Chapter 5 - Calm Waters

(So this chapter is called "Calm Waters" for a reason, it's sweet and sad, and Shifu finally asks the question Oogway was dreading: "How did I end up at the Palace?"

The air was filled with the sweet aroma of peach blossoms, and saccharine melody of birds.
Giving a sleepy grunt, the pig walked up to the top of the cliff, swung his hammer connecting it with the gong.
DING!
With that, everyone jumped out of bed, and prepared for the day under the hot sun in the Valley Of Peace.
Shifu walked alongside his bed, and tucked the sheets in, he fluffed his pillow and slipped it under the covers, making a bump in the blanket. The young cub rubbed his eyes, trying to get the sleepy fuzz out of his vision. He had not had a very good night, it was always difficult to fall asleep in a strange place, even if the beds were extremely comfortable. When Shifu had finally fallen asleep, he dreamed of his parents. The dream started off with his parents holding open their arms to their son. Every time Shifu ran to them, they moved so far away, making it impossible to get to them. When he finally caught up, their loving faces twisted into disoriented screams of agony and they melted onto the floor, Shifu to gave a long blood curdling scream, that echoed on in reality also. He woke up, face and pillow soaked with tears, finding Oogway eying him sympathetically from the end of the bed.
I wonder how Su Lin is doing...
Shifu didn't really remember to much, he remembered being carried away from Su Lin and then flying out of his attackers arms and slamming into a hard object with such force... that everything went as black as night.
I'm sure Su Lin is fine though, he thought confidently. Su Lin has always been such a strong Kung Fu warrior, she could take down the saggy old fox easily.
Little did he know.
Shifu looked thoughtful, come to think of it... I haven't even asked Master Oogway how I ended up at the Jade Palace. I'll have to ask him later...
Shifu could hear footsteps getting closer as they walked into his room.
"Ahh, I see you have made your bed...good boy.." The old tortoise smiled fondly at the cub, who returned it with a little one of his own.
"Are you ready to go Shifu?"
The red panda cocked his ears in curiosity and confusion. "Go..? Go where Master Oogway?"
Oogway smiled in a mysterious way that he had perfected long ago. "Just to a place..that I had in mind."
The young cub's ears perked up. "Oh, Sounds fun!" He said cheerfully.
Oogway chuckled lightly. "The journey won't be... but when we get there I guarantee you'll love it..."
Now Shifu was really confused. "Huh?"
The old tortoise smiled. "Come, you must help me prepare a picnic lunch for where we are heading."
The red panda nodded. "Okay!" With that, he followed Oogway to the kitchen.
"So what are we making master...?"
"That all depends, what do you want for lunch? Do you like Beef chow fun?"
"Do I ever!"
"Shahe fen...?"
"Mmmmm..."
"Jiaozi?"
" MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE!"
Oogway laughed. "So I see..."
The old tortoise prepared the picnic lunch into a small round basket.
"We are ready to go."
"Yay!"
Oogway smiled and handed the young cub a knapsack. "Let let us go.."
The wind whistled through the trees as Shifu and Oogway made their way over a large hill.
The young cub's excitement had quickly dissipated like fog on a hot summer's day when he realized how hard the journey to this "secret place" was. He had to use all his strength to keep himself from panting and gasping for breath. They had been traveling for hours. Shifu groaned. "Master, how much f-further?"
Oogway chuckled. "Not much further young one, just hang tight."
twenty minutes later, he and Oogway arrived at a beautiful little pool of water. The reflection sparkled with greatness, and with life, shinning like the crescent moon.
"We are here..."
Thank god, Shifu mouthed silently.
"Isn't it beautiful...?
"..I-I guess so.." The young cub coughed and shook his head, giving a small gasp. Shifu walked slowly behind Oogway, trying not to show how out of breath he was.
"M-master Oogway.......wh-where are we...?"
The old tortoise walked past Shifu over to the pool.
"Mmmmm.....Shifu can you feel it? The tranquility that this lake brings?"
"Not really master..."
Oogway chuckled lightly. "You cannot feel that? You need to have a calm mind Shifu, lift the stress from your thoughts and allow peace to enter them. This lake...so much beauty. I discovered it on my early travels around the world from Galapagos Islands. Being here will give you peace of mind Shifu. Let the power from the water sweep you off into a trance."
Shifu closed his eyes silently, then gasped.
"I feel it! What...what is this feeling Master Oogway..?"
Oogway inhaled deeply, then exhaled smiling at the confused cub. "The feeling of peace in your heart young one. That is what that is."
The old tortoise sat with his legs crossed in front of the pool.
"Shifu, come sit with me." He patted the spot next to him on the dew covered grass.
Shifu blinked in slight confusion, but crawled onto the spot the old master had made for him.
"I assume your parents have taught you how to meditate..?"
Oogway watched as Shifu blushed slightly under his fur. "Umm....yeaah, but I'm not very good at it. I've never been able to do it, and it always irritated Baba."
Oogway laughed slightly, "Is that so? Well you need to find a balance, to be one with the universe let the tranquility of this water embrace you. Only then can you be a true master of Kung Fu."
Excitement filled the young cub's heart, "Y-you mean like you..?"
Oogway smiled. "Most likely. Someday.."
The meditation went on for fifteen minutes, and then Oogway and Shifu unpacked their picnic basket and had their lunch.
As Shifu popped a piece of Jiaozi into his mouth, it dawned on him. The question he wanted to ask earlier.
"Master Oogway?"
"...Yes?"
"How did I..How did I end up at the Jade Palace? How did you find me?"
Oogway closed his eyes and set down his chopsticks eying the young cub sympathetically. Not speaking a word.
"....."
"....."
"....Shifu I...I" He sighed.
How do you tell a child that he pretty much doesn't have a family left? How do you tell it to yourself?
Shifu was quiet, dreading Oogway's next words.
"..Shifu, the way I found you, your cousin...Su Lin came up to me. She had been stabbed in the back, and.........and was dying."
Shifu uttered a sharp gasp as his face twisted with pain.
Oogway tried to continue. "She gave you to me...you were unconscious. Then she..........................she collapsed."
As Oogway was telling him, he tried to keep himself from looking at the young cub's face, and now that he had...well he wished he hadn't. Oogway had never seen such an expression on anyone before. Shifu's eyes were as wide as they could get, yet completely blank. Something deep inside them had gone as dark as a whirlpool. Oogway almost feared he'd be sucked into the vortex.
Shifu hadn't moved in a full minute, which worried the old tortoise. He extended his hand to touch his forehead.
"Shifu? Are you oka-"
Before he took touch him, the cub burst into loud heaving sobs. Oogway jerked back his hand startled.
"No! NO! NO! NO! N-no one c-c-c-cares about me...wh-wh-why do I even exist..if people are just going to l-leave me!?"
Oogway didn't know what to do, Shifu was inconsolable a this point, sobs racking his whole body. At loss for a solution the old tortoise placed his hand on the red panda's head smoothing his fur.
Shifu took a deep breath and screamed at the top of his lungs, "SU LIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINN!!!!!![/b]
After a half hour Shifu had finally calmed down and was starring silently down at a flower in his hand as he twirled it with grace. There was no emotion in his face.
Oogway watched him, also silent.
"Shifu..."
"............"
"I know you can't really hear me right now, but I want to say, that no one wants to leave you. It..it was their time." He whispered softly.
"...............I'm having a hard time believing that now Master Oogway."
"How could you think no one loves you? Your father and cousin died saving you! Your mother died with her last wish of being you succeed in your dream..."
"........"
"There is no greater love then the will to sacrafice yourself to save someone."
"........"
"Your hearts will always be one, and that is why I am asking you to trust me: your new master so our hearts can connect as well."
Shifu looked up at Oogway, as the old tortoise gently took his hand and pressed his big one against the tiny one. Curling his huge fingers over the small baby ones, and something filled the young cub's heart. ....Feelings? So many feelings.....feelings of trust, content, love, friendship.
"I...I do trust you master..." His master! It made his proud to say that, and at that moment Shifu was sure he could see that spiritual connection forming between Master and student.

( So what did you think? To sad? Gotta expect that people, the child's parents and cousin just died! Of course it'll be sad for the first few chapters! Next one, Shifu starts training! Yaaaaaaaayz!)

(As always), preview of the next chapter!

"No Shifu, do not turn against me, move with me."
"I can't!" The cub wailed, it's to hard!
"You're right, it is hard but it will help you in the long run. The path to victory is to find your oponent's weakness, and make him suffer for it."
Shifu nodded, he understood now. Master Oogway moved to the right, so did he, the old tortoise moved to the left, and Shifu followed suit. Finally he grabbed the young cub and pulled back. Shifu didn't move forward, but instead threw himself back, both him and his master hit the ground with full force.
"Good job Shifu! You are learning so fast, perhaps even as fast as your parents." Oogway gave his student a wink.
"Now we shall move on to the techni-"
The old tortoise was interupted by a loud rumbling sound that shook the earth.
Shifu's eyes widened fearfully. "What was that?!"

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