Chapter 21 - Anniversaries Of Sadness

(Little Shifu mourns over the anniversary of death in this chapter. Some cute Shifu/Oogway moments.)

“Hiya!” The kitten struck her foot out into the wall. “....Ouch.”
Oogway sighed and rubbed his temples. “Kurisu, you aren't supposed to kick the wall; you'll break your foot!”
“...Oh.”
“The point of the exercise is to kick everything but the wall.”
“The wall is right in the way, though...” The kitten murmured.
Oogway laughed. “Perhaps you should sit down; your foot is swelling.”
“Good idea.” Giving a grunt of pain, Kurisu limped over to the bench and grumbled angrily. “Man, I am NEVER going to get the hang of this!”
Seina Suri blinked her little eyes rapidly and crawled next to the kitten on the bench. “Hehehe!”
Kurisu grinned and hugged the young white tiger. “Is my misery amusing to you, Seina?”
“Hehehe!”
The kitten smoothed Seina's fur. “Master Oogway, do you know where Master Shifu is?”
The old tortoise was quiet for a moment. “...He's not feeling well, Kurisu.” Well, that is the truth, I just didn't say what was wrong with him..
“Not feeling well?” Kurisu looked alarmed. “What's wrong with him?”
“He, well...” I can't lie to her. “Today is the anniversary that something rather bad happened to him.”
“Oh, what is it?” The kitten pressed.
“Today is the anniversary that his entire family was killed.”
“.............His entire family was killed?” She was shocked. “B-by who?”
Oogway took a deep and shuddering breath. “An enemy of ours: his name is Giao Xun.”
“Giao Xun?” Why does that name sound familiar? “Giao Xun.....Giao Xun.”
The old tortoise had his head bowed sadly and turned away from her. “It's quite sad for me too, I was close to a lot of Shifu's relatives.
Kurisu's mouth creased with sympathy. “Oh..”
Oogway took a deep breath and forced a smile on his face. “I'm going to go check up on him.” He turned to Po. “Your kicks are getting better, Dragon Warrior; leg higher next time.”
“Okay.” Po said, cheerfully.
Oogway found Shifu at the edge of the cliff in front of the Sacred Peach Tree Of Heavenly Wisdom. His ears were far back, his eyes were wide and glassy, and his head was hanging low as he held a bouquet of flowers.
“I see you're carrying on the usual tradition.”
Shifu's ears went up slightly from being startled. “Oh! Master, good evening..”
“How are you doing?” Oogway asked, his voice gentle and calm.
The red panda gave one of the saddest smiles that the old tortoise had ever seen. “Oh, been better.” He laughed sadly. “Way better...”
Oogway knew better then that; Shifu was to upset to even try pulling off the “been better.” “Come now, it's me. I know you better then anyone else on this planet.”
“.....” The red panda turned away.
“Fu.”
Shifu's eyes went as wide as they could go; he spun around to Oogway. Was he hearing right? Did Oogway really call him the name of endearment that the red panda was so sure had been dead and buried by now? “Wh-what did you call me?”
“I called you Fu.” The old tortoise smiled. “Haven't you missed it as much as I have?”
Shifu was touched; a soft smile spread across his lips. “Yes. I feared that you would never call me it again.”
“You don't think you're to “grown up” for it?”
“No.” Shifu answered. That name had always been an endearment that had put emphasis on their relationship; and there was finally a relationship that they could put emphasis on. “I really have missed it.” He smiled once more. “Hearing you call me that might make tonight less harder for me.”
Oogway sighed and laid a hand on his shoulder. “I feel your pain...” He looked at his student in the eyes. “Are you ready?”
Shifu nodded slowly as he and Oogway got down on their knees and said a silent prayer for all the loved ones they had lost. Today was also the day that they honored Shei Lia; it was only a week before the anniversary of his family's death. Coincidently, Shifu's father had been killed on the same day that the rest of his family had.
While holding hands, the two masters stood and took four flowers each. Each of them gently plucked the flower petals and tossed them off the cliff ledge; watching as the petals rose up swirling in the sky.
Shifu allowed a single tear to go down his cheek. To not shed a tear for his lost relatives would be highly disrespectful. He peered up and saw Oogway's eyes watering. The old tortoise gently laid his hand on the red panda's head; occasionally gently stroking his fingers over Shifu's forehead.
“Well, we better head back to the palace.” Oogway said, sighing heavily.
Shifu nodded solemly as he made his way to the training hall. He threw open the door.
“Shifu chan! Oh, Shifu chan! I'm so soooorryy!” Kurisu wailed as she ran up to him and threw her arms around him.
The red panda stood there awkwardly, patting her lightly on the back. “What's wrong, Kurisu?”
“Master Shifu, I'm so so sorry!”
“What, young one, what did you do NOW?” He groaned.
“Nothing, I'm sorry for you!”
“For what? What did I-” Then he stopped and glared up at Oogway. “You told her!” He hissed.
“She forced it out of me, I'm sorry! His looks was pleading.
Shifu glared at his master before smiling softly and shrugging. “Naw, I'm fine, Kurisu.”
The kitten hesitated. “Are you sure? I can hug you again if you want..” She tried to hug him again but Shifu pushed her back.
“I don't want a hug..”
“Yeh-yeh!” Seina Suri squealed as she bounded across the room and pounced on the red panda.
“Ahh! Seina!” Shifu growled, as he tried to push the baby off his face. “Seina, go away!”
She responded by crawling up to him and nuzzling his face and stomach.
Shifu chuckled as the toddler crawled up and sat around his shoulders.
“Yeh!”
Oogway laughed. “Did she just call you “yeh”?”
“Unfortunately, yes..” The red panda groaned. “Do I look that old to you, master?”
The old tortoise raised his eyebrows. “Fu, you are talking to an 1000 year old turtle! So don't you DARE talk to me about being old!”
Shifu couldn't help by giggling slightly. “Sorry..” He said, sheepishly.
Oogway smiled. “You should consider Yeh-yeh as an endearment.” He paused. “You called me it only a few times when you were a cub.” He chuckled. “You used to say it in such a squeaky voice, too!”
Shifu laughed. “I had a squeaky voice?” He couldn't quite remember.
Kurisu joined the laugh. “But your voice is so deep, crackly, and hoarse..”
Shifu did a double take. “Waitasec-deep, crackly, hoarse?” He turned to Oogway. “I AM old!”
Oogway gave him a slap upside the head. “No, you're not!”
“My life is already half over!” He wailed. “You're lucky, yours is already over!”
The old tortoise blinked; before bursting out laughing. “And yet, I'm still here listening to you whine about your age. Why don't I just ascend back to heaven already?”
“Because according to YOU, we still need you for some reason.” Kurisu said, simply.
“Indeed, you do.” Oogway replied. “A very special reason..” He saw the questioning look on her face. “That I can not yet discuss with you.”
“Awwwwwww....”
Shifu looked confused. “Really, what reason could you possibly have to come back for?”
“All will be revealed in time, dear Fu.”
Shifu gave an exasperated sigh. “You aren't going to tell me, are you?”
“Nope.”
The red panda shrugged. “I expected that much..”
The kitten cocked her head. “Who's Fu?”
Oogway smiled. “It's a nick name I used to call Shifu when he was a cub.”
“It's adorable!” Kurisu exclaimed. “Okay, so, do you call you Master Fu now?”
The old tortoise laughed.
Shifu narrowed his eyes. “Yes.” He said in a sweet voice-too sweet. “Yes, you can call me that if you want me to give you dish duty until the day you die an agonizing death by hard labor and mourners bury you under the cold hard ground.”
Oogway slapped him upside the head. “Be nice.”
The kitten's eye twitched. “Uhhhh...I don't want that, thanks.”
Kurisu nodded in agreement and scooped Seina Sui into her arms. {i]I still have to go see Tai chan.[/i] “Master, may I take a walk in the Forest of Tranquility?”
Shifu frowned. “What for?”
Uh-oh. “No reason, I just want to take a talk.”
“Alright, be back in no more than an hour. Got that?”
“Yup! Ummm...I'm going to grab a little picnic lunch.”
Shifu immediately looked suspicious. “For what?”
“Huh? Oh! Uhhh....well..it's nice to eat under the moonlight!”
Oogway nodded in agreement. “I completely agree, go and have fun, Kurisu.”
Seina Suri giggled and began pulling her mother towards the door. “Fun!”
The old tortoise turned to Shifu. “Well, what do you want to do?” A slightly evil smirk came to his face. Some training, perhaps?”
Shifu laughed. “Right! You think I'm THAT dumb? I know you! There is no way I'm going to train with you!” He hesitated. “At least not unless I cover my entire body with pillows!”
The old master rolled his eyes and poked Shifu on the nose. “Wimp.”
The red panda wasn't having any of that. “Ohhoho, so I'm a wimp, am I?” In a swift motion he kicked at Oogway's legs and he almost fell back. “Bring. It. On.”
Oogway gave a smirk and walked forward to his student. “You REALLY shouldn't have done that..”
Shifu's ears fell back against his head and he gave a high pitched whimper. Crap! “No, no, no, no! Master Oogway, stay back!” As the red panda backed away slowly, his hand reached for something that may be able to save himself. “Stand back, don't come any closer! I've got....a stuffed bunny??”Bigger crap!”Kurisu, I KNEW you'd be the death of me!”
Tail twitching playfully, Oogway crouched and got ready to pounce.
Shifu's whimper became more high pitched as he covered his eyes, expecting the worst.
The old tortoise grinned slyly. “I'd say you're more the wimp now, my dear Fu.” With that, he pounced.
Meanwhile, Kurisu and little Seina Suri were making their way towards the forest.
“Eee?” Seina Suri asked her mother.
“We're going to go see Tai chan, Seina.”
“Eee?”
“We're going to bring him a picnic basket.”
“..Yeh!”
The kitten laughed. “You really love Shifu, don't you?”
The tiger cub clapped her hands. “Ehehe!”
Kurisu looked thoughtful. “I love him too. Other than Mr. Ping, Shifu's been like my baba. You know?”
Seina Suri shook her head and Kurisu giggled.
“Of course you don't know, you're only a little baby!”
The tiger cub was quiet for a moment. “Yeh..?”
“When we get back.” Kurisu promised. “Shifu probably wants to be alone right now. Either that, or he's doing something with Oogway. We're going to see Tai chan right now, okay?”
Seina nodded and gurgled happily. “Tee!”
“Um, you're to young to drink tea!”
“Tee!” The cub cried, pointing to the tree Tai Lung usually sat on.
“Ohhhh....tree!” Kurisu laughed.. “That makes more sense!”
Seina Suri was already climbing up the steady wood.
“Wait for me, Seina!” The kitten followed her cub, clinging onto a branch and pulling herself up.
The tiger cub pointed to the ground. “High!
“That's right, we are high up.”
Kurisu sat on the tree branch, exhaling deeply and smiling. “I love this forest. It's so tranquil.” She smiled over at Seina Suri. “Don't you love it here, Seina?”
Seian Suri gave a chirp of happiness. “Ehehe!”
Kurisu's cheerful thoughts were quickly interrupted as she felt someone's piercing gaze.
“What are you doing here?” A voice rasped

(Hehehe, another cliffie! ^^ Who do you think it is?)

Preview of the next chappy!

The dark shadows seemed to be the only thing that Shifu could see. The only thing that welcomed the red panda.
Shifu trembled with fright and from the cold wind. A shroud of black mist swarmed around his head, he could only hear a low jeering laugh in the distance. The red panda squinted hard against the swarming fog and tried to see the dark shapes that were on the ground. From under the ashen shadows, lay a puddle of crimson blood.
It was only then that the fear struck Shifu's heart. Was it a dream? Or, was it reality?

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