//------------------------------// // Chapter 2: The Dragon Warrior and Tai Lung // Story: Multiverse Hearts Volume 1: EG/EB World: Kung Fu Girls // by RainbowRaptorDash1 //------------------------------// Back at the noodle shop, Po was serving the customers at their tables. However, he was struggling to squeeze through the small gaps, accidentally knocking into a table. "Hey, watch it Po!" A pig customer said to the panda beastman. "Oh, sorry. Suck it up—" Po apologized, sucking up his stomach, but his belly got stuck between two tables, and in his attempt to lift himself free, Po accidentally sticked his tail puff into a rabbit family's soup bowl, making the rabbit children cry. "Oops, sorry! A thousand pardons..." Po then heard a gong sound, causing him to turn around, seeing a group of palace staff sticking a poster on the wall of the restaurant. "What?!" He gasped as he ran over to the poster (which features the Furious Five) and saw the writing. "Master Oogway's choosing the Dragon Warrior. Today!" Po said with excitement as he put down the noodle bowls. "Everyone! Everyone! Go, get to the Jade Palace! One of the Five is going to get the Dragon Scroll!" He told everyone in the restaurant, causing Mr. Ping to look up from the counter as Po was ushering out the customers. "We've been waiting a thousand years for this — just take the bowl! This is the greatest day in kung fu history! Don't worry about it, just go!" Po said as was about to go with the customers until— "Po! Where are you going?" Mr. Ping asked, as Po struggled to hide his dismay, turning back to his father. "To the... Jade Palace?..." Po nervously answered. "But you're forgetting your noodle cart! The whole Valley will be there, and you'll sell noodles to all of them!" Mr. Ping said with excitement as he rolled a heavy-looking noodle cart towards Po. "Selling noodles? But Dad, I was kinda thinking maybe I—" Po started off, but hesitated. "Yeah?" Mr. Ping asked with a smile. "I was kinda thinking maybe I..." Po hesitated once more. "Uh-huh?" Mr. Ping asked once more, still with a smile. "...could also sell the bean buns. They're-they're about to go bad." Po requested, not being honest. "That's my boy! I told you that dream was a sign!" Mr. Ping said happily as he walked back into the shop. "Yeah, heh heh, glad I had it." Po said sarcastically. At the Palace Arena just below the Jade Palace, palace staff are preparing for the tournament while children play and the villagers stream into the arena. Then outside the entrance doors and down the thousand steps leading down to the village, at the bottom where Po is staring open-mouthed at the daunting task ahead of him. He closes his mouth with a gulp, and begins to ascend the stairs, though is severely hindered by the noodle cart, as villagers move past him as he slowly makes progress. Some time later, Po is still ascending the stairs, dragging his cart behind him, exhausted, stopping for a breather and flops onto his back. "I'm... almost there... huh?" Po wondered as he sat up, and much to his despair, he only made it up seven steps. "No! Oh noooo!" Then two pig beastmen known as K.G. Shaw and J.R. Shaw, the Shaw brothers, met up with Po. "Sorry, Po." K.G. apologized. "We'll bring you back a souvenir." J.R. said to the panda beastman as he and his brother continued going up the stairway. "No... I'll bring me back a souvenir!" Po decided as he casted away his apron and noodle hat, and made his way up to the palace, leaving the noodle cart behind. Up in the arena, Shifu, Celestia, Luna and Dragalchimaru were overseeing the preparations when Master Oogway appears, coming down the steps. "Everything's about ready." Luna said. "That's good to hear." Celestia responded with a smile. "It is an historic day — isn't it, Master Oogway?" Shifu asked his master. "Yes, and one I feared I would not live to see. Are your students ready?" Oogway said to Shifu. "Yes, Master Oogway." Shifu answered. "Now know this, old friend. Whomever I choose will not only bring peace to the Valley, but also to you." Oogway told Shifu as he walked off, leaving him to wonder what that meant. "(Chuckle) I wonder who the Dragon Warrior will be? If not one of the Furious Five, then who...?" Dragalchimaru thought with an intrigued smile as he and the others caught up with Oogway. A pig beastman approached with a gong in his hoof, as he said, "Let the tournament begin!" striking the gong, making the crowds cheer. The students from Canterlot High were watching with excitement as well, but let's see how Sunset and her friends are doing. *Camera goes to the HuMane 6 and their friends* "I am so stoked to see how this tournament goes! I hope Mantis wins!" Rainbow Dash cheered. "Me too!" Raptor agreed with excitement. "I'll make sure to throw a 'Congratulations on becoming the Dragon Warrior' Party for the winner! Ooh... Monkey can do this!" Pinkie squeaked. "Hmph..." Swampsuke scoffed, paying attention to that dark look on Dragalchimaru's face. "C'mon, guys! I'm sure they'll try their best." Makoto said. "Of course. It's important to give a battle everything you've got to win." Soulfire agreed. "I'm not one to take guesses, darlings, but I'm betting that Crane will become the Dragon Warrior." Rarity admitted. "Um... Go, Viper. Woohoo." Fluttershy softly cheered for the viper beastman. "Ya' know y'all, out of all o' them, Tigress has the best chances o' becomin' Dragon Warrior." Applejack said, much to RD and Raptor's annoyance. "Oh yeah?!" Rainbow challenged AJ. "We'll see about that!" Raptor said smugly to the apple farmer. "..." Sunset said nothing as she wondered, will any of the Furious Five become the Dragon Warrior, or will someone else entirely? Outside the arena, Po finally reaches the top of the stairs; out of breath, but pleased with himself. Unfortunately, his joy is cut short when he sees the entrance doors beginning to close. "Oh, no!" Po gasped as he sprinted to the door. "No no no, wait... I'm coming! Yes!" He cheered, but the doors slam shut as he slammed into them, uttering an "Owww..." before he collapsed. The tournament music began playing, as Po quickly got back up and started banging the door. "Hey, open the door!" Po yelled, but sadly, the pig beastmen beating their drums canceled the sounds of Po's banging and plead. "Let me in!" "Citizens of the Valley of Peace!" Shifu started off as Po ran up to a small circular window, jumping and grabbing it, struggling to pull himself up and see inside. "It is my great honor to present to you... Tigress! Viper! Crane! Monkey! Mantis! The Furious Five!" Shifu introduced as Po laughed in delight, seeing his idols leap onto the scene in a stunning display of kung fu prowess. As the five kung fu masters finished their display, Crane flapped his wings, sending a powerful gust of wind into the arena. "Oh, it's the Furious Five—" Po started cheering as he was cut short by the wind blowing the window closed, which knocked Po back onto the ground. "Warriors prepare!" Celestia declared. "*Gasp!* No way! Master Celestia of the Celestial Kung-Fu Sisters! She's here! Oh, ah! Peeky-hole!" Po said as he spotted a crack in the entrance doors and peeks through. "Ready for battle!" Luna added. "*Gasp!* Double no way! Master Luna, the younger sibling of the Celestial Kung-Fu Sisters is here too?! Awesome!" Po cheered as he saw Crane getting into position, facing a deadly looking machine. "Yeah! Woo! The Thousand Tongues of Fire!" Po said as he laughed in anticipation. "Whoa, check that out!" Bulk Biceps said as he unknowingly blocked Po's view. "Hey, get out of the way!" Po said, as he heard a firing sound, making him look up, seeing Crane being surrounded by fireworks. He kept backing up so he can see the spectacle, but backs up too much and tumbles down the stairs again. By the time he gets back up, Crane has defeated the fireworks and disappeared from view, causing Po to collapse on the ground in disappointment, but then gets back up with determination. "That was marvelous!" Rarity cheered. While the crowd enjoyed the tournament inside the arena, Po made various attempts to gain access; first, he punched the doors, which causes him pain with an "Ow." Second, he attempts to pole-vault over the wall, but his weight bends the pole and he gets flung into the wall, cracking it. Third, he bends a tree to the ground and ties it with the plan to catapult himself into the arena, but his weight kept the tree bent when he cuts the rope. When he got off, the tree sprang up, whacking his nose, then back once to strike him on the head. Later, Po was sitting at the top of the stairs, his back to the arena, apparently having given up. "And finally... Master Tigress!" Shifu announced, causing Po to once again get up and start looking for another plan, setting out to pull back another, larger tree. "Believe me citizens, you have not seen anything yet!" "I KNOW!!!" Po shouted. "Master Tigress! Face Iron Ox and his Blades of Death!" Shifu declared as Tigress prepared to face her daunting opponent, Po suddenly sprang up above the arena, catapulted by the tree, getting a good glimpse of his favorite of the Five, but then bounces off the rooftops and crashes into a fireworks cart, just outside the arena. Sunset Shimmer, Swampsuke and Dragalchimaru noticed the panda beastman's brief appearance. Then Oogway suddenly closes his eyes and raises his palm, hushing the crowd as they looked up at him. "I sense the Dragon Warrior is among us." Oogway said as Shifu gave a nod to the Five, making Monkey, Crane, Viper and Mantis join Tigress in the middle of the arena and they quickly position themselves into a line facing the older masters. "Citizens of the Valley of Peace! Master Oogway will now choose... the Dragon Warrior!" Shifu announced as the crowd cheers, but alarming Po as he heard this. "Huh? Oh no! No no no, wait!" Po panicked when suddenly saw the fireworks surrounding him, giving him an idea. "Yeah..." Inside the arena, the pigs are drumming as Oogway begins to slowly approach the Five, his palm swaying in the air as he prepares to make a decision. "Ooh! I'm so nervouscited!" Pinkie squealed. "Hoo wee! This is gettin' me all sweatin' like a pig!" Applejack said, anxious of the incoming outcome. "This is getting scary..." Fluttershy nervously squeaked. "The intensity of this moment is certainly frightening." Rarity agreed. "The suspense is killing me!" Rainbow Dash and Raptor groaned in impatience. "..." Sunset and Swampsuke said nothing, but they did have beads of sweat coming down from the intense atmosphere of this moment. Meanwhile outside, Po tied many small fireworks to a chair, sits on it, and lights the fuse with a chuckle. "Po!?" Mr. Ping called out as he appeared at the top of the stairs, holding Po's apron as he saw Po sitting on the fireworks chair. "What are you doing?!" He panicked as Mr. Ping rushed forward, attempting to blow out the fuse. "What does it look like I'm doing?! No, stop! Stop! I'm going to see the Dragon Warrior!" Po answered as the intensity in the arena rose with Oogway moving closer to the Five. "But I don't understand. You finally had the noodle dream!" Mr. Ping said. Being this close to seeing the Dragon Warrior, Po couldn't to maintain the façade any longer and decided to give it to him straight. "I lied. I don't dream about noodles, Dad!" Po admitted as Mr. Ping's eyes widen in shock. Po looked down and saw that the fuse is almost out, bracing himself as he yells to the heavens, "I LOVE KUNG FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!..." But when Po opens his eyes, he finds himself still on the ground: thinking the fuse was a dud. He lost balance on the little chair and falls flat on his face with the chair still stuck on his rear, beginning to sniffle, thought to be defeated at last. "Oh, come on, son. Let's get back to work." Mr. Ping said, though feeling sympathetic, holding out Po's apron. "Okay." Po said after a sigh, sadly getting up when all of a sudden, the fireworks on the chair go off, propelling Po into the arena wall. "Oh!" Mr. Ping gasped as Po, being propelled by the fireworks, slid along the wall on his face, wailing. "Po, come back!" Suddenly the chair changed direction, making Po scream as he soared into the sky directly above the arena in a display of fireworks, making the crowd below give "Oooh"s and "Aaah"s as they looked up at the show. As Po eventually stops screaming and the fireworks die out, the burned chair disintegrates beneath him. "Uh oh." Po dreaded as he started plummeting back to the earth, screaming. "Ah! Twitchy hair!!!" Pinkie screamed with her hair shaking and standing on end. "Take cover!" Rainbow Dash yelled as she ducked with her hands covering her head. "Incoming!" Raptor said, burrowing into the ground, as AJ, Rarity, and Fluttershy panicked, hiding under anything they come across, followed by the other Canterlot High students. Sunset, Swampsuke, Soulfire and Makoto were confused of what's going on, as they looked up and saw someone falling. Po then crashed in the middle of the arena, as everything went black upon impact. After some inter-determinate time, Po groggily woke up, with everything being blurry in his vision. "Ugh..." Po groaned as he looked up, the first thing being Masters Mantis and Viper staring down at him in Po's sight. "What's goin' on...?" He asked as Po turned his head, seeing Monkey, Crane and Tigress, also staring at him. "Where, uh...?" What Po saw next is a quivering finger pointing straight at his face. "What are you pointing...?" Po groggily asked as he shook his head, clearing his vision, and finding himself lying right in front of Oogway, the one pointing at him, making the panda beastman realize with a jolt that he has landed right between the old master and the Furious Five. "Oh! Okay, sorry! I just wanted to see who the Dragon Warrior was." "How interesting." Oogway said as he was still pointing at Po, intrigued by this unexpected occurrence. Standing right behind Po, Tigress steps forward, who was confused. "Master, are you pointing at... me?" Tigress asked. "Him." Oogway simply answered, much to everyone's confusion, or Dragalchimaru's interest in this case. "Who?..." Po asked in confusion, as he attempted to move out of the way, but Oogway's finger followed him, making Tigress's eyes widen. "You." Oogway simply answered once more. "Me?" Po asked, still confused, as Oogway lifted up his left arm with his staff for all to see. "The universe has brought us the Dragon Warrior!" Oogway declared, as it felt like all of existence froze. "What?" Po asked, confused. "What?!" The Furious Five asked, shocked. "What?!" Master Shifu, Principal Celestia and Vice-Principal Luna gasped in shock as Dragalchimaru gave an interested "Hmm..." "WHAT?!" Sunset Shimmer and her friends gasped in complete surprise. "WHAT!?" Mr. Ping gasped in complete fright, as the announcer stroke the gong. Shifu snatched away the mallet, but was too late as the crowd cheers wildly and confetti rains down. Po stares around him, speechless, as a group of palace geese rapidly descend the palace stairs with a palanquin. "Stop! Wait! Who told you to-" Shifu said as he and Luna tried to stop them, but the geese moved straight past them, down the remaining steps, and stopped right in front of Po. Shifu and Luna raced down after them as the panda was hoisted up on the palanquin. The geese struggle to lift the palanquin and make their way back towards the stairs, and while the Five bowed in respect behind them and Sunset with her friends came to them, Shifu finally reached Oogway. "Master, Master wait! That flabby panda can't possibly be the answer to... our problem! You were about to point at Tigress and that thing fell in front of her! That was just an accident!" Shifu argued as Luna agreed. "There are no accidents." Oogway calmly countered as they heard a crunch! Shifu, Oogway, Celestia, Luna, Dragalchimaru, the Canterlot High students and the Five look up, startled, seeing Po has broken through the palanquin and is now stuck in the newly-made hole, Shifu looks at Oogway, who simply smiled. "Well, he might not look like much, but I'm sure it'll work out." Celestia said, being optimistic, as palace pigs surrounded Po and lift the palanquin with relative ease, and began making their way up the stairs. Shifu stares after them in disbelief, as the Five slowly approach him. "Forgive us, Master. We have failed you." Tigress apologized as she and the other members of the Furious Five bowed, kneeling forward, only for Shifu to hold up a paw and stop her. "No. If the panda has not quit by morning, then I will have failed you." Shifu said to his students and Sunset and her friends came up to them. "I can't believe it! A panda is the Dragon Warrior?!" RD asked in disbelief. "That can't be right!" Raptor said in disbelief as well. "Oh, I hope the big guy doesn't hurt himself." Fluttershy hoped in concern for the panda beastman. "Oh! So that was the doozy!" Pinkie realized. "Pardon?" Rarity asked, confused. "The panda, becoming the Dragon Warrior! I didn't expect that to happen. THAT was the doozy! Oh, and what a doozy it was! ~La-la-la la-la~" Pinkie explained as she skipped away, singing along, leaving the others baffled. "Boy, that Pinkie Pie is so random." Makoto said. "I think everyone can agree with that, sister." Soulfire agreed. "Tch...!" Swampsuke scoffed. But then, Sunset began to feel strange. "Wha...? What's going on? I feel... dizzy..." Sunset said as she fell unconscious, catching her friends' attention. "Sunset! C'mon y'all, we gotta get her to her room!" AJ urged as she and Rainbow Dash began carrying her up to her room in the Jade Palace. Meanwhile, far away in the snowy mountains of Mongolia, Zeng was approaching the fearsome Chorh-Gom Prison. A rhino guard watched as Zeng flew past him, tired from the journey. With a cry, he crash landed on the ground outside the entrance doors, clutching a scroll, and in an instant, two rhino guards thrust their spears in his face. "Wait, wait, wait wait! I bring a message! From Master Shifu!" Zeng explained as the rhinos relaxed slightly, followed by the enormous entrance doors opening. Minutes later, Commander Vachir, the warden, was standing in front of the frightened Zeng, reading the scroll, with what it read enraged him. "WHAT?! 'Double the guard? Extra precautions? Your prison may not be adequate?'" Vachir read as he slammed the scroll shut, glaring down at the quaking Zeng. The guards behind the goose grip their weapons, equally outraged, staring daggers at him. "You doubt my prison's security?" "Absolutely not. Shifu does. I'm just the messenger." Zeng gulped, being intimidated by the rhino. But unknown to them, Sunset Shimmer, or rather, her conscious spirit, woke up as she saw what was going on and decided to follow them. "I'll give you a message for your Master Shifu. Escape from Chorh-Gom Prison is impossible!" Vachir claimed as he proceeded to lead Zeng along the bridge across from the doors. "Chorh-Gom Prison? How many prisoners are there in here?" Sunset asked herself, realizing that she was a spirit and couldn't be heard. Zeng and Sunset looked in awe around the cavernous prison, as they then looked over the side of the bridge into the dark and seemingly-bottomless abyss. Vachir suddenly slapped Zeng on the back, startling him and knocking a feather from his body, which floats down from the bridge. "That's a long way down..." Sunset dreaded as she feared what would happen to someone if they fell from this height. "Impressive, isn't it?" Vachir laughed. "Oh yes, it's very impressive. It's very impressive!" Zeng trembled. "One way in, one way out, one thousand guards, and one prisoner." Vachir gloated, unknowingly answering Sunset's question. "One prisoner?! Then that means whoever's trapped must be really dangerous!" Sunset realized in shock. "Yes, except that prisoner is Tai Lung..." Zeng added in fear. "Tai Lung...?" Sunset wondered who that was, as she, the warden and messenger stepped into an elevator. "Take us down." Vachir ordered as guards obeyed and the elevator descended in the darkness towards the very bottom area of the prison. Vachir shook the elevator to scare Zeng, and laughed at his frightened reaction. Eventually they reach the bottom, as Zeng is led towards a set of heavily-armored doors, which open one after the other. "Oh my..." Zeng gasped, as the final door falls forward, creating a bridge towards a circular stone island in the middle of the abyss, revealing that in the middle of the island was a figure shrouded in darkness. Sunset recognized him, for it was the beastman seen in her dream a few nights ago. "Behold, Tai Lung." Vachir introduced, causing Zeng and Sunset's eyes to widen. "So that's him... Tai Lung, the master of the Leopard Style..." Sunset said in awe and fear. "I'll, um... I'm just gonna wait right here." Zeng scarcely said as he started to back away. "It's nothing to worry about. It's perfectly safe." Vachir laughed as he pushed Zeng across the bridge, and followed him. "Crossbows! At the ready!" "Crossbows?!/Crossbows?!" Zeng and Sunset gasped, surprised by the heavy security. In sentry towers around the walls of the prison, guards aimed enormous crossbows on the figure on the island as Vachir and Zeng approached. Tai Lung, once a mighty kung fu warrior, is now weighed down with chains attached to enormous rocks hanging over the sides of the island, immobilized by a special stone tortoise shell on his back. "Hey, tough guy! Did you hear? Oogway's finally going to give someone the Dragon Scroll and it's not going to be you!" Vachir told the snow leopard beastman, much to Zeng's worry. "What are you doing? Don't get him mad!" Zeng told the warden. "What's he gonna do about it? I've got him completely immobilized." Vachir countered as he stomped on Tai Lung's tail, which crunches on impact. Zeng and Sunset leaped back with a gasp, but Tai Lung made no movement, as Vachir laughed. "Awww, did I step on the witty kitty's tail? Awww..." "I'm good! I've seen enough! I'm gonna tell Shifu he's got nothing to worry about." Zeng assured the warden. "No he doesn't." Vachir agreed as he and the palace goose walked back across the bridge. "Okay I'll tell him. Can we please go now?..." Zeng asked the rhino as Sunset's spirit just stayed there, looking at the prisoner. She then looked up, seeing Zeng's feather float down and rest right in front of Tai Lung... and his eyes opened, as he whipped out his tail, snatching the feather. He then looks forward, in fact, right at Sunset's spirit, as she noticed with a gasp that he could see her spirit. Meanwhile, at the Jade Palace, in Sunset's room, she jolted up, wide awake, scaring her friends, except Swampsuke. "You okay, Sunset?" Rainbow Dash asked her friend. "What happened?" Makoto added. "I'm fine, but... I saw someone in a place called Chorh-Gom Prison... I saw Tai Lung!" Sunset told her friends, greatly frightening them, it even startled Swampsuke a bit. To be continued...