Hey fellow KFP fans! Just a quick note before the story. This takes place soon after the events of KFP 2. This story has been published with the title of the first chapter. I will give the whole story a proper title if and when I finish it. Just so you know I do NOT consider most of the Legends of Awesomeness series to be legitimate KFP. I can understand how people like it but I just feel it warps the characters into something they are not and is way too silly. This makes sense as the movies were designed to appeal to all age groups, and the cartoons well… were made for jumpy little kids. I admit they are still pretty charming (and yes I watched them!). The Secrets of the Furious Five and the Secrets of the Masters shorts totally count though. I hope you enjoy this, and please be as brutal as you like with the reviews. The reviews will keep this thing going, and if enough people like the story then I'll update it with another chapter in a week or two. (I promise it will be another long chapter!)

It was early in the morning in the Valley of Peace. Very Early. The sun had not yet cleared the horizon, and the nearby mountaintops were wreathed in mist. Zheng, the head servant of the Jade Palace, had just finished his morning tea.

The esteemed furious five had to get up at the gong, and the venerable master Shifu even earlier, but Zheng was up before them all. He better than anyone else knew the unholy hours before dawn, when the dew was thick on the grass and the bones creaky. Zheng stretched and settled into the morning routine he had repeated for over three decades. The uniform seemed to put itself on, and the door to his simple abode swung open with a familiar creak.

Zheng's associates were already hard at work tending to the Palace. The well-manicured lawns and gardens certainly didn't take care of themselves, and the countless antiques, statues, and paintings required a dedicated team of curators. Zheng attended to a few minor errands, put together a grocery list after checking the larder, then started to make his way to the village gong just South of the palace. Suddenly, the old goose realized he was not alone on the path that morning. Po seemed to be running, no sprinting down the path to the palace. Zheng had never seen someone so big move so fast. "Master Po, is something wrong?" He inquired. "No Time!" Gasped Po as he ran by. "could you" *PANT "hold the gong" *GASP " a couple minutes?"

Hold the Gong? Preposterous. It rang three times a day everyday and had done so for over a thousand years. Zheng had never rung the gong late in his lifetime, nor had his predecessor, or even his predecessor's predecessor. He turned to politely refuse, but the panda was already out of earshot. It's not like he had a choice: Shifu would be angry at either him for being late or the panda for being late. Besides, Po caused him enough trouble when he broke the urn of whispering warriors for the –what was it now – the fourth time? No, that Panda certainly couldn't count on any favors from him any time soon.

Po was certainly not built for speed, but that wasn't stopping him. His chest heaved as he rounded the turn to the dormitories, and his calves burned like fire.

Meanwhile, inside the dormitories, Shifu calmly awaited the morning gong, lost in thought. Everyone had just gotten back from Gongmen city the previous afternoon. Perhaps, Shifu thought, getting back to training so soon would be a mistake. The red panda suddenly felt older than he ever had before. He had almost lost everything. No other battle had affected him and the five like the one against Shen. What would he have done if he had arrived in Gongmen to find the five dead, or even Po dead? His lifelong devotion to Kung Fu would mean nothing. Shifu involuntarily shuddered. Such thoughts had made him reconsider what was most important to him. Just how close had he come to losing everything? That is what his students, his family, had become for him. Shifu decided that he would go easy on them today, and hopefully they could recover from such an ordeal.

The gong rang out against the quiet, as the first rays of rose red sunlight slowly filtered into the valley of peace. First it graced the veins of pure jade in the nearby peaks, causing them to glow with a warm light. Then came the tile roof of the Jade Palace, followed by the courtyard and the thousand steps. Finally the whole valley came alive, the waterways sparkling far below. It was another glorious day for Kung-Fu.

"Good Morning Master" the furious five said in unison. Here was the fruit of his labor, his prized students. This was all that mattered to him now. Shifu chuckled as he noticed one door remained closed. It would seem Po had slept in again. Tigress gave an low growl, the kind that said "you're getting an ass-kicking today," but not a sound came from Po's room. "Can I throw the bucket of cold water this time?" Asked Monkey, cackling in glee. Shifu appeared pensive for a moment, then replied "No, for once I think Po deserves to sleep in." The five gave him looks of utter disbelief. "What? Saving China and Kung-Fu doesn't earn him anything?"

"So I should get that water then?" said Monkey, obviously thinking this was just Shifu's usual sarcasm.

Just then Po burst into the hallway gasping for breath. "What's going on?" demanded Shifu. This was seriously disturbing. Po NEVER got up before the gong. Something was seriously wrong. The five instantly took up defensive stances around the hall, ready for attack. Po got enough of his wind back to say "Nothing, I was just running around, didn't mean to be late." Shifu locked his icy glare right on the Panda, searching for signs of mischief. Po had always been a terrible liar. "And why were you, as you say, running around before the gong. You, who have never once woken up before it was absolutely necessary. "

Po was a bit offended at this. " Well I was just, y'know, trying to get in shape for a change. I mean I'm sure Crane is a little fed up carrying me all the time. It's time I got some speed and agility going, and learn how to wake up on time." If the five weren't dumbfounded by Shifu's earlier remark, they were in a state of disbelief from what Po had just said. There was a terribly awkard pause, and Shifu couldn't help but raise an eyebrow in amusement. The grandmaster cleared his throat, then said "For once it seems you have an acceptable excuse for being late." He then turned to the five. " I will see you all in the dining hall shortly." With that Shifu walked out of the dormitory.

None of the five could really make sense of what was going on. Crane's mouth creaked open like a hinge. Things had certainly changed with Po around. "Hey Shifu never has breakfast with us this is gonna be awesome!" Po exclaimed. Before anyone could say anything the panda was racing towards the kitchen, intent on cooking up a storm.

"Another day" thought Po "another day cooking for the furious freaking five!" Po hadn't taken a single moment of Dragon-warrior-dom for granted since the day he defeated Ti- Lung. Every day was literally a dream-come true for him, especially since the five actually loved his cooking. Even Tigress had quickly caved in and tried his noodle soup, and of course she had loved it. True the events of the past week had shaken him up a bit, but in a good way. Po felt stronger, happier, and more driven than ever before. He was totally committed to attaining "excellence of self" (Kung Fu). Po was a blur in the kitchen.

Kung fu and cooking, it seemed, had a lot in common. In less than fifteen minutes a lavish breakfast was laid out for everyone, and ginseng tea was hot in the kettle. Po liked to cook, but he absolutely loved cooking for the five. When he first started it was a sort of apology for his all-around oafishness and laziness. That first batch of secret ingredient soup he had made for the five had been a last-ditch attempt to earn a little respect. As his father had always said "The surest way into someone's heart is through the stomach!"

Even Shifu would occasionally join Po and the five for dinner. It during was times like that when Po would cook his pants off. Po began placing everyone's chopsticks, (even the tiny ones for mantis) when out of nowhere came a voice in his ear "you've outdone yourself yet again I see…" Po jumped and let out a surprised shout. Tigress had snuck up on him again! "Not that we mind" added Mantis from on top of her shoulder.

Everyone took their seats around the table, followed by Shifu. The mere aroma coming from the table was incredible. Shifu pretended to scold Po "If you keep cooking like this we're going to have to fire the palace chef!" "Yeah here's to Po's cooking!" Mantis raised his cup to a toast, met by all. Po was beaming "Thanks guys." Here he was, sitting at a table and casually dining with his childhood heroes!

That was the end of the talking for the meal. Everyone was just glad to be back home in one piece. The sooner everyone could go back to normal, the better. At the same time, however, everyone had begun to understand that there was no going back to the way things were. All of them had changed, if not from the last six months, then from the events of the last week. No longer were the seven warriors of the Jade Palace just bound by honor, duty, or even just friendship. They had become a strange sort of family. Shifu was hardly ever grumpy anymore; he was assuming the thoughtful, kind nature that Oogway had been so famous for. Out of no-where Tigress was not being so cold and callous. And when she was around Po she was, well- actually pretty nice. Tigress and Po were like a dynamic duo. Only Viper had known Tigress had another side, and she hadn't seen it since she first came to the Jade Palace. The Furious Five and the Dragon warrior even got a day off of training every week.

The five and Po finished their breakfasts and looked to Shifu for orders. He didn't bark out any sort of command, or reprimand anyone. In fact, he really didn't seem to be in much of a hurry. He gave them a fond smile and peacefully sipped at his cup of tea. Po couldn't take the suspense "so what's on the agenda today? Nerve attacks? Sneak attacks? An army of angry gorillas? Time to kick some –" Shifu interrupted him "Easy Po. Even though today is not the usual day off, I figured it would be best to relax and recuperate." He paused, taking another sip of tea. "There is no agenda today, spend it as you wish. We will resume training tomorrow." Tigress shifted uncomfortably

"But Master," Tigress protested "We are not injured and are-"

"Don't be absurd Tigress." Shifu said calmly. " You haven't even gotten the scorch marks out of your fur, and Cranes' wing is just getting better."

Here Shifu paused again, finishing his tea and seeming to stare at something in the distance. "And even if this were not so I believe recent events have deeply affected us all, especially you Po. No, today is a day for meditation and reflection. I will be going for to the peach tree to meditate, and I expect all of you to –how do you say it Po?- take it easy. That means nobody in the training hall, especially you Tigress." "And just when I got in the mood!" exclaimed Po, to everyone's amusement. Tigress, however, was a bit glum. What the hell was she supposed to do if she couldn't train?

Everyone did their best to find something to do. Po mentioned something about going down to the noodle shop, then snuck off. Viper just picked a warm rock to sun on outside the palace. Crane wrote a delicately brushed letter for an old friend. Without Po around to inspire them Monkey and Mantis quickly became bored, until they stole Po's action figures. They even got out the carving tools and tried to make a couple of their own. Tigress sat on the roof of the Jade Palace, scanning the valley and the grounds. Suddenly she spotted Po on a trail behind the Palace. That sneaky liar was up to something, no question about that. Tigress quickly caught up to the Panda, but stayed just out of sight.

"Shifu just had to be concerned for a change…." Po muttered under his breath. He switched to a gruff imitation of Shifu "I expect you to take it easy. " "Yeah because I know all about that! I'll show him!" He broke into a run. The path he had taken was the same one that led to the pool of sacred tears, and the alpine meadows where Shifu had first given him training. Po didn't need to go that far… only far enough so nobody else could see what he was up to. Just a couple miles down the path was an open grove of trees, with an understory of lush clover. After a quick glance around to make sure he was alone, Po walked up to the tallest, tree in the stand and cracked his knuckles. "Alright nothing personal buddy, just getting a little workout." With that he began landing a flurry of blows on the trunk. "Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow… they sure call you ironwood for a reason now don't they? Ow ow ow ow." Po kept wailing on the tree, oblivious to the Bengal Tiger right behind him. Tigress inched a little closer. This was perfect opportunity to pursue one of her favorite past times: scaring the crap out of Po.

"Taking it easy hmm?"

Po nearly jumped out of his skin. After his hair stopped standing on end, he whipped around to face Tigress. "Oh M-MAN you have got to stop doing that! I think my heart skipped a few beats."

" A warrior must be constantly vigilant and aware of their surroundings. I thought you would have learned by now." Tigress said with an air of smug satisfaction.

"Fair enough but what are you doing here?" asked Po, his arms crossed defensively.

"I should be the one asking that question." Countered Tigress. "I can't stand liars Po. You said you were going to the noodle shop. What's with you today? You never wake up before you have to, and you certainly have never wanted to 'get in shape' before."

"That's not true! I had totally started dieting last—" Tigress cut him off with a low growl and an annoyed glare. Po couldn't help but marvel at her vibrant orange eyes, eyes that could almost pierce the soul... he could stare at them all day.

"What's going on?" She demanded.

"What are you talking about?'

"You know exactly what I'm talking about!" Snapped Tigress. Her expression softened a bit. "I'm just a bit… concerned alright? Is this because of what happened at Gongmen? What happened to your parents? There is nothing you have to be ashamed of Po. " Po plopped down on the ground and sighed in a melancholy sort of way, searching for the right words. He had already filled everyone in on his past, up to the nitty-gritty details of being found in a radish crate.

"I'm so sorry Tigress." Po blurted.

"For what?" asked Tigress.

"I feel horrible for what I said to you back in the jail. How could I say you couldn't understand what I was going through? You, who were orphaned before you could even crawl? No one is tough enough not to be hurt by that."

There was a pause. "How did you know that?"

"You're totally forgetting I'm like your biggest fan." Joked Po

"Oh right…" Tigress chuckled. "Monkey will never stop teasing you about those action figures." They shared a brief laugh. Tigress took a seat next to Po, knees held close to her chest. "You were so lucky to be found by Mr. Ping. Shifu never allowed himself to be any more than a master to me. I had always hoped that if I tried hard enough he would be my family on more than just paper, but that never happened. Perhaps that's why I had been so stone-cold to everyone, especially to you when you got the dragon scroll. " Her ears drooped down in sorrow.

"How could you say th-" Po started, but Tigress cut him off "Po don't…"

Po didn't care "But it's not true! I mean sure you were sometimes a little nasty when I first got here-" "And before that" added Tigress.

"-so what if you were a little then either? Can anyone really blame you for being embittered by what you've gone through? On top of being labeled a monster? I can almost relate to that! My whole life I've been the one big, fat, stupid, clumsy panda in the valley!" Po let out a long sigh, then continued.

"You're Tigress of the Furious Friekin' Five! Protecting people is what you do! What kind of Monster protects people? Tigress, make no mistake; behind that cold shell you put up is one of the greatest people I've ever met, my best friend, and one of the five reasons I love Kung Fu. Stop beating yourself up… please."

Tigress had difficulty retaining her composure. This was exactly why she had lost her will to fight when Po had been shot with Shen's cannon. He was her first, and best true friend in the world. He had given her the family, and the sense of belonging she had always dared to hope for. Hell, Shifu was even eating at the same table now, and frequently gave her praise. The last winter feast that Po had screwed up so perfectly had been one of the happiest moments of her life. For that one night, everything was right in the world. Po had even managed to get her to do some of those ridiculous folk dances.

She smiled inwardly as she fondly remembered the "Drunken man's Drivel Dance," which was really just everyone pretending to be horribly intoxicated. Monkey didn't even need to pretend, and Po just loosed his natural clumsiness. Even Shifu, with the highest reputation to uphold, had taken part; knocking over everything in sight and pretending to be a doddering old geezer with a hearing problem. Tigress had even surprised herself, cracking jokes, laughing and for once being the brunt of laughter. The children actually wanted to play with her, when before she had just frightened them. Po had given her things that had been almost completely missing from her childhood – a sense of being important to others, a family, and of course fun. Po had taught her how to have fun, plain and simple. The five now met her with more than just respect and fear. Tigress was no longer numbed by years of neglect and solitude, and was discovering an entirely new side of herself. She would rather die than go back to life as it was before Po crash landed in front of her. How could she go one if anything happened to Po? All of these things she couldn't bring herself to tell the Panda just yet.

Tigress didn't know if any of the other five had told Po what had happened in the factory after he got blasted into Gongmen Bay, or how she had cried, yes CRIED when monkey tried to rally the five. Tigress hoped not, as she absolutely hated to appear so weak. She figured she at least needed to at least tell him something.

After a few minutes Tigress managed to muster a whisper. "Thank you Po. I really needed that."

"Yeah don't mention it."

Tigress then switched back to interrogation mode. "You're avoiding my original question though."

"Yeah I just needed to get that off my chest. I felt awful after that night in the jail, especially after I almost got everyone killed again.. .hehe. I guess I'm trying harder for a variety of reasons, first and foremost because the fate of all of China and Kung-Fu was pretty much resting on my shoulders at Gongmen. I can't afford to screw up as much anymore. I've really got to focus. It's not like I have anything better to do anyway, being the last panda on earth. I mean c'mon what am I going to do raise a family? I suppose nothing else has really changed- I'm just going to take training a little more seriously.

Tigress put a paw on Po's shoulder "Your parents would be proud, and hey, if you wanna be hardcore, you're talking to a professional."

"Oh really?" Po said in a teasing tone. "Last time I checked you were a warm, fluffy little ki- OWW!" Tigress socked him hard in the arm.

Tigress leapt to her feet. " Now I have no intention of 'taking it easy' today either. Up for a little spar?"

"Do I have a choice?" Po grinned, getting into a defensive stance. Tigress answered with an onslaught of fists and feet. With that it was on until the evening gong.

That evening, thoroughly exhausted, Po had opened the door to his room to find Monkey and Mantis doing a vivid reenactment of one of their recent battles. Po was too busy laughing to get angry at them, and despite their protests immediately called over the other members of the furious five. The laugher reached a crescendo when Viper noticed that the Tigress figurine had a pink dress on. Tigress was not amused. Crane, being the oldest of the group scolded Monkey and Mantis for being so immature. Then he saw what they had done to his action figure, and began to scuffle with the pair to get at it. Before long there was an all out action figure war, and of course Shifu chose that moment to walk by.

No one even noticed at first. They were too busy beating up a poorly-carved Shen figurine. Even Tigress, master of Tiger style, was laughing her head off. This took Shifu by surprise. Suddenly he felt happy, warm like he hadn't felt as long as he could remember. Now more than ever he wished he could call her daughter, not just master Tigress. When he had first adopted Tigress, he would not allow himself to show any attachment, and very little affection. This was because of two major reasons:

First, that his love would again blind him to what he was creating, and second, that what was left of his heart would be ripped out if anything happened to Tigress. Losing Tia Lung had crippled Shifu both emotionally and physically.(his hip had been broken) Shifu didn't think he could ever love again. He had only adopted Tigress because he recognized her natural talents, and because of Oogway (who had actually scolded Shifu for what he had done occasionally).

How could he have been such a selfish fool? Tigress had needed a father, not a master. True he had given her purpose, and lifted her out of the misery of the orphanage, but that was no excuse for what he had done next. He had simply trained her constantly, harshly. He had empowered her to gain the respect and gratitude of the Valley, but not love. When he thought about it he could have very easily created a second Tia Lung.

All this and more became obvious the longer Po stayed at the Palace. Po had made the furious five and him into a family right under his nose! Suddenly Tigress was not only a perfect warrior, but a wonderful and kind person. This made him immeasurably proud. Why hadn't he ever told her how important she was to him? Was he some sort of coward? That first winter feast when he had seen her feeding the little piglet and making baby faces…. he hadn't even thought that side of her existed. He had felt so incredible sitting down at the table with everyone, for a moment pretending to be more than a master. His battered and tormented soul had been released by Po calling him "family."

Shifu had meditated on the subject much since then. How many cold, miserable nights had the little Tigress suffered with no one to tuck her in and tell her how loved she was? How had she not broken down when she was denied warmth, and caring? The answer was painfully clear. Tigress had erected an iron shell around her heart, becoming cold and unfeeling in an attempt to keep it from breaking any further.

Was it too late to beg for forgiveness? Yes, it was impossibly late, but he promised himself to do it anyway, and soon. Shifu suddenly snapped out of his train of thought, realizing everyone was staring at him as if they had broken something expensive.

Crane was the first to speak "This isn't what it looks like." Shifu quickly glanced at the scene before him, the six deadliest warriors in China huddled around like a group of naughty children. "Hmm….. then could tell me why my action figure is wearing makeup?"

The silence was deafening.

Without warming Shifu burst out laughing, then resumed walking down the hall. Everyone exchanged nervous glances. "This is bad, I think we broke Shifu!" Monkey said worriedly.

"No, I think he's finally developed a sense of humor." Viper replied with a soft smile.

The next day training resumed in earnest. Shifu decided that it was time to teach everyone the infamous "nerve attack." For several hours the students studied acupuncture diagrams, and practiced on their own limbs. Full-body muscular paralysis, like the five had experienced when fighting against Tia-Lung, was a long way away. No-one looked forward to the day they would have to learn that technique, as the experience was excruciating at best. Mantis, of course, was already the most practiced. He had been figuring out the subtleties of acupuncture for a couple years or so and had already memorized the pressure points for most kinds of animals.

After lunch everyone went back to the normal workout routines in the training hall. Training was much more enjoyable now that Po had come up with so many new exercises – "Teambuilders" he liked to call them. At first the five had dismissed such games as fun diversions, but over time the warriors began to function as a seamless unit. Often in combat they would work together in expertly choreographed combo-moves, like Viper's "Poignant of Death," or Tigress and Po's famous "Double Team."

At the moment everyone was starting a game of "King of the Hill" on the Jade Tortoise. Although not necessarily an effective teambuilder, it doubled the requirements for balance and situational awareness normally needed in that part of the training hall. Po was usually the first one knocked off, but he still had a great time. Crane wasn't allowed to fly, but he still ended up winning often.

Everyone took their positions on the edge of the bowl, and an intense standoff ensued. Making the first move was risky, but the person to make that move knew which direction the bowl would tilt and could often make a quick knockout. Of course, when two players began to tussle they ran the risk of both being eliminated if someone else just gave them a light shove.

Out of nowhere Viper snuck the end of her tail around Monkey's leg, tripping him up. Monkey had expected this, and grabbed her tail with a look that said "If I go, you do too!" Before Viper could wrap around the edge of the tortoise Po grabbed her near the head and swung her and monkey around like a ball and chain before throwing them at a very surprised Crane and Tigress. Tigress was narrowly able to evade the ensuing jumble by dropping down onto her back. Monkey's outstretched paws narrowly missed her, and found purchase on one of Crane's legs. With a surprised shout Crane, Monkey, and Viper were knocked off the tortoise in a jumbled heap. While Tigress was down she spun around and almost caught Mantis off-guard with her foot. Mantis Stood his ground and caught hold of her leg, trying to throw her. There was a brief struggle. Even though Mantis was excellent at channeling his chi (remember the bridge scene?) Tigress was able to hold on to the edge of the tortoise, then spin out of his grasp. She landed a kick, knocking him back a few feet along the rim of the jade tortoise.

Po, meanwhile, had started rocking the tortoise violently, forcing the two other survivors to cling to the bowl. Then he ran along the edge, causing the tortoise to begin to spin beneath him like a circular treadmill. Mantis got punted away as Po reached his side of the tortoise, but Tigress stood her ground and stopped the Panda in his tracks. They began to quickly exchange vicious punches and kicks, as they spun around in circles on top of the rotating jade tortoise. The rest of the five watched in awe as the two continued their lightening-fast duel, all while the tortoise span and rocked crazily. The previous spars between Po and Tigress had never reached this level of intensity. Po wasn't giving up as easily as usual. The two had begun to catch on to each other's styles and anticipate each other's movements, making the fight seem almost like a sort of deadly dance. What was really interesting was that they had grins plastered on their faces. They were really having a good time.

Po quickly shifted from the offensive as Tigress almost overwhelmed him with a series of blows. Po caught Tigress's leg in midair, but she had planned on this. Before he could try and perform a throw Tigress spun off his hand like a tornado and whipped out her other leg for a devastating kick. If he was going to win this he was going to have to resort to trickery before Tigress wore him down. Po ducked beneath Tigress's powerful kick, feigning a sweeping blow to her shins. Tigress, thinking he was trying to knock her over, sprung back several feet. Instead Po had leapt to the opposite side of the tortoise, then pretended to barely keep his balance in order to lure her into a reckless attack. Tigress took the bait and leapt at him with her double-palm strike, intent on quickly finishing the match. Po leaned to the side and grabbed Tigress by the wrists, using her momentum to try and fling her out of the tortoise.

"I don't think so!" Tigress shouted as she locked her paws back on Po's. There was no way Po could let her get back on her feet: she could crush him when it came to such close combat. He began to spin around, whipping Tigress around in circles. It was quite a spectacle! They were spinning counter-clockwise on the edge of the tortoise, which itself was spinning clockwise.

Tigress did not like where this was going. She let go with one hand and used it to try and smack him in the face. Her hand stopped within a hair's breadth of Po's nose. Po swiveled on his feet and changed the axis of rotation, intending to bounce her off his butt and out of the ring. Tigress would be having none of that business. In a fantastic display of flexibility and strength she twisted around in midair and kicked off the small of his back before he could wind up properly. Po was too shocked and dizzy to focus for a moment, so she twisted his arm as the momentum carried her back to his front. She landed a brutal kick to Po's chest before letting go of his hands, sending him across the training hall and into a rack of staves.

"That was AWESOME!" Po exclaimed from underneath a pile of training equipment, not caring that he would probably feel that kick tomorrow morning. Tigress stood smug and triumphant atop the tortoise, breathing heavily from exertion. The sound of clapping echoed across the sunlit hall, and everyone's heads turned in astonishment. There, near the door, was Shifu. He was practically beaming. Apparently he had been watching the entire time. "Well done Tigress! Well done! Although I must say I think Po almost had you there!" There was no" If you were trying to disappoint me" or other criticism. Tigress's jaw dropped in shock for a moment, then she clasped her fist in her palm and bowed. To say she was deeply affected would be an understatement.

Before anyone could say anything Zheng burst through the double doors, frantic. "Master Shifu! So sorry to disturb you, but we have received messengers."

Shifu gave Zheng an annoyed look. "Well then take their message and I'll get to it this evening. Can't you see we are a little busy here?" Zheng shrank under Shifu's glare.

"But sir… th -these … are the personal messengers of the shining emperor himself! They came with a full honor gaurd, and are waiting in the main courtyard." Shifu's eye's went wide. Such an honor was usually reserved for the rulers of kingdoms neighboring China, and even then was a rare show of power. "Why was I not notified when they entered the Valley!"

"Forgive me master Shifu! They flew here!" Zheng groveled.

"Make absolutely sure they are fully accommodated!" Shifu commanded "Get every servant in that courtyard immediately if you haven't already, and let them know that we would be honored to have them ascend to the Hall of Heroes."

"Yes master Shifu!" shrieked Zheng.

Shifu snapped his fingers briskly. The five and Po wasted no time in lining up near the door. "I'm sure you all know exactly how serious this is. Communications with the Imperial city have been sparse since Oogaway passed. He had been close friends with every emperor for the past millennium and had personally represented all of the Kung Fu schools to the Emperor. It is critical that we make a good impression today, no matter what the emperor's wishes may be. The future of the Kung-Fu schools in all of China could depend on it." Shifu poked his staff at Po "This visit could quite possibly be concerning you. Remember that anything you do or say reflects me. What the Shining Emperor says is law- even if it means you will have to be his personal bodyguard in the capital." Po gulped. All of the five gasped in horror. "Let's just hope it doesn't come to that."

Xui Yun, the mouth of the great shining emperor himself, couldn't help but be impressed by what he had seen so far at the Palace. Considering the places he'd been over the years, this really meant something. Mostly it was the servants. Yes, the Valley of Peace was a glorious sight to behold. The Jade Palace, with stairways hewn straight out of the mountainside, was impressive as well. Yet it was the servants that won Xui over. A good team of servants, more than any monument or riches could be a gauge of a place's state of affairs. For over a thousand years the Valley of Peace had paid out of pocket for everything. Everything was done out of love and gratitude for what Grandmaster Oogway had given the world. Oogway, in fact, had not even asked for anything at all. Of course he had loved the idea, although he wisely made sure that the palace was dedicated not to him, but to the spirit of Kung-Fu.

The people of the Valley worked for over a decade during the construction of the Jade Palace. All of this was the Valley's idea, the Valley's wish. In this way Oogway had been ten times as powerful as any king, or even emperor.

"Good leaders are anointed by others." Xui reminded himself. "The Greatest leaders do not order but inspire."

It was one of the most respected jobs, Xui had heard, just to be employed at the Jade Palace.

The greeting customs were flawless. Dedicated servants knelt at every step. Not a single one was even as out of line as to make eye contact. This was no easy feat, as the entire procession was a stunning sight to behold.

All of the Imperial host consisted of birds, obviously for the purposes of mobility. The honor guard's ranks were filled with an assortment of intimidating eagles or other raptors. Each was adorned in full ceremonial livery; light, colorful armor that was delicately inlaid with gold. Their helmets shone a brilliant silver and bore the Imperial crest in all of its glory. Their fantastically wrought halberds and swords glimmered in their grasps. Long, delicate golden banners flapped in the light breeze. Several scouts circled overhead, moving in perfect formation. Behind the orderly march of the guards walked Xui Yun, and his large assortment of servants.

Xui himself was of a species not usually seen in China. He was a Greater Loon. He had eyes the color of blood, and a jet black beak. His feathers were black everywhere except for a white collar around the neck and white speckles on his wings. Even his robe was mostly black, save for the gold trim. He was ferociously intelligent, and had travelled enough for ten lifetimes.

The procession began to ascend the steps to the Hall of Heroes in a two-bird wide formation. The advance guards flew to the top and landed with a well-choreographed flourish, clanging their halberds thrice on the hard stone they stood on. Appearances were everything. As the honor guard reached the entrance to the main hall they split to each side of the walkway, then turned to face each other. Not a step was out of place. Shifu and his students watched in anticipation from the far side of the Hall. Finally the blackness of the Loon appeared bit by bit over the horizon formed by the top of the stairs.

Step by step, Xui Yun advanced with his servants through the entranceway, past the priceless relics, briefly glancing at the memorial of Oogaway as he walked by. Stopping ten paces from Shifu, he began a long and graceful bow. Xui gave all of the students a lengthy, drawn out look, then said "It is the honor of a lifetime just to be in the presence of the saviors of China." His voice was eerie and musical. Shifu in return bowed even lower, then said "the honor is ours to host the representatives of the emperor." Xui smiled.

"News of Shen's defeat at your hands has spread like wildfire across the country. Do not think the Emperor is too proud to admit how closely he came to losing China. I was sent bearing letters from the Emperor himself and tokens of gratitude."

Shifu politely waved his hand " We were just doing our duty to the people of China. Understand we have no use for money."

Xui let out a long, songlike laugh that echoed through the Hall of Heroes. "His majesty has anticipated this perfectly. I see that Oogway's humble nature will never desert this place. "

Shifu grinned. "we can only try to hold ourselves to his high standard."

Xui continued. "His majesty has seen fit to donate considerable sums to your public welfare and orphanage anyway. He has also given the re-formed Master's Council the means the rebuild Gongmen as they see fit."

Xui motioned to his servants, who came forward bearing two finely carved rosewood boxes. Each was inlaid with the imperial crest; a golden sun over two feathers. One box was a bit larger than the other. Taking the first box, Xui turned and presented it to Shifu. "This is for you and your students. Please do not open it until I have departed, as I am not worthy to view the contents." Shifu graciously accepted the package.

Taking the second, larger box, Xui turned to Po. "His majesty is especially pleased with you, Dragon Warrior. Dare I say it, he may even be a fan." Po began excitedly fiddling with the latch. Xui placed his wing on the top of the lid. "The same goes for this box as the last. I may be the word of the emperor himself, but alas such honors are not mine."

Xui stepped back, and gave a warm smile to them all. "China is ever in your debt. Know this : if any of you should ever feel like visiting the Imperial city, you will get a royal welcome." With that Xui gave another long, low bow.

Shifu hesitated before returning the courtesy "You and your escort are welcome to stay at the Palace if you so desire."

Xui gave a longing look around " I would like nothing more, but I am expected to personally report back as soon as possible. We will fly day and night. "

"I understand." Shifu replied.

Xui began to turn, then said "However, I have a feeling we may meet again soon. Sooner than you think." He began to walk out of the Hall, and his group's entrance was seen again in near perfect reverse, up to the three raps on the ground. Then, with another elaborate flourish and a ruffle of feathers the emperor's men were gone.

So there you have it! This is the first piece of fanfiction, or I suppose anything, that I have ever published. In all honesty I've tried writing before, but I ended up burning the notebooks to avoid the potential embarrassment of being found out by family/friends. I'm in college and writing KFP fanfiction? I should be practicing writing policy or Grant proposals. The situation reminds me a bit of Po being embarrassed about his action figures. I mean, come on here's a guy who's probably in his late twenties playing with goddamn action figures? How on earth can he be taken seriously? Why don't I just start playing video games again while I'm at it? I'm already watching cartoons again.

I published this story because I didn't think it was fair to read literally DOZENS of KFP fics and not put something out myself. Writing is pretty hard! I'm glad there are thousands of other people that were as touched by the movies as much as I was and I appreciate those who have added to the universe. This one's for you guys.

Probably everyone has their own little version of what's going to happen in KFP 3, or between movies. Screw it! Here's mine!

This first chapter was meant to sort of tie up the second movie a bit, so don't panic because there's no major buildup right this moment.

I'd love to hear what you have to say about my version. Would Shifu ever give the five a day off? Is my writing dull? Is the chapter as long as a typical book chapter? Did I get the whole Ti/Po thing wrong? I'm not necessarily suggesting there's going to be romance or anything yet. They are at least super close, based on the following evidence.

Tigress pushed Po out of the way of Shen's cannon blast, taking the brunt of it. She would give her life for him in a heartbeat. This means he is incredibly important to her, perhaps that she loves him, but it doesn't necessarily mean in a romantic way. She has totally changed as a person, and is super protective and huggy with Po.

Po obviously adores Tigress even a bit more than the rest of the five, and they are constantly the focus of emotional development in the movies. Remember that look he gave her when she did the jumping split kick? What about that whole Double Team thing? Apparently they train together a lot. I'm just scraping the surface here.

I'll take a notebook with me on my trip and have some more ready when I get Internet access again in a couple weeks. I'll shut up now, but thanks for reading.