BOOM!
The sun had set in the Valley of Peace. It was autumn, and a heavy rain storm pelted down on the valley. Everyone locked themselves within their homes due to the harsh weather, so no one noticed the lone figure out in the storm.
They wore a dark and worn cloak, hiding their face. Thefigure appeared to be carrying two bundles wrapped in clothwith them. The figure looked around the valley urgently. They had travelled from far, and would have passed right through the valley if the storm had not kicked up. Thus, a change in plans was required, and a place to stay needed to be found if they wanted to live through this storm.
After some time looking around, the figure caught sight of a familiar place that looked welcoming enough, a restaurant to be exact. Determined to get out of the storm, the figure quickly started making their way towards it...
CRACK!
Lightning flashed across the sky as Po and the Furious Five sat around in the kitchen, eating the Dragon Warrior's famous noodle soup while conversing with one another.
"So then I was like, 'I may be fat. But I put the fat, in fatality! If you know what I mean…'"
Po was once again telling some of his, 'that's what I said in my mind' stories that was usually always followed by laughter from the others.
"Po, in a weather like this, your soup is the best!" Mantis exclaimed, while trying to drink as much soup from his spoon as he can.
"Yes. Though it would more difficult to go anywhere or even train outside with this weather," Tigress mused. "Relax," Monkey said, while sitting back in his chair and throwing his spoon in the air only to catch it again, "We still have the Training Halls, and this storm shouldn't really last that long anyway."
Tigress just frowned and continued looking out the window, as if it would somehow bring out the sun.
"Besides," Viper interjected. "This gives us a good opportunity to relax and rejuvenate ourselves. Especially after saving Kung Fu and China and all."
"Yep," Po replied, sitting back and rubbing his belly, grinning. "Earning Inner Peace is a lot of work! Might need to… take a load off, ya know?"
Everyone shook their heads at Po. By now, everyone knew when Po says, 'to take a load off', he really meant to earn a load… a load of food.
"Oh well," the leader of the Furious Five sighed, "I suppose I could use this opportunity to meditate."
Po cheered. "That's spirit! Time to get soft-core!" Po exclaimed, giving Tigress a friendly punch on the shoulder, which earned a yelp of pain from Po.
"Ok. Never mind, it still hurts," Po pouted, rubbing his paw while the others laughed good-heartedly.
Later, after everyone were done eating and had dispersed, Po walked around the Jade Palace, thinking how far he had come and how much he had achieved. He was about to head back towards the dorm to his room when he ran into Shifu.
"Oh! Master Shifu!" Po exclaimed, quickly giving a small bow. "I was just going to the dorm room."
"I see," Shifu mused.
Po was about to continue on his way when he noticed that Shifu was looking out in the rain with a troubled look. He paused.
"Master Shifu?"
Shifu snapped out of his trance. He looked at Po for a moment, then looked back outside at the rain. "Po, have you felt… a rather, unsettling feeling lately?"
"What do you mean?" Po replied, standing next to Shifu.
Shifu looked thoughtful as he mused. "I have been sensing a rather unsettling feeling lately... It was a small thing when the storm just started, but now," Sigh. "Just be careful when you have to visit your father or go anywhere else. I have a bad feeling about things."
Po thought for a moment before looking out into the rain as well.
They stood like that for a while before Po suddenly remembered something.
"Oh that's right! My dad!" Po started running out into the rain while a confused Grand Master stood inside watching.
"I nearly forgot, I had to help my dad with something! Sorry Master Shifu! I'll be back!"
When the panda's voice could no longer be heard due to the rain, the little master shook his head with a smile, and headed back inside within the Jade Palace to meditate. But not without casting one last look outside, where the panda disappeared to, as if he would find the source of the unsettling feelings he had been sensing within the pouring rain.
BOOM!
Po flinched as the storm thundered over him, rain and wind pelting him as he hastily ran towards the Noodle shop. Quickly going inside and slamming the door behind him, Po shivered with relief that he was now safely out of the storm and inside a warm comfy home.
"Dad, sorry I'm late. I was just talking to Shifu and he said that he…"
Po looked up to see that his father was nowhere to be seen in the kitchen, which was where he would usually be. There were a couple of dirty dishes in the sink that appeared recent so his dad had to still be inside somewhere.
After a while, Po heard muffled voices coming from above him, where his room was.
"Huh?"
Po slowly made his way up the stairs. He recognized his dad's voice, but there were also several others.
As he got closer, he could make out two young, child-like voices. One probably of a young boy and the other seemingly of a little girl.
As he stood outside the door, he was able to make out one more voice. This was one was deep, mature and quiet, contrasting to the excited tones of the other two and his father. 'I wonder who my dad could have taken in this time...'
"Dad?" Po quietly called as he opened the door.
As the door slowly opened into the room, Po started to notice a couple of things. One, his father was talking and serving soup to a couple of people. Second, the duo responsible for the two voices which he had heard were indeed children. A kitten and a pup to be exact. They were cheerfully filling their faces with noodle soup while at the same time thanking Mr. Ping for a couple of things.
Po couldn't hear exactly what they were saying because of the third thing he noticed.
Sitting in a corner, hunched over a bowl of soup and looking at the panda with the same amount surprise and shock Po felt, was none other than…
"TAI LUNG?!'