Multiverse Hearts Volume 1: EG/EB World: Kung Fu Girls

by RainbowRaptorDash1

Chapter 7: The Secret of the Dragon and Harmony Scrolls

Later that day, Shifu, Po, Celestia, Luna, Dragalchimaru and the Canterlot High students returned from the mountains, entering the palace courtyard, with Po, Rainbow Dash, Raptor and Pinkie Pie having easy springs in their steps.

"I'll admit, you have all done well. Including you, Panda." Shifu admitted.

"Done well? Done well?! We've done awesome!" Po, Rainbow Dash, Raptor, Soulfire and Makoto cheered as the panda beastman swung his belly around, knocking Shifu off balance, though he quickly regained his dignity.

"The mark of a true hero is humility. But yes...you all have done..." Shifu started before he playfully punched Po in the side hard enough for him to stagger. "...awesome." Shifu finished, making everyone chuckle and laugh at that.

But that laughter faltered as everyone heard an approaching flapping sound. An indistinct figure appeared in the clouds behind them... it was Crane.

"Huh?" Po and the students wondered in confusion as Crane carried the rest of the five to the palace grounds, before crashing in a heap. His paralysed comrades were scattered in the middle of the courtyard, leaving Shifu, Celestia and Luna speechless.

"Guys? Guys!" Po gasped as he and the other students threw their backpacks aside, rushing over to them, while Swampsuke walked calmly towards the stunned warriors. "They're dead?! No, they're breathing! They're asleep?! No, their eyes are open..." Po noticed as Crane was exhausted with his feathers ruffled and clothes dirtied.

"We were no match... for his nerve attack." Crane explained, out of breath.

"Not surprising." Dragalchimaru noted.

"This isn't good at all." Celestia dreaded.

"Agreed, sister." Luna said in agreement.

"He has gotten stronger..." Shifu realized as he pressed some pressure points on Mantis's chest, freeing him.

"No way..." Sunset uttered.

"Who? Tai Lung? Stronger?" Po asked as Shifu started freeing Monkey while Po and Pinkie leaned over them. Monkey released suddenly from his paralysis... and delivers a punch to Po's head, which was blocked by Pinkie's palm.

"He's too fast!" Monkey gasped before slowly realizing where he is. "Sorry, Po. Sorry, Pinkie."

Shifu kneeled before Tigress and began to free her, reviving her with a gasp. "I thought we could stop him." Tigress said, feeling ashamed of herself.

"He could have killed you." Shifu responded.

"Why didn't he?" Mantis asked.

"So you could come back and strike fear into our hearts. But it won't work." Shifu answered as he freed Viper.

"Uh, it might... I mean, a little. I'm pretty scared." Po admitted.

"M-Me too..." Fluttershy agreed with a scared squeak.

"You and the others can defeat him, panda!" Shifu told Po.

"Finally..." Swampsuke uttered, just itching to beat Tai Lung.

"Are you kidding? If they can't..." Po started as everyone saw the Furious Five, exhausted and beaten. "They're five masters. I'm just one me. The same's for the students of CH."

"But you all will have the one thing that no one else does." Shifu said, making the CH students and Po's eyes widen.

Inside the Hall of Warriors, the Dragon Scroll rests in the mouth of the golden dragon on the ceiling. Po stares at Shifu... then looks up at the Scroll, then back at Shifu. The six scrolls from the vision Sunset Shimmer had were on pillars below, surrounding the golden dragon, as Sunset and her friends stared at the scrolls, then Celestia and Luna.

"*Gasp!* No way... You really... believe I'm ready?" Po awed in disbelief.

"Are you really sure about this?" Sunset asked the kung-fu masters.

"Of course you and the others are ready, Sunset Shimmer." Celestia answered.

"You are... Po." Shifu told Po as everyone looked at each other, for this was a big moment.

Oogway's staff hanged in a rack surrounded by candles, with a portrait of Oogway performing his usual Tai Chi beneath the peach tree above it. As Po, The Five, Sunset and everyone else stood by, Shifu carries the staff over to the reflecting pool. Shifu bowed his head, then, with his eyes still closed, raised the staff up above his head, while Celestia and Luna were on opposite sides of each other and the reflecting pool. Po and the others watch, expectantly, when Shifu whirled the staff, making the peach blossom petals rise in a flickering, spinning cloud up from the pool as Celestia and Luna started doing kung-fu movements of the legendary dragon-style in sync. The gentle tornado rised up around the ceiling carving that holds the Dragon Scroll, when the two sisters suddenly jumped high, circling the pillars and grabbing the six scrolls. The petals loosened the scroll from the dragon's mouth, letting it fall, when at the last second, Shifu reached out with the staff and caught the scroll on the end of it, sending out a single, gentle ripple, calming the pool's water. He turned to Po, holding out the Dragon scroll as Celestia and Luna turned toward Sunset Shimmer, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie, holding the six Scrolls of Harmony.

"Behold. The Dragon Scroll... It is yours." Shifu said to Po.

"Behold. The scrolls of Forgiveness, Loyalty, Honesty, Generosity, Kindness, and Laughter... They're yours." Celestia told her six students.

Po and the six students reached for the scrolls, but hesitated, even Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash and Applejack.

"Wait... what happens when we read them?" Po asked.

"If you could tell us, that is." Fluttershy timidly added.

"No one knows, but legend says you will be able to hear a butterfly's wing-beat." Shifu answered.

"Whoa! Really? That's cool." Po awed as some of the others agreed.

"Yes. Even in the deepest cave, you will see light. And you'll feel the universe join within you." Luna added.

"And you will be able to protect the balance, peace and harmony of the world." Celestia finished, exciting Po and the six students, even Fluttershy, however, overexciting the giant panda beastman.

"Wow! Can I punch through walls? Can I do a quadruple back flip? Will I have invisibility—" Po was cut off by Shifu.

"Focus... focus." Shifu said, snapping Po out of it.

"Huh? Oh, yeah... yeah." Po realized.

"Read it, Po, Sunset Shimmer, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and fulfill your destiny. Read it and become... the Dragon Warrior and the Warriors of Harmony!" Shifu declared.

"Whooaa!!!" Po awed as he and the six students grabbed their own scrolls. The six CH students managed to open tubes without a problem, but were distracted by Po struggling to pull the top off of his. "It's impossible to open." Po strained again, then tried to bite off the top. "Come on, baby. Come on now..." Shifu held out his hand as Po gave him the tube, with the red panda beastman effortlessly popping the end off and passed it back to Po. "Thank you. I probably loosened it up for you though... Okay, here goes."

Sunset and her friends nodded to each other and unrolled their scrolls the same time as Po unrolled his, causing a golden light to bathe in their faces, leaving Shifu, Celestia, Luna, Dragalchimaru and the other Canterlot High students in excitement as they were about to witness history. But when the seven of them looked at the contents of the scrolls after being opened...

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!" They screamed, startling Shifu, the two sisters, Dragalchimaru, the CH students and the Five, while the seven of them looked utterly terrified. "It's blank!"

"What!?" The kung-fu masters asked in complete shock and confusion.

"Here! Look!" Po urged as he tried to show Shifu what it was, but the red panda beastman turned his head away.

"No! I am forbidden to look upon..." Shifu tried to say, but couldn't help himself as he took a peek, grabbing it out of Po's hands, turning it around, then upside down, closing and opening it again, astonished, while the six CH students dropped their scrolls, positively aghast, allowing everyone to see that the six Scrolls of Harmony were just like the Dragon Scroll; blank, reflective, golden paper. This discovery left everyone in shock. "Blank? I don't...I don't understand."

Shifu turned away, contemplative, wondering what this could mean, while Po was deeply disappointed. "Okay. So like, Oogway... was just a crazy old turtle after all?" Po asked.

"No. Oogway was wiser than us all." Shifu tried to retort, but was still focused on the scroll.

"Oh, come on! Face it. He picked me by accident. Of course I'm not the Dragon Warrior. Who am I kidding?" Po deadpanned as he sat heavily on the floor, feeling dejected.

Celestia, Luna and Dragalchimaru were deeply shocked by this development. What could it mean? But that's when it hit them. "Could this mean...?" They realized, before Swampsuke started to laugh madly.

"Are you kidding me?! HAHAHAHAHAHA!!! The scrolls are blank?! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!" Swampsuke laughed before calming himself. "This has been a waste of time!"

"But who will stop Tai Lung?" Tigress asked.

"He'll destroy everything... and everyone." Crane dreaded as Shifu gazed down at his reflection in the moon pool for a long moment, then put the scroll back in its container, sealing it.

He looked oddly calm as he turned around towards the others. "No." Shifu simply said as he handed the scrolls to Po and the six girls. "Evacuate the Valley. You must protect the villagers and the Canterlot High students from Tai Lung's rage."

"What about you, Master?" Tigress asked Shifu.

"I will fight him." Shifu answered, making Po, Sunset and her friends stare at him.

"What?" They uttered.

"I can hold him off long enough for everyone to escape." Shifu explained. "And I will do it, on my own, because you three must go to protect your students as I will protect mine." He told Celestia, Luna and Dragalchimaru, who agreed with a stern nod.

"But, Shifu, he'll kill you." Po told Shifu.

"Then I will finally have paid for my mistake." Shifu replied, leaving Po, the Five and the CH students devastated. "Listen to me, all of you. It is time for you to continue your journey without me. I am very proud to have been your master and your friend." Shifu said as he saluted them, and they saluted back. Po, Sunset and her friends were heartbroken as Shifu turned away. Crane steps forward and kindly puts a wing around Po and Rarity, pulling away. Po and the CH students resisted for a moment, then reluctantly left with the Five and the other three kung-fu masters.

That night, the Five arrived at the base of the stairs, where the villagers and CH students were already scrambling to get out of the valley.

"We've got to get them out safely." Tigress said as Monkey picked up a small child.

"Come, little one. Let's find your mama." Monkey said to the young beastman as he leapt away to find its parents.

"Viper, gather the southern farmers. Mantis, the north. Crane, light the way." Tigress ordered as she passed Crane a lantern and the Five split up and began helping the villagers evacuate.

Po was left by himself as he slowly made his way through the bustling town as two pig beastmen trying to carry a stone dragon spotted him as he passed by. "Look, it's the Dragon Warrior." A pig beastman skeptically said, making Po glance at them as he approached the Noodle Shop, with Mr Ping inside, preparing to leave.

"Hey, Dad." Po said, catching Mr. Ping's attention.

"Po!" Mr. Ping gasped in joy as he hurried over and wrapped his arms around his son. Po bended down to reciprocate the hug, as Po's dad pulls away, having fastened an apron around Po's waist. "Good to have you back, son!" Mr. Ping said as he went back to packing things up.

"Good to be back." Po listlessly agreed.

"Let's go, Po." Mr. Ping said as he struggled to pull the cart full of belongings. Po took the burden for him, and they both left the shop, possibly forever as Po glanced back at the palace. "So for our next shop, it's time to face it... the future of noodles is dice-cut vegetables, no longer slices." Mr. Ping declared as he started to walk off, unaware that Po was slowing down. "Also, I was thinking, maybe this time we'll have a kitchen you can actually stand up in. Hmm? You like that?" Mr. Ping asked before turning around and noticed that Po had stopped following. He walked back to his son sympathetically. "Er, Po... I'm sorry things didn't work out. It just... wasn't meant to be." Mr. Ping said, trying to comfort Po as the panda beastman slumped against the cart. "Po, forget everything else. Your destiny still awaits. We are noodle folk... broth runs deep through our veins!"

"I don't know, Dad. Honestly, sometimes I can't believe I'm actually your son." Po responded, leaving Mr. Ping taken aback.

"Po, I think it's time I told you something I should have told you a long time ago..." Mr. Ping declared, making Po look up.

"Okay..." Po agreed as Mr. Ping dramatically paused.

"The secret ingredient of my secret ingredient soup!" Mr. Ping said.

"Oh." Po replied, feigning excitement.

"C'mere! The secret ingredient is... nothing!" Mr. Ping told Po, taking him completely by surprise.

"Huh?" Po asked in confusion.

"You heard me. Nothing. There is no secret ingredient!" Mr. Ping repeated.

"Wait wait wait...it's just plain old noodle soup? You don't add some kind of special sauce or something?" Po asked, not getting the idea.

"Don't have to. To make something special, you just have to believe it's special." Mr. Ping explained as Po looked at his father with dawning realization, picking up the Scroll and looking down at the golden reflective surface. For a moment, Po stared at his reflection on the scroll, then his eyes widen.

"There is no secret ingredient..." Po realized, understanding what the secret of the Dragon Scroll was...

Earlier, with Sunset and the others, they were the last ones to arrive at the bus, they were about to enter, before Principal Celestia decided to talk to them.

"Sunset Shimmer..." Celestia called out.

"Look... Principal Celestia... I'm sorry." Sunset Shimmer apologized.

"We all are." Rainbow Dash added as the rest of Sunset's friends agreed.

"Sunset, tell me; Do you remember when Twilight Sparkle first showed you friendship?" Celestia asked Sunset.

"Yes, Principal Celestia, and I think I'll understand her and other people more if I figure out the secret of friendship-" Sunset was cut off by Principal Celestia.

"That's just it, Sunset. There is no secret to friendship." Celestia told Sunset, confusing her and the other students.

"What?" Sunset and her friends asked, not getting it.

"If you believe friendship between others is special to you, then friendship is special." Celestia explained, making the CH students realize something as they opened the six harmony scrolls, looking into their reflections.

Then it hit them. "There is no secret to friendship..." Sunset and all of her friends uttered in realization, having finally figured out what the secret of the Scrolls of Harmony were...

There is no secret to being the Dragon Warrior or the Warriors of Harmony...

To be continued...

Author's Note:

Next time, on Multiverse Hearts...

Shifu: This is between you and me.

Tai Lung: Give... me... the scroll!

Raptor: Let's see how you like this, kitty boy!

Swampsuke: Sharingan!

Soulfire: Force Palm!

Makoto: Big Bang... SMASH!

Po and the HuMane 6: Skadoosh!

Swampsuke: Chapter 8...

Sunset Shimmer: The Reunion and Final Battle.

Po: Get ready to feel the thunder!