It has been a couple more months since the Winter Festival once again, and things are all doing fine, Spike, Po and the 5 are often out kicking bad guy butt, Spike's skills are always improving by the day, he's even showing some more muscle then he ever used to, he's taken some flight lessons from Crane to get a handle on his wings, and he's been able to fly pretty naturally by now.
Spike was just glad to be living a life where he can find his calling, being the Dragon Master did so much more for him then when he was back in Equestria, Spike and Viper grow closer by the day, practicing ribbon dancing and doing fights together like usual, and Spike and Tigress have gotten along even better after their talk, while she didn't trust him when he first showed up which was understandable, she warmed up to him over time, and they spar pretty regularly.
But one thing's been concerning Spike recently, it's the fact that Tigress is looking a big sick, she's started coughing roughly just yesterday, and her throat is sounding stiffer then normal, and is sneezing more roughly too, Spike thinks that this problem isn't one that's gonna go away, and this day may prove it.
But right now, Spike and the 5 were in the training halls once again, Po was practicing his skills more and Monkey was working on sneak attacks, Spike made sure nothing bad would happen here, and kept his eye on them.
"Po you are next, 10 seconds to get to the other side of the hall's unscathed." Shifu instructed as he was meant to get to the other side quickly. Po stood at the end of the halls with confidence and started striking against the wooden warriors while Spike and the other's watched from the sidelines. Po was deflecting them all pretty affectively as he's gotten used to not getting hit in the nuts every time he goes on here.. because he did get hit like 5 times before.
"Cat like reflexes!" Po said confidently right before Spike looked up and saw Monkey coming down for the sneak attack.
"Monkey!" Po said surprised as he and Monkey blocked eachother's attacks until Monkey got his head to be hit by the warriors, and held him by the nose.
"Ha, 2 points for Monkey! Light's out Po!" Monkey said confidently until they heard Tigress building up a sneeze, they all saw her looking rough as she made a loud sneeze and fell into the course, causing her to be hit by the warriors and send Monkey and Po crashing into the large bowl with Po on top of Monkey.
"Get.. Off.. me..." Monkey said annoyed as Po was right above him.
"Ha! Po 5, Monkey 4." Po mocked showing his fingers which made Spike shake his head as they always were competitive like this.
"You can't count that!" Monkey said with a strain in his voice from Po being on top of him.
"Sure i can! Shifu, that was a point right?" Monkey asked curiously.
"I don't care about your childish keeping score Panda." Shifu said coming up to them as Spike got Po off of Monkey.
"It isn't a time to be focusing on a game like that." Spike said turning to Shifu.
"Monkey, that attack was deceitful, and underhanded, great work!" Shifu complimented as this was part of the lesson.
"Well done buddy." Spike said high fiving Monkey as the others got down too.
"The point of sneak attacks is to expect, the unexpected.." Shifu explained right before he made a familiar face that Po made when his face froze up which confused Po.
"Surprise!" Spike shouted right before he grabbed Po by the shoulder's and flipped him upside down until Spike was on top of him and held his head down.
"Just like that Po." Spike teased getting off of him.
"Good work Spike, Tigress, you and Crane are next followed by Spike and Viper again." Shifu instructed turning to them, but that only resulted in Tigress repeatedly sneezing at Crane over and over, even when Crane put his guard down for a second, he was sneezed on over 4 times.
"Master can we take 5 so i can sterilize my beak with hot coals?" Crane asked rubbing the snot of his beak in disgust.
Po shrugged Monkey's shoulder which gave them both the idea, Spike chuckled a little as he knows where this is going.
"Uh oh, i think i.. caught Tigress's cold.." Po said in a teasing way.
"I don't have.. a cold.." Tigress said annoyed coughing even more. Po twitches his nose a few more times before pretending to make a sneeze which sent a large radish rolling to them somehow which made them both laugh with Spike just chuckling as he did find it funny a little.
"Hey, i think i caught a cold too." Monkey mocked joining in on this.
"I do not have a cold!" Tigress said annoyed again before sneezing once more. Monkey pretended to mimic sneezing again and somehow blew our a shuriken right next to one of the wooden warriors which made them laugh even more.
"Oh, oh no, i think i got a cold too!" Spike said playfully joining in on this, Monkey and Po chuckled as Spike pretended to sneeze, and breathed some of his green fire out and burnt one of the warriors as a result. The three of them laughed playfully as Spike got along with them great.
"Friends love the sneezy trick!" Po joked high fiving the both of them.
"I do not have a.. cold.." Tigress said trying to hold back another sneeze, this finally got Shifu's attention and he went to inspect her.
"Wait, maybe you don't.." Shifu said as he went to inspect her eye, ear, and tongue for conformation.
"I see, it's River Fever." Shifu declared letting her go which confirmed Spike's own worries that something was wrong.
"River Fever?" Spike asked looking at the others as he doesn't have that disease in his land.
"What's the big deal about River Fever anyway? You get a little sneezy and snoozy, i personally barfed a couple times true story.. and then it's over within the next day, we've all had it as kids." Po asked looking over the 5.
"I didn't.." Tigress said bluntly which concerned Crane.
"Neither did I. Maybe i just didn't catch it yet." Spike said shrugging his shoulders.
"Oh man, River Fever's bad news if your an adult guys, Spike's still a teen, but for Tigress, she may wind up like this." Crane said showing Po and Spike an ugly picture which disgusted both of them.
"Is that.. a pig?!" Po asked shocked looking at it.
"It's face is like.. oh dear Celestia.." Spike said in disgust holding back his lunch.
"There is only one cure, the tea made from the Sacred Sun Orchid." Crane said dramatically showing them a picture leading them to a place where it was located.
"It is true, The Orchid is strong, but getting it is very dangerous, it used to grow here, but now it is only found within the valley of the Scorpion." Shifu said dramatically as well which concerned Spike a little.
"No one is risking their lives for me, i'll be fine.." Tigress said holding back another sneeze.
"Fine, oh ha, look at the pig! look at the pig!" Po said showing her the ugly picture again.
"You may feel fine now Tigress, but your muscle spasms could start at any..." Crane said right before she suddenly kicked Crane to a wall making a loud thud as a result.
"Like that.. and if you don't get the cure by sundown you'll.." Crane said hesitating to finish as it was awful news.
"What?" Tigress asked worried wanting to know.
"I can't.." Crane said reluctantly before she grabbed his shoulder's.
"What?!" Tigress asked in a demanding tone now which led him to drop the bomb.
"Well, first.. you'll never be able to do Kung fu again." Crane dropped which made her gasp in horror.
"I'd rather die!" Tigress said horrified regretting this already.
"Yeah, that's next.." Crane added which made the situation even worse.
"Don't worry Tigress, we'll get that cure to save you." Spike assured patting her shoulder.
"And it looks like it's me and Spike are gonna be picking up the Orchid dealy.." Po said right about to get the map before Monkey swiped it.
"I'll get it. 50 points says i get there before either of you!" Monkey declared which made Shifu stop their roughhousing.
"This is no game! Few have ever come back from the valley alive, and those who have come back had their minds destroyed by the Scorpions powerful sting. " Shifu said seriously as he began to tell a tale about her origin.
"Long ago, Scorpion was a exceptional healer, capable of healing the worst illness. The soil within our valley was perfect for her experimental flowers, but she had discovered a hypnotic elixir, and when she stung herself with it, it warped her body and mind. She attempted to use this power to control others, while she nearly succeeded in taking over, Oogway was able to stop her, by having the villager's loyalty, and a shell. Oogway exiled her as a result, which had her take the last Sun Orchid, and swore vengeance on anyone from the valley of peace." Shifu finished as we cut back to normal time's once again.
"Which is why, you must be extremely.." Shifu said right before they all saw Po and Monkey were already gone without any of them noticing.
"How did they?" Spike asked frustrated as this was important to hear.
"Spike, go after them, we'll look after Tigress." Shifu instructed which was clear for him.
"Got it! Look after her for me Viper!" Spike shouted as he ran out of the halls and took off to the skies to catch up with them quickly while the other's watched with concern.
Spike flew through the skies and soon found the two running through the bamboo forest talking about their competition, Spike rolled his eyes annoyed as this was something serious.
"Oh, maybe we should've stayed back to listened to Shifu." Monkey said looking at the map.
"Guys!" Spike shouted which got their attention, Spike landed on the ground and made a small crater from his strength and looked a little upset with them.( Superhero landing!)
"Oh hey Spike, you finally get done listening to Shifu's tale? That guys such a worrier, he should cut back on the green tea he has, it makes him very tense." Po joked while Spike was a little upset but tried calming down.
"Guys, you shouldn't just ignore information like this, especially during situations like this." Spike said taking the map from Monkey and looked at it himself.
"Come on buddy, we got this! What's so bad about a poisonous scorpion?" Monkey asked playfully.
"If you stayed around you'd know, come on, we're losing day light." Spike said starting to run.
"You got it! Watch me fly.." Po said right before he ran into a wall which suddenly appeared to him, but Spike and Monkey saw it coming. The ground started to shake roughly as they watched the damage Po made caused it to tumble over and it fell down making a loud thud that was heard all over.
"Uh.. you think anyone heard that guys?" Po asked a little nervous on this.
"You think anyone didn't hear that?" Monkey countered which was true.
"Come on guys, if she's expecting us, we need to keep our guard up." Spike said as they all proceeded to enter the valley.
And Spike was right as we cut to a shot of Scorpion herself looking in a special pool to see them.
"Ohh! Visitors from the Valley of Peace! It's that adorable panda Dragon Warrior they speak of, as well as the Dragon Master!" Scorpion said as they were running through the field.
"Come on guys, Tigress needs that Orchid by sundown!" Monkey encouraged running ahead of them.
"Ohh! They need my Orchid. And i need to add something to my collection of skulls. That adorable panda's head will fit right here.. once i sever it from his body.." Scorpion said menacingly snapping her sharp claws.
"You all come and get your medicine, i got it right here!" Scorpion said readying up more poison to use on them..
"You know what else is interesting about skulls guys? They run or fly faster then both of you!" Monkey taunted running ahead of them.
"Ah.. what i lack for in speed.. i make up for in.. stamina.." Po said panting roughly while Spike flew normally.
"Monkey don't go to far! You could get into trouble!" Spike warned as his senses were warning him of something.
"Monkey! We're gonna.. catch you!" Po shouted while Spike tried helping him.
"Good thing i brought water." Spike said handing him a bottle which he took.
"Thanks buddy.." Po said gratefully drinking it while Monkey landed far ahead from them.
"Good luck you two.. whoa!!!" Monkey screamed as something grabbed him and pulled him into an underground cavern.
Monkey quickly got into a fighting pose and kept his guard up as he began to here creepy crawling sounds all around him.
"Who's there?!" Monkey shouted looking around the place, and he got his answer when something lunged at him and striked at him from multiple angles at really fast speeds while Monkey tried blocking the attacks, but was soon sweeped off his own legs and was caught off guard as he saw Scorpion herself crawl onto him.
"Scorpion! You can't beat me!" Monkey said trying to get up.
"Oh i already have.." Scorpion said evilly which confused him until he saw something stung his shoulder.
"Poison!" Monkey said weakly as his body was twitching strangely.
"Not exactly, i could have poisoned you, and your panda and dragon friends, but i'm only a shut in thanks to Oogway. This is my only entertainment!" Scorpion said as Monkey's body was twitching all over with him groaning in pain.
"It will be so much fun to watch you destroy Shifu's little pets, the Dragon warrior and Dragon master." Scorpion mocked as Monkey screamed in pain.
"No! Po and Spike, friends.." Monkey said weakly as his face was twitching roughly now.
"Your only good to me if you forget that they are your friends." Scorpion said as Monkey was put under her control.
"Forget my friends.." Monkey said in a controlled voice as Scorpion crawled on him.
"And destroy them." Scorpion said evilly as well.
" And i must destroy the panda and dragon.. i must.. destroy Po and Spike!" Monkey said as his voice echoed through the cavern..
Spike and Po were still searching through the valley trying to find Monkey.
"Monkey? Come on you don't get any points for hiding." Po shouted looking around for him.
"Come on Monkey this isn't funny, i know you like games, but we shouldn't waste time, Tigress needs that Orchid!" Spike shouted looking for him too, but Monkey was looking down at them and had a boulder in his hands.
"Must destroy Po and Spike.." Monkey repeated as he used his tail to swing of the branch to them.
"Monkey? Ooh! A berry!" Po said leaning down as Spike saw it too.
"That's not a berry, or rock Po.." Spike warned as Po touched it and realized it, Monkey flew over them once again and this time the rope snapped which made the boulder fall on his body.
"Ew! ew! That is disgusting!" Po said disgusted shaking his hands wildly.
"This is why you don't just pick up random stuff of the ground." Spike said shaking his head as they saw Monkey get up finally.
"Must destroy Po and Spike.." Monkey said in a controlled voice which caught Spike's attention.
"It won't destroy me, it's just gross." Po said casually not realizing he's controlled yet.
"Po, there's something wrong.." Spike said seriously as Monkey had his hands raised up like a zombie.
Tigress was being brought to another place by Crane for medical help as she was getting worse.
"Shifu and I set up a sick ward. It's completely sanitary." Crane assured right before Tigress made another loud sneeze in his face again.
"Unlike my face." Crane said brushing off his beak.
"I don't need a sick ward.. I'm fine.." Tigress said right before she suddenly punched him back again like before which made a loud crash.
"Muscle Spasm, perfectly normal!" Crane shouted from the distance. Tigress sneezed again which blew open the doors, and she saw the place was filled with a ton of kids playfully running around.
"We also took some kids in with River Fever. Hope you don't mind." Crane said hopefully as they walked in the room.
"Of course not.. i love children.." Tigress said as a ball hit her head again and she punched Crane to the side once again.
"Muscle Spasm, again." Crane said weakly trying to get back up.
"That wasn't on purpose.." Tigress said a little annoyed at this.
Spike backflipped away from Monkey and caught a large boulder that Monkey threw at him.
"Didn't know you were this strong, so how was it you got put under Scorpion's control?!" Spike shouted throwing the boulder back at him and shattered it.
"Destroy Po and Spike.." Monkey repeated once again which only confirmed his assumptions even more.
"Spike! Monkey's under her control! We have to save him!" Spike shouted as he slid under Monkey's air strike, and grabbed his tail before twirling it around and slamming him to the tree.
"How do we save someone from Scorpion's sting?" Po asked blocking a punch from Monkey again before belly gonging him into a boulder like the one time with Tai Lung happened.
"Well if you and Monkey stayed for Shifu's tale, he said the only way to save someone under Scorpions control, was through they're loyalty, so what's something he's loyal for?!" Spike asked right as Monkey made another attack and twirled a staff of bamboo at them, Spike flipped over it and grabbed Monkey's arm.
"Snap out of it Monkey! This isn't you!" Spike shouted before taking the stick and kicking him down and that led them to be just outside of a strange looking cave.
"Huh, just a coincidence Scorpion's lair is just ahead like that huh?" Po asked right before Monkey leapt at them again making battle cries.
"Yeah, it's a big coincidence." Spike said in agreement before he and Po grabbed eachother and twirled eachother like a cyclone again before Po threw Spike in the air, Spike spread his wings and used a new move that made him launch through the air at fast speeds and he went flying right to Monkey, Spike then flipped over Monkey's head, wrapped his legs around his neck before throwing him down to the ground making a loud impact.
"The Cyclone Smash! Glad we've worked on that for a while!" Po said as the two high fived eachother before regaining focus.
"Monkey.." Scorpion whispered as two blades were thrown next to him before they could notice which made Monkey grin evilly.
"How can we remind him we're his friends? Mind control isn't an easy thing to get rid of?" Spike asked right before they heard another battle cry and saw Monkey with two long blades.
"I don't know, but we need to think fast!" Po shouted as they jumped out of the way as the blades stabbed the ground with Monkey looking at them.
"Destroy Po and Spike.." Monkey repeated again which made Spike roll his eyes.
"Is that all your gonna say? That stuff gets REALLY old after a while." Spike said as he and Po were backing away from the sword swings.
Spike, Po and Monkey continued to fight/ run through the bamboo forest getting further from Scorpion's lair.
"Monkey! Come on snap out of it! Me and Spike are your best buddies!" Po shouted as he barely avoided being slashed by the swords. Spike came in the way and grabbed both of the swords right as Monkey slashed at them again.
"Come on, this isn't you! What about those fun sneezing games we always did? Don't you remember those?" Spike shouted before he kicked Monkey in the chest again and took one of the blades and twirled it around like a pro swordsman.
"Or what about the time you put dye in my shampoo and you turned me pink for a week? I'm still not over that by the way!" Po shouted as Spike and Monkey slashed at eachother, Spike sweeped Monkey's legs and Po came in and kicked him near a cliffside.
"That was actually funny not gonna lie." Spike said chuckling at that hilarious memory.
Monkey groaned again as he recovered from their attack again and was still under control.
"Destroy Po and Spike.." He repeated again which was starting to annoy Spike.
"Monkey, do you really wanna be like this? Stuck as a slave for an evil Scorpion? All of us our friends! We don't wanna hurt you!" Spike shouted as Monkey walked to them like a zombie once again.
"He's right! Come on! We're always friends! Spike's right, don't you remember the games we always played?" Po shouted as Po pretended to sneeze roughly again and throwed multiple items at Monkey's head like they did earlier.
"Come on, we don't wanna hurt you, your our buddy, one of the furious 5! You are our friend." Spike repeated again as Monkey groaned while shaking his head.
"Friend?" Monkey asked as his voice sounded different now, which could mean one thing..
Crane was watching over the sky and saw the sun was almost setting.
"It's getting late, i'm not sure they're gonna make it." Crane said worried as Tigress was on a bed with the others.
"Don't say that, they'll be here. I know Spike, he won't give up on her, he doesn't give up on anyone." Viper said with hope as Tigress breathed heavily.
"Crane, Viper.. Mantis.." Tigress said weakly before her body's muscles reacted violently again and she twitched all over like she was being shocked.
"I'll never do.. Kung fu.. again.." Tigress said feeling this was over.
"Hey don't worry Tigress, there's lot's of other things your good at, like uh.." Mantis said trying to find something to say before her body twitched roughly again worrying them even more.
"Don't worry, they'll be here.." Mantis assured as they hoped they could get here in time..
We cut back to Scorpion's lair as the door knocked roughly.
"Someone's at the door, come in!" Scorpion replied as the door opened revealing Monkey carrying Po in a carriage while Spike was somewhere else.
"Po no more.." Monkey said pretending to be controlled.
"Look at you, who did a good job? Monkey, that's who! And where's the dragon?" Scorpion asked not seeing his body either.
"Fell of a cliff.." Monkey answered which made her shake her head sadly.
"Such a shame, he would've made a good servant.." Scorpion said disappointed as she went to inspect Po's body but smelt something off about him.
"Ew! He's only been dead a few moments! He shouldn't stink already." Scorpion said disgusted right before Po suddenly opened his eyes.
"That's the stink of awesomeness!" Po said confidently before he burst free.
"Surprise!!" Spike announced as he flew threw the halls and delivered a strong kick to the wall and pinned her own tail to the wall.
"Impossible! How did you break him free from my control?!" Scorpion asked furious trying to break free.
"With a poison that's even more powerful then yours, and that poison is Friendship!" Po said confidently as they struck a fighting pose together.
"Something you'll never understand!" Spike shouted as he grabbed the Orchid.
"Give that back! It doesn't belong to you!" Scorpion shouted finally breaking free from the wall.
"Sorry Scorpion, but we have a friend to save." Spike said seriously putting it in a safer place.
"Hey Scorpion!" Po shouted from behind her, she turned around and saw Po suddenly make a similar face that Shifu did back at the start of today.
"What?" Scorpion asked confused right before Po belly gonged her and sent her to her little throne and pinned her stinger to the wall.
"And to make sure you stay.." Spike said with a smug right as Po pretended to sneeze out two shuriken's that pinned her claws down too.
" Now you think about what you've done." Spike teased high fiving the others.
"Bonus points for Po and Spike!" Po said in victory which annoyed Monkey a little.
"Hey! I helped, we split em." Monkey declared which made Spike chuckle at this game they always did today.
"Deal." Po said in agreement.
"Come on! The sun's almost setting!" Spike shouted as he and the others ran out of the place to the palace.
The sun was starting to lower as Tigress could barely keep her eyes open now right as Spike and the others got back with the Orchid.
"We got it!" Po shouted holding it in the air.
"Quick! It's almost sundown!" Monkey shouted handing Crane the flower.
"I'm supposed to make tea from this thing, but there's no time!" Crane shouted as he just shoved the flower in her mouth and had her swallow it. They all looked at her and hoped for a response very soon as they didn't want to lose her, but thankfully the flower finally cured her, and she quickly got up and almost striked at all of them and grabbed Crane's neck.
"What do you think your do.. I'm.. i'm cured.." Tigress said both shocked and glad that she was finally better which made them all cheer in victory.
"Um.. your welcome?" Crane asked as he was being choked which made her let go of him.
"Sorry." Tigress apologized as the kids in the room ran off to do their own thing.
"You three have done well." Shifu said proud of the three of them.
"Yeah, and once Spike and i used our awesomeness to cure Monkey's zombification." Po said proudly with Spike seeing Monkey get something.
"Yeah, it was pretty easy to tell if he was controlled, i'd be an idiot not to realize it right away." Spike said while Monkey got out some peppers.
"Po, do your Zombie impression of me." Monkey teased holding out the peppers with Spike snickering at this.
"Oh, yeah yeah yeah right.." Po said as he put it on his eyes.
"Destroy Po and Spike, must.. these.. are.. peppers! AH!!" Po screamed while running around which made Spike laugh hard.
"Monkey and Spike one, Po, zero." Monkey said high fiving Spike who was smiling proudly.
"It never hurts to get a laugh every now and then." Spike said proud that they were able to save Tigress this day..