The Tales of the Dragon Warrior

The Start of Training and the Battle at the Thread of Hope

(the image above is Tai-lung)

Jade huffed in exertion as she climbed up the rocky peak and through the fog, miles away from the Jade Palace.

"I get you're trying to be all mystical and kung-fu-y, but could you at least tell why it had to be this mountain specifically?", Jade whined fakely. She knew why it had to be the mountain they were climbing, but she just wanted to have a little fun and annoy Shifu by complaining.

She and Shifu had been walking for half a day to reach the mountain, and had spent the other half actually climbing the mountain. Jade was quite tired, especially since she had been charged with carrying all the supplies for the trip on her back. But Jade didn't falter. She kept her back straight and her head held high as she marched, not buckling under the weight of her burden. Shifu, who was leading her to their training spot, glanced back at her and smiled in respect.

"It has to be this mountain specifically because of what resides at the top.", Shifu responded. Jade rolled her eyes at his crypticness.

"You know, being all vague and shit like Oogway was doesn't suit you. You're way more suited for brutal honesty.", she advised. Shifu chuckled.

"Perhaps, but vagueness is more fun in this situation.", he responded, before taking a seat on a slightly elevated piece of stone and assuming a meditative position. Jade, extremely tired from their journey, didn't fully register where she was as she collapsed onto the ground beside a small pool of water. She tried to catch her breath, before eagerly scooping water from the pool into her hands and drinking it like there was no tomorrow. She repeated this process a few times, before Shifu spoke.

"Jade, we do not drink from the Pool of Sacred Tears.", Shifu told her. Jade snorted and continued to drink.

"If you couldn't stop me from eating the heavenly wisdom peaches off the Sacred Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom, then you sure as hell can't stop me from drinking sacred tear water from the magic miracle pool.", She said, and scooped up yet another drink from the sacred pool. Shifu sighed in resignation and cracked open his eyes.

"I suppose you're right.", he relented, before standing up and walking over to where Jade sat at the edge of the water.

"This is where Oogway unraveled the mysteries of harmony and focus. This is the birthplace of kung fu.", Shifu told Jade dramatically. Jade stopped drinking from the pool and truly looked out at the water for the first time, and then looked behind her. She saw that there was a large rock behind her and a large rock in the water.

'It really does look like a yin-yang symbol.', Jade thought in awe. Her earlier brazen attitude aside, she was in one of the most sacred places in all of the martial arts world. She was in the place where kung fu was born.

"This place is amazing.", she voiced. Shifu smiled at her and nodded.

"Indeed it is. Oogway first brought me here when he deemed me ready to become a master. He trained me for many days and nights, before he finally bestowed upon me the title of 'Master'.", Shifu told her, giving Jade more information than he had given Po. Shifu's smile widened.

"And I shall do the same with you.", he said, before jumping up and doing a backflip onto a large rock formation and doing several kung fu forms. Jade stared up at him in awe.

"Do you want to master kung fu?!", Shifu asked loudly, pointing a finger at Jade. Jade nodded furiously. Her childhood dream was coming true! She was starting to feel giddy.

"Yeah!", she responded breathlessly. She wasn't sure if Shifu even heard her, because she could barely hear herself. Her excitement was causing a ringing in her ears, and she could almost hear the epic background music. Shifu smirked.