Chapter 1: New Drop off,
22 years before Po defeated Tai Lung for possibly good, a milestone in kung fu happened. It was a light dusk after a hard day's training for Young Tai Lung, Shifu had gone for some tea in the kitchen area, Oogway was meditating at the sacred Peach Tree, and Tai Lung was resting.
Little did any of them know, a new arrival to the Jade Palace would be placed on the doorstep.
Without warning, a cloaked female South China Tiger had ran up the long staircase cradling a small cub in her arms, shushing him whenever he broke out crying.
Stars were breaking out on the sky and the moon was slowly rising for a full moon night when she rose to the top, panting for breath. The cub was fast asleep.
She walked over to the doorstep and placed the cub down. She then dropped to her knees. Her face was inches from the cub's.
"I'm sorry, young child. I can't keep you in my custody while the Secret Forces roam around with a bounty on my head," she hushed.
The small hush was still enough to catch Shifu's hearing for a split second. His ears pricked up and he dropped the tea cup, listening for more.
"It's just that you're not safe, and if they catch me they'll without remorse capture you and sell you or more or less kill you," she continued, "I must leave you here so you can have a future in Kung Fu, hopefully,"
Shifu quietly walked over to the Training Hall, and continued listening.
"You're not safe. So I must leave you with the best masters in all of China." She rose, wrapped her cloak around the cub, then placed a slip on his arm. "Goodbye, Xiwang Long." She wiped a tear from her cheek and hurried down the Palace steps, looking like she's about to cry.
Shifu walked over to the front doors then, opened them, and stared down at the tiger cub. His thoughts lingered to Tai Lung, and how can he can't train two at once.
Oogway walked up to Shifu, and also stared at the cub, clenching his staff. "I'll train him."
Shifu stared to his master. "You will?" Oogway broke a small smile to his face. "Of course. You have Lung to worry about. Let me have one more pupil."
Oogway picked up the small cub in his arms and looked down at the note. He balenced the cub in one arm and squinted to read the note in the other.
'Dear Grand Master Oogway and Master Shifu,
You have my sincere apoligies if I interuppted anything, I just need your help. I can not keep my newborn child Xiwang, the now underground China Secret Forces have a bounty of over six thousand qian's on my head for me raiding their base and rendering their Valley Of Peace team useless. They would surely do unspeakable things to the poor kid if they catch me. So I'm leaving him to you, please take care of him. His name means a lot too, Xiwang for "Hope" amd Long for our family crest.
-Sincrely, Zhongcheng Long.'
Oogway frowned, then handed the note to Shifu, who followed his master inside the Palace.
"Master, how are we going to take care of two toddlers?" "Master, where are you going to train him?" "Master, HOW long are you going to train him?" These and many other questions flew out of Shifu's mouth as he followed Oogway to Tai Lung's room.
The door quietly opened, and Tai Lung did not wake. "Master-" "Please hush, Shifu." Oogway handed Xiwang to Shifu, where then Oogway was gone for around five minutes. During that time, Shifu cradled Xiwang, looking to the sleeping face.
Oogway then was heard dragging a small bed into the room, and Shifu placed Xiwang next to Tai Lung and helped park the bed in the corner.
Oogway placed the cub onto the bed, and watched the cub's nose start to wrinkle and the mouth slowly open to cry, but closed again.
Oogway smiled and turned to Shifu. "Get some sleep. We got lots of work to do in the morning," he whispered, then walked out of the room and left Shifu standing there in deep thought.
Shifu left the room shortly after that, and the story begins.