I do not own Kung Fu Panda or any of it characters. I only own the OC's in this story.

This is my first fanfic, so let me know what you think!


A New Voice

Po sat quietly in the tall grass. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He pulled his legs into the lotus position, and placed his hands on his knees. The world seemed to slow down as he meditated. Shifu had been insistent he learn to meditate. He felt it would help Po to become surer of himself, and would quiet him down. The latter part was the one Shifu hoped for the most.

There he sat in the middle of his spot. The one place he felt was completely his. This small clearing in the woods he had found when he was a cub. He came here often to relax and play. Shifu had said for him to meditate somewhere he felt comfortable, there was nowhere more comfortable than here. Even when he was little he would escape here. He could be whatever he wanted to when he was in his place in the world. This was a place he shared with no one. Although Po was a sharing, kind soul who longed to share all he had, this place was a personal place, and he was afraid to bring anyone else here to change his spot.

Po continued breathing slow. He felt the grass swaying beneath him. He heard the water running over rocks in the stream a few feet away. The smell of cherry blossoms filled the air. A bird chirped its morning song in the distance. Po felt himself slowly calming. He blocked his mind of all thought. As he slipped further into the meditative trance he let go of all the things around him.

As the world began to melt away he felt a strange sensation taking over his body. At first Po was frightened. He was just about to shake himself out when he felt the sensation change and persuade him to go deeper. He followed this new feeling. Further and further he went, until he suddenly saw a light invading the darkness. He traveled closer with his minds eye and discovered a pool of water with light shining off it's rippled edges. Po leaned forward to look in, and a wave of light emersed his being. The pool seemed to reach out and grab him. As he was swept into the light and water he saw a fuzzy image. He turned towards it and the scene played out in front of him, as if he was standing there.

A small female panda cub struggled to stand up in the grass outside a home deep in the woods. The cub was alone, and hungry. The small cub crawled to the slightly open door and looked in. On the floor lay a female giant panda. She didn't stir as the little panda walked in and shook her. Her great left paw was tightly closed. The cub began to cry, when a sound from the corner took her by surprise. She watched as a panther slowly emerged from the shadows. The panther looked down at the woman on the floor. A tear fell from his eye. He picked up the cub and tucked the small child into his arm. The panther looked up. He spoke one word, "Po."

Po jolted back to reality. He shook all over. His eyes searched the clearing he was in, and then he stood. He felt as if someone had struck him. The world slowly came back into view as he stood at a ready stance in the grass.

"Po?" A familiar female voice spoke to him. Po rounded to see Tigress standing behind him. She looked at him with confusion. "Po, are you okay? We've been searching everywhere for you."

"H-how did you find me?" Po stuttered.

Tigress stared at him for a moment as if she was deciding something. "I followed you here one night a few weeks ago. You had been quiet all that day, and I wanted to make sure you weren't going to do something that would dishonor the Jade Palace."

Po gaped at her, "Me?"

"Oh don't look so shocked." Po relaxed and looked around again. Tigress followed his gaze. "What is it?"

"I, uh, nothing. Must have been dreaming." Po began to walk out of the clearing.

"Okay, then lets go back to the Palace. You need to train on the fire ground today." Tigress smiled as Po stopped and looked back at her terrified. He started to object but she simply took his paw and pulled him out of the woods.

"AGAIN PO! You must learn to lift your feet!" Tigress urged him on. Po's fur was singed, and his body ached from the brutal routine Tigress had him doing.

Po stood still on the edge of the fire grounds and begged Tigress with his eyes to let up. She glared at him. Her fur bristly as he pleaded with her silently. She wasn't going to give in he knew. So finally he went into the ready stance and nodded. Tigress motioned him on to the small stone pipes.

"Close your eyes, Po. Feel the fire. Listen to fire. NOW!" Po jumped and twisted to the right. The sound of the fire coming through the small holes behind him egged him on. He listened to the hiss; he moved his massive left foot and jumped to the left. Again the fire missed him. He felt the tube under his right foot begin to heat up and lunged to left again. Another step to right, and the fire barely missed his elbow as he swung to left.

"Keep moving!"

"I am!"

"Not fast enough." Tigress muttered under her breath as Po stepped to left and was caught on his right heel with a lick of the fire.

"OW!" Po stumbled forward. He felt the heat building below him, he quickly jumped off the fire grounds as the fire erupted all around him. He rolled onto his back and began panting heavily.

"Better Panda. Much better." Tigress sat down next to him.

"That is . . . not . . . my idea of . . . fun."

"Really, I enjoyed it."

"Of course you did! Say what's for dinner?" Po stayed on his back with his eyes closed.

"Is that all you can think of? Dinner? You have got to keep your mind on your training. You get distracted and that is when you stumble."

"I only stumbled because someone was screaming at me from the side." Po opened one eye and looked at Tigress.

Over the last few weeks Tigress and Po had become good friends. All of the Furious Five and Po had really, but Tigress had really focused on Po. She smiled more, and she seemed to really enjoy his company. She even told him about her past growing up in the Jade Palace. Po remembered being in awe as she unfolded her past. He could just imagine being there as she raced over the spinning snakes the first time.

"Okay, enough for today. Shifu wants to see you now. He asked me to send you to him as soon as you completed the fire grounds." Tigress stood and helped Po up.

"Do you think I will ever be as graceful as the rest of you?" Po spoke with such sadness. Tigress gave him a strange look.

"A long time ago I asked Shifu that same question. He looked me right in the eye and said, 'you will be you. I can ask nothing more than that.' "

With that she turned and walked out of the training hall. Po walked out into the courtyard. He sat down and picked up his sandals. The sun was beginning to set in a beautiful ray of colors. The colors danced on the clouds. Breathtaking oranges, reds, deep purples, and blues. He stood and watched as the sun disappeared in a glorious motion into the mountains.

The cobblestone path crunched under him as he made his way to the Jade Palace. The large doors were open, so Po merely stepped in. At the pool sat Shifu. He was still and quiet. Po approached him quietly so as to not disturb the master's meditations.

"Hello Dragon Warrior." Shifu spoke without moving.

"Master." Po put his hand to his fist and bowed. When he stood back up Shifu was staring at him.

"Po, sit. We must talk."

Po shuddered. Master Shifu never had said those words to him, unless he was in trouble. Shifu turned to face the panda and smiled.

"I want to know how your meditating is going. You have learned to be still and listen I assume."

"Yes, Master. I am sorry if I worried you by disappearing earlier."

"I told you to find somewhere you could be alone, and be comfortable. I am not upset with you. I merely sent Tigress to find you, so you could train with her for the afternoon. She seemed to be the only one who knew where you might be." Shifu lifted an eyebrow and looked at Po. "You and Tigress have become good friends. I am very happy you have brought her out more. Tell me how do you think Tigress is doing?"

Po was shocked Shifu would ask him about Tigress. Tigress and Shifu talked all the time, why would he ask Po if she were alright when he had just seen her. "Tigress? She's doing fine. I know she must be getting frustrated with me. I am so slow, and I don't seem to be able to be more flexible than I am."

"I am glad to hear she is doing well. I was afraid she would be too hard on you at first. Listen to her, Po, and you will gain more strength and ferocity. Flexibility will come in time. Tigress can teach you the moves, but I think I will get Monkey and Viper to show you how to stretch better." Shifu stood and began to pace. He looked back at Po and studied him. "Now, tell me about your vision."

Po's eyes widened, "How did you know I had a vision?"

"It's written all over you. You have been preoccupied all afternoon. Constantly looking around corners. Searching shadows. I assume it has to do with your meditating. What did you see?" Shifu sat down beside Po. He closed his eyes as Po began retelling his vision.

"I saw a girl panda cub at house in the woods. She was hurt I think. She stumbled into the house and saw her mother dead on the floor. She tried to wake her, and then a Panther came out of the shadows and picked her up gently. He tucked her close to him. Then something strange happened. It was like he felt me, or something 'cause he said my name."

"Your name? How interesting."

"What does it mean, Shifu? It felt so real."

Shifu got very quiet. The air in the Palace became very still. Suddenly Shifu opened his eyes. He looked at Po then at the door.

"Po, he's here."

In the doorway stood the dark figure from his vision. In his arms he held a small panda cub.

Po fainted.