on not being up to your insane standards yet! Are you seriously going to bully someone who was like you at one point out of jealousy?! What really makes all of you so much better?” They all winced as I glared at them and Smolder joined in. Mantis, Viper, Monkey and Crane shared a look. “Nothing makes us better, I was born without fangs and had to figure out how to fight without them. It took a while for me to figure out how to get to where I am now and create my own style from being a ribbon dancer.” It seemed like Viper was the first one that was willing to try and bridge a connection when she turned to Po. “You didn’t exactly put your best foot forward today Po, but maybe tomorrow will go better for you? You know, when Shifu might actually start teaching you how to do things. That you can still walk says something about your endurance, you’re going need that and patience with Shifu.” “Speaking of patience, I've learned that lesson the hard way. Even failed at being a doctor once quite horribly. Po, you may be heavy, but that's actually to your advantage.” Mantis was following Viper's lead. “Put some muscle on and you might be able to give Tigress a run for her money. Size doesn’t matter, it’s how you use it. I would know, I’m always fighting those who weigh far more than I do. Even if I could toss you around easily, you’d probably win just by making me use all my energy.” “I used to be a janitor that got lucky enough to even be a kung fu master.” Crane admitted it plainly and he readily let go of his jealousy. “I really shouldn’t be looking down on you, given that I was given a fair chance and you should be given that too.” “If you think that’s bad, I was just a horrible prankster when I started out.” Monkey joined in a second later with a cheerful demeanor. “We don’t even know you and we were already judging you, we should really get to know you first before trying to run you out. Also, don’t take it personally when we beat you up a lot tomorrow, Shifu 'really' has it in for you.” “Yeah, I kind of figured.” Po said, feeling a bit surprised at the support he was getting.