A Little Birdy Told Me

Hiiiihihihihihihihhi. Writing is fuuuuun. Sorry if it's not brilliant, I have a slight idea where this is going.

Chapter I

Pure, blind luck; how else was a Panda, so untrained in the art of Kung Fu, able to defeat an experienced and powerful warrior such as Tai Lung. Maybe there was something mystical to the title of Dragon Warrior after all, and maybe their disbelief at the wise, yet very, very old, turtle's choice of Dragon Warrior had inhibited their ability to see what lay beneath all that... fur. He could snigger, as he remembered the first time Mantis had attempted acupuncture on Po, but then he remembered how indescribably irritating it had been to have such a loud presence in what had been a serene sanctuary. He would never again judge one before he got to truly know the individual, and he would remember that as his actions and words after Po's unseemly introduction to their lives stung his pride, as he is sure they must have stung the Panda. He had never before considered himself any kind of cruel.

Just as he had never failed to see the Jade Palace as a place of peace and safety until the events of Tai Lung. Granted, the Furious Five had fought together before, they had fought separately before, and all the training and practice left no room to the imagination of what terrible force they may face that would require such skills. But until that moment, the Jade Palace had never been the direct target of attack.

It wasn't even that the fight had been brought into what he considered his sanctuary that was the problem, and he knew it. But a part of him still refused to face what had him so unsettled whilst everyone around him was so overjoyed at their victory. He sighed, too often now, as he watched them, knowing what they didn't and wishing he could somehow confine the memories to his nightmares, as he had with other horrors in his past.

Po watched Crane as the bird stood at the top of the steps to the Jade Palace, silhouetted against the sinking sun; a striking image as even when no definitive features could be made out, it was clearly Master Crane, one of the legendary Furious Five, with whom he, the Dragon Warrior, also a legend, was destined to train alongside, fighting evil and protecting the innocent from the forces of... Po shook his head; that wasn't why he was here. It was the hat, he mused, that made it obvious it was Crane, but his stance was slightly defeated. Which was why Po was watching him now, trying to figure what he should do.

He had noticed the change, as he was sure the others must have, even though he hadn't been there that long. It was the way the bird would watch the other Five, and it had only started after Tai Lung's defeat... No, just before, because he had looked at them like that when they were to evacuate the Valley. Was that what his change was about? Wait, even before that, before Shifu had presented him with the Dragon Scroll. Yes. It was after Crane had brought them back from the failed attempt to stop Tai Lung that this change had occurred, where he would take a moment to watch his companions in sombre contemplation, as if he were seeing something other than the sight in front of him. Was that what it was? Was Crane simply remembering their fall against Tai Lung?

Behind him someone cleared their throat, causing him to jump, almost tripping over his own feet. He looked around, seeing no one, and turned to make sure he hadn't given himself away to Crane. When the throat clearer realised he hadn't been spotted, he spoke with a sharp, indignant tone. "Panda!"

"Master Shifu," Po gasped out, giving a hasty bow, now half watching the small Red Panda whilst keeping Crane in his sights. "How... er, so how are you? This day...? That is ending... So, evening, I guess..."

Shifu shook his head sternly. "I do not believe I need to advise you against speaking with Crane on the matter?"

"Err..." Po's eyes shifted conspicuously. "I do not know what you mean," he replied monotone.

"Whether it be 'the event' with Tai Lung or something other, it is his thought to share if he wants to, or not, if that be the case."

"How did you know that's what I thought... wait, he hasn't told you, has he?"

"I will not pry if does not wish to speak, and you will do likewise."

"I wouldn't dream of it, Master. I just really want to know what's going on. Mantis and Viper were talking about how Tigress is annoyed at not being able to remember what happened after Tai Lung nerve attacked her up to when you did the cool finger thingie to make them better, but they said Crane had told them all he doesn't remember anything except being told to take a message."

Shifu's brow furrowed.

"But it's clearly not the truth, at all! Something must have happened that he doesn't want anyone to know, or that he really doesn't want to talk about, and I want to know what it is."

Shifu's eyes narrowed, but after a moment he relaxed himself, taking a deep breath and joining the panda as he looked out to where Crane still stood, staring across the horizon. "You are not alone in that, Po. I too wish to know, but until such a time that Crane is prepared to speak of it, we can do no more than wait. He will come to us when he is ready."

Tai Lung took them down so fast; first Monkey, and then Mantis. Tigress was half way through a counter attack when she froze and fell to the ground, twitching before becoming completely still. Crane spread his wings, taking him just above the reach of Tai Lung. He shouted at Viper to take him low, giving the snow leopard two concerns; one from the air, one from the ground, although considering this had not posed a problem to the dark master of Kung Fu on the bridge, Crane felt a hopelessness as Tai Lung easily parried both their strikes, and as the bird curved his wings, bringing him in a sharp turn that even the best would have trouble keeping up with, he caught sight of Viper on the ground, unmoving, even as his talons connected with Tai Lungs arm. He bent his body, bringing a wing to make contact with his enemies face knocking him back, and for a moment as he straightened quickly, launching himself high into the air, he felt for a second that maybe he could do this. Only for a second, as he spiralled to come in for another attack, his strategy of attack fast, get up high, attack fast, get up high, evaporated as quickly as his hope as Tai Lung dragged the body of Tigress off the ground by the neck.

"Enough of this, my feathered friend, I have no wish to kill you. I need you to deliver a message to Shifu. However, your companions I have no need of, so I will allow their fates to lie in your ... wings. Come down."

Crane felt a thrill of fear like a thousand tiny beetles crawling in and out of his feathers, and although his mind screamed at him to leave, knowing whatever Tai Lung had in mind could not be as simple as "Taking a message" anywhere, he cautiously allowed his feet to make contact with the ground, hating not having the advantage of the skies as Tai Lung's sneer seemed to twist its way around his chest like iron bindings. He refused to relax his wings, keeping the poised ready to take flight, or attack, as Tai Lung studied him with hateful eyes.

Crane winced inwardly as Tigress's body once again dropped, and fought every instinct to step back as Tai Lung approached him.

"You said you had a message," Crane ground out, cringing at the tremor in his voice, but rather pleased at the iciness of his tone.

Tai Lung's sneer widened to include several fangs. "I could simply give you the message..." under any other circumstance Crane would have snorted his disbelief, "... however, I would have thought you would want to return these pathetic excuses for kung fu Master's to the Jade Palace in no worse condition than they already are. "

"I don't understand." How he hated to say it, but he truly didn't. Was Tai Lung allowing him to take them back alive or not? It seemed there was only Tai Lung's choice in the matter, for even if Crane were to try and knock Tai Lung off balance, and grab as many of the Five as he could and get them to safety, it was unlikely he would be able to get them all in time.

"No worries, young Crane, I will tell you what I want. When I get what I want, you may leave."

Not good, not good, so very not, not good at all. But what could he do? He had no choice to accept whatever Tai Lung wanted. He had hoped he could keep the defeat out of his posture and voice, but how often is hope ever realised? "And what is it you want?"

He woke with a start, breaths coming in too fast, too shallow, as his eyes, wide and unseeing, refused to bring his surroundings into focus. The initial panic at his dream was beginning to peak rather than drop as the thought that had been haunting his waking hours began to swirl around his mind, making him feel dizzy and drained.

Pure, blind luck; how else was a Panda, so untrained in the art of Kung Fu, able to defeat an experienced and powerful warrior such as Tai Lung.

Somehow he knew that out there, somewhere, Tai Lung was waiting.

"When I get what I want, you may leave."

He sighed heavily, his heart still racing, and gazed down his beak at the floor so as to not look into the face of whoever had just opened his door. "Er, you alright, Crane?"

He mustered up a laugh, an unnatural sound to his ears. "I'm fine, Po, I'm fine."

"Are you sure?"

He groaned. That was Viper.

"Really sure," he said with a false smile as he finally raised his head to see... Why were they all up and... bothering him?

There was silence, as if no one could seem to find the right words to say. Finally, Tigress, never one for subtleties, spoke, "You were screaming."