The Brilliance of a Gem

Chapter 1: A heavy load lightened

A/N: Heeellllooooooo EVERYONE! No, you are dreaming, no we are not in the Twilight Zone, and no, I haven't disappeared! For I have returned! And with me, I bring you this new story; I've been working on for quite some time. I meant to bring it to you sooner, but school has taken over most of my time and it just faded into the background… but fear not, for I have dived into the realm of Oblivion, saved it, completed it and brought it to its right home. All for you!

Enough with the melodramatics, I present you with this new story that I'm sure you all shall enjoy. Without delaying you any further, dive right in and read to your heart's content.

Disclaimer: I don't own the big fluffy black and white panda, and I never will own, even though I want to so very much :'C. All character are owned by DreamWorks.

It was a bright and lovely Spring morning in The Valley of Peace, where all of the residents, as usual, had taken advantage of the day, be it for business, greeting or helping family and friends or simple errands, they all had something to do. Everyone fell into that category; Rabbit, Pig or Goose, it didn't matter, they all were going about their usual business like they had before from day to day, but with a bit more pep in their stride this time. The children had more energy to burn by running around by either playing tag or hide and seek, or any other child game to help them pass the time while adults took care of grown up things, either way, the people of the Valley were more vibrant this day. A mild zephyr was breezing through the Valley along with a few petals riding its current. It was strong enough to carry the bit of flowers, yet light enough to give everyone that gentle feeling. Surprisingly, just from the breeze itself running through the Valley, it managed to give everyone a sort of extra boost to help them get through the day, along with a few smiles as a bonus.

But the breeze didn't stay very long though. Staying true to its nature, it did what it needed to do and moved on not a minute longer and not a minute shorter. The breeze continued its quest and headed north, trailing up the mountain after passing the bridge that connected to the upper part of town. Following the One Thousand Steps, the wind made it to the halfway point of the empty Jade Palace Arena and continued upwards the Palace. Just as fast as it passed the Arena, the wind had emerged over the walls of the Jade Palace that was overlooking the Valley of Peace and began to circle the entire perimeter of the area.

Within the area that was outside of the Jade Palace, seven beings were on the training grounds with the exception one that was a good distance away from the others, who was none other the Master and overseer of the Jade Palace; Grand Master Shifu himself. He was had himself placed upon the steps that lead into the Training Hall and was overseeing the progress of his six students, who were non-other than the famous Furious Five and the Legendary Dragon Warrior; The Protectors of all of China. This particular morning, they were going about usual training that consisted of Drills, Repeats, Warm-ups and Sparing sessions with the occasional One-on-One matches, standard Run-of-the-mill routines that were the day to day objective of the week that they were all used too.

Until, Po decided to go about training in a more... jarring way which took the Furious Five by surprise.

"So, um... you mind explaining why the four of us are just standing here and you're in the center of us, Po?" Crane asked, not sure what to make of this positioning.

Po chuckled in amusement at Crane's question, his head tilting a bit while the vibration of his laugh caused his shoulders to raise and fall quickly. The others were a tad... disturbed by his response to Crane but didn't think too much about it. "Well Crane, I'm glad you asked. See, as of late I've grown bored with simple One-on-One matches with you guys, so instead of doing that today, it's going to be ALL of you vs. me." Po declared proudly.

"All of us against you, we're playing Po in the Middle?" Monkey asked, clearly confused by what Po offered from what they did normally.

"NO, we're not playing Po in the Middle! It's a straight up sparring match. But this time it's all you against me, and what I'm thinking of is going to make it way totally different." Po replied. Tigress, ever being the skeptical one, just had to call him out on this to see if this was just a bluff. Folding her arms where she stood, an airy scoff left her mouth as she began her interrogation.

"Uh huh, is that right? Because from what you just said, it's not really all that different from You in the Middle, Po. And just how is what have in mind different from this Training session? Please tell us, I'm curious to find out." Tigress replied with a patronizing tone that was clearly evident in her voice. Po was quick to pick up on her speech, but that didn't faze him one bit, it just made him all the more eager to explain to the others.

"C'mon Tigress, you aren't even giving me a chance to explain. I promise it really is different."

Tigress let out a huff of annoyance at the thought of Po coming up with some crazy excuse. She just knew that was not going to end well. But on the other side of the Yuan, She knew that Po was very persistent in getting his way for she had figured that out the hard way… multiple time in fact. Face palming, she gave in and decided to see how this would play out, even if it was to end in disaster. "This is most likely going to end badly but fine whatever. Alright Po, go ahead and tell us what you have in mind."

Po chuckled again, but in a light-hearted manner. "Great! You're gonna like what I have to offer."

"And just what exactly is that Po?" Viper asked in a sweet tone, totally the opposite of Tigress.

"I'm glad you asked Viper. Now as I said about all of you against. Right now, it's just the four of you, but at any point during the match you can tag out with the others on the sidelines while you regain your strength as you rest, while I get NO breaks, I just keep on going." Po stated in a gleeful manner.

"That's it? Is there anything else?" Mantis asked out from the sidelines, clearly disappointed that was all the panda had to offer.

"Of course there is, I'm not done yet." Po continued. "The sparring match will be ongoing, and it'll keep going until either all of you are out of energy or I tap out and cry Shushu." The Panda added, which caused Tigress to arch an eyebrow, she was now moderately intrigued by Po's stipulations, but didn't show it out right.

"Until we're tired or you can't take anymore punishment, Po are you sure about that? That kind of Sparring is very dangerous. Exactly why would you propose those rules?" Viper asked, concerned for his safety.

"I dunno. Guess I'm feelin' lucky today or something. I have all this energy running around inside me, and I just GOTTA let it all out. And what better way than that by with an all out sparring match with you guys." Po asked with a grin.

"Po, you sure that's a good idea? The thought of a continuous match doesn't sound so good." Viper responded in a cautions voice.

"Glad you like the thought Viper. But wait, it gets better," Po added.

"Better? Better how?" asked Tigress, her interest was peaking at the thought of what else Po could add.

"Here's how. While we're fighting," Po trailed, letting them wonder a bit before continuing.

"Well, what is it? C'mon Po, tell us!" Monkey chimed in wanting him to go on.

"Okay, since you insist. While we're fighting," Po did a quick glance at each of them; a glint of mischief in his emerald colored eyes. "Don't. Hold. Back" He added, breaking down each word so they heard him clearly so none was left out or misinterpret by the others who gasped at the idea that Po had pitched to them.

"Wait wait wait wait," Monkey started. "Did I hear that right when Po just told us to go at him full force?"

"I'm pretty sure those where his words, just in a less abrasive manner." Crane replied. That response from Crane caused Mantis to let out a quick bust of a short laugh.

"I don't believe this! He's seriously asking to have the crap knocked out of him? Oh man, he can't be serious!"

"A sparring round with all of us using full force? Po are you crazy? How could you ask such a request of us?" Viper barked.

"I have to agree with Viper on this one. While I do enjoy knocking you around from time to time when given the chance, not once have I gone full out on you, what honestly makes you think you could handle all of us at full force, let alone when you have a tough time as it is when we're holding back?" Tigress asked, her paws resting perfectly on her hips with a bit of a tilt.

"Hey, I don't know about you Tigress, but if the bear wants a beating, I'm more than willing help the guy out. 'Sides, it's been awhile since we last had an on-going spar. I'm game." Mantis replied.

"While I'm not agree with Mantis on the whole 'Coming at you with full force' part, I am agreeing with the fact that it HAS been awhile since our last all out match, not to mention the fact that we've been doing this for YEARS, which is way longer before you even started." Crane added.

"Can you blame a guy for wanting to improve himself under harsh conditions" Po asked, completely unfaltered and unfazed by their warnings.

"No, but I can blame you for being an even bigger idiot than usual. Attacking you at full strength? In case you forgot, I'm a Tiger; we're all about strength and power. Po, if I were, and I won't, to come at you completely unrestrained, you'd being on the ground, dead and in a scarlet puddle. Do you really think I'm going to go along with that?" Tigress asked, her tone calm yet fierce while her red eyes locked with Po's. But the Panda just laughed it, which easily grated Tigress nerve, causing her to growl. In her mind, she thought that Po was shrugging her off, like her concern for his wellbeing meant nothing. She was about march over and land him a good solid punch, but the thought was quickly dissolved when Po began speaking again.

"Guys, take it easy. I'm not talking about a fight to the death. I just want to face you at your best. No better way to test that unless you all are serious," Po replied. "That is, unless you're scared that I'll beat you." He taunted.

Tigress felt both her fur bristle from the snide side comment that Po just made and level of concern for him, this wasn't like Po, not at all. Sure, it was in his nature to act like a showoff just for the attention, but lately, he had been doing things were way out of his characteristics. The haughty nature, the smug overconfidence, the snarky comments, and not to mention the reckless stunts that he had been pulling lately without Shifu's knowledge and permission. He was doing everything that was the complete contrast of who he was and Tigress, along with the others, did not like it. Not one bit.

"Scared? Scared?! What is the matter with you Po?! This isn't about being scared! This is about knowing your limitations and boundaries, and you are overstepping them, more so than usual!" Tigress shouted.

"Those novice limits were holding me back anyways, I was starting to get sick of them and I needed a change. So, I decided to see how far I can go in the last six months from my regular training routine. I'd say I'm doing pretty well and I'm hoping to test out my skills with your help." Po replied with a smirk.

"You are out of your mind! Do you really think I'm going through with this? Do you think that Master Shifu will allow this?!" Tigress retorted, her claws slowly unsheathing from her digits.

"Oh I'm sure it's alright, he hasn't objected to the idea yet. In fact, he's sitting right there. Go ahead and ask him if you want confirmation." Po replied, gesturing towards the Red Panda who was nearby. Growling at the answer she was given, Tigress turned her attention towards her master to voice her frustration that she was dealing with.

"Master Shifu, surely you can't be serious about us going against Po with full power? It's one thing for Po to be big-headed about these things,"

"Hey!" Po replied in the background with an insulted tone.

"But are you really going to let this slide and not allow him to be punished for this? I mean, this is not like him at all, and He needs... Master Shifu?" Tigress called out, seeing that the Grandmaster wasn't fully paying attention. The others turned their attention from Po and focused on Shifu now. From what they saw; Shifu was sitting in a crossed legged position with one elbow planted on his right knee. His head was elevated slightly upwards by his chin resting on his right palm and his attention was aimed skyward with an expression that showed he wasn't really paying attention to his students or their conversation, like he was thinking of something else and it was enough to tune out the bickering that was going on between the students.

"Yeah, he's been like this for a while now," Po said, turning the attention back to him.

"What do you mean he's been like this?" Tigress asked.

"He's been like that for the last few days; almost an entire week. The expression alone says it all, but I still think it's something else. Just haven't been able to get more out of him." Po added.

"Nearly a week he's been like this? That would explain the lack of morning drills." Viper implied.

"That could explain the sudden increase in Po's idiocy during the time." Tigress quipped with a side glance that was aimed at Po.

"True. But the question is: Why didn't we bother to check on him, or at least, try to find it we had any chores to do?" Crane pointed out. Nobody there could reply without risking the chance of getting the answer fully or partially wrong. Regardless, Tigress made her way over to her abstracted master and knelt down before him. She placed a paw on his shoulder to gently sturr him from his cerebrations. With a small jostle from the tiger, Shifu jerked his head from his palm in a slightly surprised manner. The action was further proved, because of the fingers went from their clenched position to a rigid one along with his shock. He turned to face who it was that disturbed him, only find out that it was only Tigress.

"Ah, it's you Tigress. Is there something amiss I can assist you with?" Shifu asked, like the sudden surprise never occurred.

"Master Shifu, you've been staring off into the distance for awhile now and you haven't given us any orders to follow yet. Is everything all right?" Tigress asked in a concerned tone. Shifu let out an audible chuckle that caught everyone off guard while resting both of his elbows on top of his knees with both forearms and paws falling and hanging inwards, he bettered his posture from its slumped form and angled his head so that it was leveled while he addressed his student. The chuckling stopped and a smile took its place upon his worn face and spoke in a relaxed manner.

"Worry not, Tigress. I assure you and the others, that I am perfectly fine. I was simply letting my thoughts meander for a time, trying to scrutinize what shall be your next lesson to learn; hopefully one that you all might favor and pass on to your own students one day while I watch the next generation grow and enjoy the view from the Sacred Peach Tree." Shifu stated in cheerful yet surprisingly somber intonation, like he was purposely leaving himself out while helping them achieve that milestone in their lives. He could tell that he caught his students off guard by their shocked expressions they all had and he chuckled. "Relax everyone, just some elder humor. I don't plan on kicking the bucket anytime soon. Now tell me Tigress, you had question that you wish to ask me?" Shifu asked.

"I had a question? Oh, right." Tigress corrected herself before him. "Master Shifu, as of late, Po has been doing that is totally out of his character. Impulsive actions, reckless behavior, rash decisions and just now, he wants us; The Five, to go against him. At FULL FORCE. You aren't going to seriously allow that are you?" Tigress demanded, hoping that the Grandmaster would talk some sense into Po.

"For the record, I'm on board for giving Po a good thrashing." Mantis stated in his defense. That little comment earned a harsh stare from others, aside from Po, causing the bug to cringe from the glares. "What? Obviously he's askin' for it." Mantis added.

"Anyways," Tigress started, her gaze till on Mantis "You do plan on stopping foolishness, don't you Master Shifu?" the tiger asked, hoping she and the others would get the answer they needed to-

"No." Shifu simply answered, bringing her thoughts and motion to a crashing halt.

"Excuse me?" Just as fast as she asked that question, Tigress turned her head at a neck-breaking speed and focused a sharp stare of shock and disbelief upon Shifu's fixed face that was very calm. No wrinkles of annoyance on his face, no frown of seriousness that was his usual smile, not even narrowed eyes that were ready to halt her complaints at any given moment. "Did I hear that right? Are you saying that you're NOT going to punish Po?"

"I see no reason why such action would be needed, Tigress." Shifu answered. Clearly, that was not the answer she wanted to hear.

"Master, you can't be serious! He's willing to foolhardily throw himself in dangerous situations that could cost him his life, he's even asking us to attack him unrestrained and I refuse to harm him!" Tigress declared.

"But, you just said that you're willing to knock him around when given the chance, how is that different from us going against him all-out?" Monkey asked.

"It's different, that's sparing with friendly hits, this, he's needlessly trying to maim himself and I won't stand for that!" Tigress stated as she turned to look at Monkey.

"Sooooo, what you're saying is, all those times you punched, kicked, slapped, tackled and whacked Po on the head with any form of blunt objects, those were all just... love taps?" Mantis surmised, a knowing grin slowly taking form on his face.

"Lov- NO! I just do those things to keep him in line from doing something stupid!" she corrected herself, doing her damnedest to keep the blush from showing, but Viper was well on to her and chose to say nothing. Shifu simply chuckled and proceeded to stand at full height and as usual, he placed his hands behind his back in a grand masterly fashion.

"For the record everyone," Shifu started, his voice reaching them all. "What Po said is partially correct. I've been keeping a close eye his progress and he's come a very long way. At first, I was reluctant about upping his training. I even resorted to giving him a few good whacks to my point sharp and understood. But, as usual, he rises past my expectations and goes beyond that, so it's safe to say, he could hold his own… mostly. I hope that eases any lingering forethoughts you may have." Shifu responded. Tigress, ever being the headstrong member of the group, did not agree with answer. But, if Master Shifu approves of it, she had no place to argue about it. They all simply bowed in response.

"Sweet, we get to kick some panda butt! This is gonna be epic!" Mantis exclaimed as he got into position, ready for a good fight with his fellow warrior.

"Well, if Master Shifu is all right with it, I have no objections. You had better make sure to keep good on your promise, Po. I mean it." Tigress replied while turning to face the bear.

"Don't worry Tigress. I'm a Dragon Warrior of my word. You won't be disappointed." Po declared while going into his traditional stance, ready to face his friends. Everyone else did the same and prepared, but before the first punch was thrown, Po eyed his Master who quickly turned his back to them and proceeded to leave the area. "Uh," Po started to the red panda facing away from them all. "You sure you're okay, Master?" he asked. Shifu simply chuckled out his replied, but it was clearly laced with a somber tone within it that didn't bother to hide.

"As I said before, I'm fine. There's nothing to worry about my students. Go on about your training, I'm going to simply meditate for a few hours. Now, as you were." Shifu ended with a nod to them all before leaving the premises to his students for their uses. While everyone simply followed his orders, Po didn't agree with that answer. Anyone with eyes and logical skills could clearly see that something was clearly eating at him.

'There's nothing to worry about? I don't buy that, not for one second. True, it's like him to not share anything with us; I get that part, but to make no effort to hide it… I'll talk to him later about it.' Po surmised while turned his attention back to his companions, ready for the mock-fight of his life.

~.~.~.~

Later

~.~.~.~

After a long and arduous battle amongst his friends, along with the scuffs and bruises to show off, Po was now walking… more like steadily limping, rather, up the steps that lead to the Sacred Peace Tree with a paw holding his sore arm.

"Oww…" the panda groaned out in pain. "sheesh, this hurts… taking on The Five is more brutal than I thought. Oh well, I had a good match with them, so I can't really complain about it." He chuckled to himself in amusement. As he continued up the stairs, he noticed that Shifu was in his usual sitting position underneath the Peace tree. No matter how many times he came up here, be it in the morning or the evening, the blossoms never lost their brilliance. Upon reaching the top of the stairs, he was able to see his Master more clearly then he could before. Po could see that his Master's posture was rather poor one at that. His back hunched over, his tail was listlessly swaying from side to side on the stone ground beneath him, dirtying it, his shoulders slumped from their regal position, and his ears no longer in their upright form; rather, they were hanging off to the side and downwards in a sad notion. Po could even hear the occasional sigh as well. It was very clear to anyone from a mile away.

Shifu was definitely sad about something. But the question though, is what it was. The panda was one of those types of people that didn't like to see others in such a sad state. It just wasn't his style. Taking a step forward to his disheveled mentor, he made sure that it was the correct approach.

"Master Shifu, is everything alright?" Po spoke out to the red panda before him. The sudden voice of his name being called surprised him, along with the frantic motions with his shoulders and hands, it looked like he was holding something and trying not drop it over the cliff.

"P-Panda," Shifu started as he rolled up the object he was holding and slipped into his sleeves. "I didn't see you standing there," he replied while standing up and dusting off his backside, making himself a bit more presentable.

"Well, yeah. I mean, you had your back to me and stuff." Po answered with a small chuckled.

"Ah, yes, well then, I apologize for that." Shifu quickly responded. "I believe that the match between you and The Five went as well as you hoped?" He questioned the bear.

"My match? Oh, yeah, the match! It went great." Po answered with a grin to match the enthusiasm in his voice.

"I see. That's good to hear. But, judging the way you're holding your arm, I take it, you lost?" he asked. With that simple word coming out of his mouth, Po's grin got wider.

"Nope, In fact it was quite the opposite of lost, Master Shifu." Po answered gleefully.

"Is that right? Well then, was it… awesome?" Shifu asked as little smirk appeared on the end along with an arched eyebrow.

"It was AWESOME…!" Po shouted to the heavens with joy. In his haste and ignorance, he shot his clenched fist into the air with pride, only to stop short as the sudden jolt of pain of very sore muscles halted him. "Owwww… that's my best fighting arm…" Po cringed as he brought it back down and rested it on his side. Again, Shifu simply chucked at the panda's abrupt action.

"It seems like you won more than a simple victory, Panda." Shifu quipped, as he placed his arms behind his back.

"Simple? That was the hardest match I have ever fought! You make it sound so easy." Po replied; his pride a little wounded.

"You ARE talking to the Grand Master after all." He added.

"Oh, right. You're Master Shifu, who trained the Five and me. Yeah, that makes sense." Po chuckled humbly, causing Shifu to laugh alongside him. This continued a for a bit, until silence fell on them and the only sound to be heard, was that of the ruffling branches of the tree thanks to the wind that was blowing. The silence that fell on them was quickly transitioning to an awkward silence, and fast! To spare them the pain of that, Po was the first to speak up. The past week, something heavy was on Shifu's Shoulders, and he wanted to see if he could do anything to ease it.

"Master," Po started, which caught the red panda off guard. Not once, has Shifu been called only title by the panda, it was either Shifu or Master Shifu, and they both hinted with cheery and playful mannerisms, hardly serious sometimes. So clearly, Shifu expected something. "Don't bother trying to lie to me either; something has been bothering you this past week almost, hasn't it?" Po asked his master.

Shifu simply turned his face form him and presented him with his back and folded arms.

"You don't have to tell me anything if you don't want to, but if it's really bothering you, please, let me know if it's anything that can be resolved." Po continued as he took his spot beside Shifu. Even then, he casted his wizened eyes off to the side and away from Po. He did his best not to let his ears fall, but he knew better. Po; as much of a hardheaded, foolhardy, bumbling boy that he is sometimes, he was very smart about things when he wanted to be, also keen as well. Sighing in defeat, Shifu decided that there was no point in fooling him or keeping it a secret any longer either.

"Sit." Shifu said as he sat himself once again beneath the tree.

"Excuse me?" Po questioned as he watched Shifu take a seat on the ground, causing the red panda to silently groan.

"I said, sit. You wanted to know what was bothering me, if I wasn't mistaken. Well, I am about to say why. But if you don't want to…" Shifu trailed. Po didn't reply; he simply flopped down and patiently on him to begin. After taking a deep breath in, holding it in, and slowly letting it out, he began to speak. "Tell me Panda, do you still remember the time when I thought Mei-Ling had been using me and my status all along just to steal the Crown of Heaven from the Emperor of China, only to have it turned over to Junjie, who planned to kill us both eventually when given the chance?" Shifu asked while eyeing the horizon and mountains before the both of them.

"Oh yeah, I remember! That was roughly over seven months ago. I can still remember that epic fight we had! I was awesome, as usual, you and The Five put up an awesome fight as well. I still remember that close shave I had with that sword she swung at me," Po replied while reaching up with his good arm and brushing the tip fondly, his thoughts briefly darting to the fact if he HADN'T dodged it. He gulped at the thought and shook it away.

"Yes, if she hadn't filled me in, I most likely would have sent her off to jail without ever fully knowing, possibly never bothering to care what happened to her either. It pains me that even after all that; she still decided to carry out her sentence, even though Junjie was the one who placed the death threats on our heads if he didn't get what wanted." Shifu followed up, letting out a crestfallen breath.

"She did it for you, Master Shifu. She did it because she loves so dearly. She already lost you once before and that was her biggest regret, she didn't want to lose you permanently this time. If Junjie got out before she did, you can already guess what happens next." Po replied, not needing to add the next part.

"Yes. Yes, I know. But that is twice I robbed her of her time." Shifu responded, his brow knitting in frustration.

"Twice, what do you mean by that, Master?" Po asked.

"The first time was when I left her. In my youth, I was steadfast and adamant in my pursuit of kung fu excellence. Sticking by my morals, I stood firm and refused to be dissuaded, even by love. When Mei-Ling broke the code of kung fu that I held so high, I… I abandoned her, when she needed me most. I just left her there in the dead of night and both of our hearts were broken." Shifu admitted while letting out a breath of disdain for himself.

"Master Shifu, that couldn't be help. You were young and you had a goal that you wanted to achieve, you made a mistake, we all did." Po replied, trying his best to console him.

"It was a mistake, I will admit to that. Sometimes, I wish I go back in time and beat some common sense into my younger self, but alas. That is not how the world works. She clearly needed my help; I just turned my back on her. What a fool I was back then." Shifu continued. "The second time was, as you said, seven months ago. She agreed to serve out her sentence, sacrificing any remaining time we both have together." Shifu concluded.

"Shifu," Po trailed, not really knowing how to follow up with what Shifu just said.

"Po," Shifu somberly started. "Mei-Ling and I are getting older and we don't have a lot of time left on this plane until then. I honestly thought I could spend the rest of it with her, making up for the time that was lost with the rest of it. But, once more, I missed the opportunity after being given a second chance of finding her again." Shifu stated as his neutral lip line turned into a bent frown.

"Is that what you've been thinking about all this past week?" Po asked carefully, not wanting to insight a violent reaction from saying the wrong thing.

"When you get to be my age Po, you ponder a lot of things. How they could've been, why they hadn't been, will they be, why they won't be and the like…" Silence then fell on them again, this time it was heavier than before, until Shifu spoke again. "In all my years of training, mastering and dedicating my life to the glory of kung fu and the honor I had obtained in exchange for my sacrifices…"

"Master Shifu?" Po started, but was interrupted by the continuation.

"Looking back on it now, I honestly believe that my "Honor" isn't worth a damn." He concluded, causing Po to gasp out in shock at Shifu's damnation of his title.

"Shifu, how could you say something like that about yourself?!" Po spoke out, in surprise and disappointment. "You've worked your whole life to get where you are! Others would've simply given up and abandon their mission to get where you are today! You've broken bones countless times, obtained bruises, and bled to achieve the title: Grand Master of the Jade Palace," Po added in a loud voice, causing Shifu to grit his teeth in anger, still keeping his eyes forward. "You worked tirelessly, both day and night to be here!"

"And just where has it gotten me?!" Shifu interrupted, his angry blue eyes now locking on to Po's, halting him from saying anything else. "It has left me tired, bitter, angry and alone Panda! I've given up my chances to find love so many times when they appeared before me, and I just pushed them aside! I've finally been given a chance to love again when Mei-Ling appeared to me that night when we first fought. I was happy, Po. I truly was, but I was still young as well. I passed the chance once and fate was gracious enough to bring her back to me once again." Shifu took a breath to calm down before continuing.

"I remember that too," Po replied, calming down as well. "I followed you to that hut and there she was."

"That's right. I was given a second chance, Po. It's something that doesn't happen very often in this lifetime. She came back, and I wasn't going to waste this chance. I was going to make sure that we spend every moment we had together, even if it meant keeping it a secret from you, the Five, all of China, even the Emperor himself if necessary." The red panda added to that.

"Wow, Shifu… I had no idea that this level stress was eating at you. I'm sorry for snapping at you. It's just that, when you condemned your Honor, it was like you had so little self-worth about yourself. I mean, I looked up to you mostly when I didn't know how to do Kung Fu, so I kinda… lost it." Po chuckled. He wasn't alone there, Shifu did as well.

"It's all right; I apologize for losing myself as well. That's was unbecoming of me." Shifu responded with a small chuckle under his breath.

"I'll say; you usually keep nonsensical face even with those wrinkles." Po replied back with a smirk, causing Shifu to laugh as well.

"You're smirking and chuckling on the inside now, but one day, you'll end up with these exact same wrinkles, not to mention the occasional back pain as well." Shifu retorted, causing the smirk on Po's face to disappear in an instant and causing his eyes to wide. The heavy atmosphere that hovered over them had dissipated and the brief silence that fell was that of a peaceful one, until Po opened his mouth.

"Well then, I'd best make the most of my youth, if I'm gonna end up looking like you. But in all honesty, Master Shifu, what about all those times you go to see her at Chorh-Gom Prison? You can still see her whenever you want and spend time together." Po added. Again, Shifu simply sighed at that answer.

"Yes Po that is very much true. Thankfully, I can see Mei-Ling whenever I wish. But, I feel as though… it's just not enough." The master replied while turning his sight back to its original position. "A lady of her stature deserves the best, and I aim to give her that." Shifu added.

"Not enough? Shifu, you've got a good thing going here. You see anytime, that literally means ANYTIME, Daytime or Nighttime, even during lunch. Wanting more that's been given, don't you find that kinda selfish?" Po asked meekly.

"With what I given up during my lifetime, multiple times might I add, don't you think I deserve to be a selfish, even just a little?" he asked with a side glance, imposing a thought-provoking question on the panda, which he had no answer for.

"NO…! Well, maybe… perhaps…? I mean… kinda… awww, dammit Shifu, I hate when you do that to me!" Po groaned out in frustration, earning a smirk from the Master beside him.

"Another perk of being my age, you have the ability to stump a youngster's cart of thought and the wisdom to back it up." He added, smiling in victory with smug undertones. Po grumbled under his breath and decided not to push further than that.

"Well, I'll give you that. You ARE the Master." Po admitted in defeat.

"Years and years of practices, worry not, you'll achieve that level one day." Shifu encouraged. "Well, that's enough about my persona dilemmas for today. It felt relieving to explain myself to someone for a change." Shifu stated as he stood up from his spot once more, dusting off his backside of the gravel and dirt.

"If you find that good, you should do it more often. It's not healthy to keep things like that bottled up inside, y'know. You should talk with us more when given the chance." Po replied while following Shifu's example and did the same while making sure not to add pressure to his bad arm while standing up.

"One step at a time Dragon Warrior, we shall approach that crossroad in due time. No rush, but in the mean time, you earned a well deserved day off for the time being. Now head back to your quarters and rest up. Make sure you have a large cup of herbal medicinal tea to ease the pain. I'll have Mantis administer acupuncture to regulate the flow chi, shortly after." Shifu ordered.

"Sure thing Master Shifu, I'll be sure to do that right away," As Po turned and prepared to leave, he looked back at the red-panda once more. "You gonna follow, Shifu?" Po asked him.

"In a moment Po, I just need take care of something. You go on ahead and get started with your treatment. I will be along shortly." Shifu replied with a small smile.

"Well, Alright then. See you inside." Po responded as well, before turning and proceeding to leave. While Shifu watched Po's body descend down the stairs until his head and ears were past the final step that led to the Sacred Peace Tree, he waited a little longer while using his large ears to listen to the footfalls to get lighter and lighter until they were gone. Once he could no longer hear them, he reached into his sleeve and pulled out a scroll from the confines. Holding it firmly in one hand while the other took hold of the edge and grasped it gently with slender, sinewy fingertips, he pulled the parchment to side and as it slid open more and more, more of the contents on the inside revealed itself to the red-panda. Now with the scroll fully opened, Shifu let out an airy sigh of both adoration and longing all together. What was on the inside of the parchment was a crisp and pristine portrait of his dearly beloved vixen; Mei-Ling. She was seated in the upright seated position with both paws resting over each other and on her lap in a feminine fashion while dressed in her simple, yet traditional pink robe. Her eyes; bright, brilliant and a very lovely shade of pink, along with her complimenting purple eye shadow, seemed to connect with his mature blue ones as well and he smile, that's what got to him the most. It was gentle, caring, loving and protective, like the kind of smile that one could expect to see every time they come home from a tough and arduous day. He traced the picture of her beautiful face and could only smile to himself at the thought of how happy she made him, but, just as easily, the fact that even when she wasn't there, it easily sadden him too, BECAUSE she wasn't there with him.

"My beloved Fěnhóng huā, not a day goes by when I do not think about you, even for a single second," Shifu trailed as he smiled back at her. "Even now, after all time we've been together, it still pains me that we can't be by each other's side all the time," He pauses and turns his sights skyward, as if looking towards the heavens for any clear insight for answers.

"I honestly wish there was a way for us to relive the time that was lost from us… What a fool I am," He chuckled while taking great care to fold the scroll back with perfect, not going too fast or taking too long. With that done, he slid it back into his sleeve and placed his arms in the proper position of a Grand Master.

"Of course such a hope is beyond foolish. Look at me, asking the impossible. It is better to have little; then not have any at all." Seeing as how there was no point in staying where he was any longer after coming here and doing what he had to do, he did a turn around and proceeded to leave the area and fetch Mantis to help Po with his injuries, along with seeing the defeated looks on their face as well.

"He will make a good Grand Master one day." Shifu mussed as he decided the stairs and left the Scared Peach Tree the way it was before he arrived to it; simple and swaying in the gentle morning breeze.

~.~.~.~.~.~

To Be Continued…

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Well guys, what did you think of that comeback after being on a Hiatus for quite awhile huh? Like I said, I may be rusty, I've been so busy with school and the drive to write just took a backseat. But I'm here now. Hope you guys enjoyed it. Stay tuned for the next chapter. It's already in the works.

Thanks again for being a wonderful audience, and stay tuned.