The Jade Palace was shrouded in darkness, all the students and masters long since retired to their chambers. The gentle chimes in the winds slowed an fell silent. The stars themselves seemed to dull in the perfectly clear night. The moon was out of sight.

Perfect...

In the stillness of the Dojo, one shadow fleeted from one spot to the next, merging seamlessly with the pools of darkness and only able to be seen in the brief seconds of movement. In several swift movements, it crossed the large courtyard and out the double doors leading to the steps down to the Valley.

Finally...

It had been several weeks. Several weeks in which he was forced into the warrior way.

Again.

Instead of heading down to the village, the figure leapt further up the mountain, towards hidden clearings where no one would see him. With unnatural grace, he leapt off outcrops of rock, reaching higher and higher...

Reaching the top of the mountain, in a circle of standing stones where no mortal has stood foot, the shadow came to rest, breathing erriely subdued. Stepping out of the darkness, light poured down over him from the moon above...

Alone at last.

To reveal a large, slightly overweight panda.

--

Po cracked his knuckles, stomping on the ground once. Just behind his feet, a small pillar of rock shot out of the ground just as he began to sit down, meeting him in the middle. Po sighed, clenching and unclenching his fists. A few weeks ago, he had to fight. Again. After swearing he would never fight again in his entire life.

Well, thats one more promise broken...

Po glanced over the standing stones, each enscribed with arcane symbols. To the people in the valley, the symbols would have been mere gibberish, nonscene scribbled onto walls. To Po however...

He stood up, trailing one hand over a large symbol. It resembled a large cross within a circle, with a small letter from another language in each corner.

"Earth..."

Po cracked his neck and turned away from the stone. Glancing at the Moon above, he suddenly turned and struck the ground with a fist. Several pillars shott out of the ground, growing spikes and spun on the spot before darting over the ground towards him. To anyone that knew him, it would have been a death sentance. Po couldn't move fast enough to dodge them. Not Fat Po. Stupid Po. Weak Po. Lucky Po. False Po...

Po hunched down, sticking out one leg and sweeping it along the earth, cracking the pillar where he struck it. Spinning to his feet, he leapt up and kicked the broken pillar skywards, following it up. Reaching behind it, he bunched up his fist and punched it, knuckles meeting Spikes. The knuckles won. Now shattered, Po sweeped his hand over the reamins as he began to fall. The shards swirled in the air, dancing around his hand before being directed to the remaining pillars. The shards were like bullets, completely shredding the stone spikes. Po gently landed on both feet with barely a bend to the knees. Closing his eyes as the stone dust swirled in the air around him. He inhaled deelly, feeling the stone enter his lungs before beig breathed out.

Now the euphoria of Power left him, he felt the knot of guilt coil in his stomach.

And another promise...

Po sighed. It was three hundred years since he made that promise. Never to fight. Never to use his powers. To live the life of a normal person...

Ever since he starded this new life, he tried his best to stay in the background. Something to be ignored. Forgotten. Lost. He even became adopted by the Noodle Shop owner. Even now he felt guilty about that. Tricking such a caring individual into thinking he was his son... When the whole business with Tai Lung came up, he was half-way coerced into confessing...

Po went through some more techniques, creating Rock Traps for himself to defeat without powers. As he settled back into the familiar feeling of training, he let his attention wander, still focused on his surrondings...

--

Fire covered the entire city, reducing the buildings to rubble, the people within to Ash. The scent of blood hung heavy in the air as crimson splashes coated the ground. Limbs were thrown over the road, scraps of clothing and broken machinery littering the once fertile plains.

This land was cleansed. No life lived here now. Not any more.

Pain filled his entire world. Pain. Betrayal. Rage. And lust... Lust for blood. For death. A thirst that must be quenched...

--

Po was knocked out of his flashback when the last pillar fell, crumbling to dust at his feet. Even now his breathing was subdued. He was a lot fitter than peope believed. After all, most of the fat was simply Rock Dust inhaled over the years. He could breathe it out anytime he wished. He formed another rock for him to sit on, lounging back and staring into the sky. He rubbed his eyes, trying to block out that last image. He had left that life behind... No more wars...

But that wasn't true was it?

His cursed mind surface quickly.

It may be hidden, but a Wars, a War...

Po grumbled, mutting to shut up under his breath. He hadn't seen one in over five hunderd years. They're probably too busy trying to rebuild their forces to be worried about a Panda living in a valley of Peace.

"You know, talking to yourself is the first sign of madness..."

Po swept to his feet in one swift movement, fists already poised and ready for action. The earth beneath him trembled as he built up his power to noticeable levels. A warning.

"Alright, come on outta there, I've got you cornered."

A small chuckle, filled with humour echoed over the stone arena, a figure stepping out into the light. Immediatly Po lowered his powers, dropping one hand to the side while the oter went to his heart, quickly bowing.

"Master Ghost..."

The large, white furred wolf scowled and bent down to peer into the Panda's eyes.

"And how many times do I have to tell people? Not to call me Master-"

Po interrupted, a humourous glint in his eyes.

"-Master, Lord, Sir or Alpha... you don't even like people calling you ShadowWalker..." Ghost stiffened and sniffed, turning his back on the Panda.

"Thats a rediculous legend you know." Po stood upright, standing next to Ghost. Without looking at him, he continued.

"Thats what they say about the Moonlit Death." Ghost inhaled deeply, letting it out slowly. He glanced at his old friend and student, remembering back to the time he had found him. Drunk with rage and Blood... It was surprising to see the infamous "Moonlit Death" as some bumbling, clumsy Kung-Fu wannabe... Unless you knew the secret.

"I heard about your battle. With A Tie Lung wasn't it?"

"Tai Lung." Po shivered unconciously. Ghost wouldn't just arrive with no reason, even if they were old friends. He had a whole species to rule, not to mention the whole thing with the Council. That had to mean...

"A renegade wasn't he? A Warrior, forced to fight?"

Po winced. It wasn't what he thought. It was worse.

"Yeah... Well, I wouldn't have called it forced-"

"Endured horrific training throughout his childhood? Always beaten, always starved, always broken?"

"Now see here-"

"Taught how to fight from such a young age, its all he knows how do act?"

Po Snarled and swung a punch at the Wolf Master. leaning back slightly, he dodged the blow as Po readied a kick to sweep his legs out from under him.

"I'm not like him! I'll never be like him!" Po's fist made another attempt at reaching the Wolf's muzzle, but was caught mid-air. Squeezing slightly, Ghost pushed forwards and down, making Po drop to his knees. Po gasped as Ghost's power rose to incomprehensible levels, the dead air twisting and turning around him as the Moon blazed in responce. Orbs of pure light burst into being and danced aroun the wolf, his eyes glowing grey.

"Not now. But you used to be so much worse..."

The lights suddenly winked out of being as the Moon returned to normal, Ghost's eyes returning to their natural grey-green. releasing the Panda's paw, he sighed and rubbed his face.

"When I found you... You were out of control. And none of that was your fault..."

He glared into Po's face.

"Many wished you dead. They thought you'd always be the 'Moonlit Death'. But I helped you... And now look. No one would even consider thinking you could do anything like that."

Po panted on all fours, staring into nothing. He could tell what Ghost wanted from him. Growling, he struggled to his feet, swaying on the spot from the sheer power Ghost infused the air with. Ghost grinned, fur turning grey as he turned on the spot, heading for the shadows cast by the standing stones.

"I think you know what has to be done..." With that he stepped into the shadow... And vanished.

--

Po crept into the Jade Palace once more, not using his powers, not caring about stealth. Shifu moved in and out of the Palace all the time. Plus, it wasn't as if he was a prisoner here or anything...

He could feel the footsteps of his fellow Masters off the stone floors. On the halls, on the walls, behind pillars... He could feel their stares on the back of his head, puzzlement mixed with concern. Another twist to the stomach. Despite thier doubts about his worthiness to train with them, they still treated him with respect... And as they got to know each other, with friendship. Even Tigress had apologised about saying he didn't belong there.

But he didn't.

Sliding over the door behind him, he settled down to his Earth Meditation position. he didn't think he would be able to get some sleep tonight...

--

The Furious fave exchanged looks, Tigress letting out a growl of concern. Po wasn't one for leaving the Palace at night... They still had problems getting him awake in the mornings!

Tigress landed on the floor with a soft pad on the stone, creaping forward silently. Pushing open the sliding doors, she glanced the Panda in an odd position. His fingers were bent in an image she had never seen before, while his whole posture was more alert than she had ever seen. In fact, from here he looked like a proper warrior than a lucky wannabe...

Po opened one eyes, staring at her with a furocity she had never seen outside a mirror. He slowly softened, a smile creeping over his lips before closing his eyes again. Tigress took the hint and closed the door, lost in thought. What could have made Po; bumbling, happy-go-lucky, enthusiastic Po look so... vicious? Shaking her head at her comrades, she made her way to her own dorm room, musing over Po's sudden change...