A/N : I do not own Kung Fu Panda
Chapter 1 : A Mistake
Mr. Ping was shocked when he saw his son, Po, sitting on the firework chair. Is he crazy? Is he looking for the death?
"PO," he shouted. "What are you doing?!" he rushed forward and tried to blow out the lighted fuse.
"What does it look like I'm doing?! No, stop. Stop! I'm going to see The Dragon Warrior!"
His father stopped what he was doing and stared at him with a confused look. "But I don't understand. You finally had the noodle dream."
Po sighed. "I lied. I don't dream about noodles, Dad." He looked down and saw the fuse was almost out. He was about to be launched above and into the palace's arena. He had to confess to his dad about what he had been dreaming about all this while. "I LOVE KUNG FUUUU...UUU...UU."
The fuse finished burning but failed to ignite the fireworks. It didn't launch him above the palace gate as planned. He had leant too far forward and lost his balance, falling flat on his face with the chair still stuck to his rear. Po sniffed as if about to cry, knowing he had failed miserably. He was too embarrassed to face his dad.
"Oh. Come on, son," His dad said gently as he held out Po's apron. "Let's get back to work."
Po sighed again. "Okay." He stood up dejectedly while his father help untie the rope around his belly.
"Let's go home."
Po followed his dad down the stairs, but not before staring longingly at the closed gate for a last time. He was seconds away from the moment where Master Oogway will appoint the Dragon Warrior. Who would it be? Master Crane? Master Mantis? Master Viper? Master Monkey? Or... Master Tigress? He had desperately hope to be able to see who it was. He decided that he'll ask the others later.
In Palace Arena
Maser Oogway, who had been swaying his palm in the air, made his decision regarding the choosing of the Dragon Warrior. He had initially sensed the Dragon Warrior's presence, but was disappointed when it disappeared. Knowing that there had to be a conclusion to today's tournament, he finally pointed his index finger at the female tiger. Yes. Master Tigress, Master of Tiger Style. Master Oogway was pointing at her. This meant that she was The Dragon Warrior.
"Master. Are you pointing at... me?" The tiger asked, gesturing to herself with her right paw.
Master Oogway nodded without any expression. He lifted up her paw with his staff for all to see as he announced. "The universe has brought us The Dragon Warrior."
Suddenly, everyone including the rest of The Furious Five, cheered wildly. Confetti rained down after the gong had been strike, a signal that the tournament was over. Master Shifu watched proudly and smiled at his chosen student. Since a long ago, he knew that his strongest student would become The Dragon Warrior.
The palace geese carrying the palanquin walked down the remaining steps from the podium and stopped in front of Master Tigress. The tiger, now known as The Dragon Warrior, sat in it as the geese lifted it up and began walking again, this time taking the tiger master to The Hall of Warriors.
Crane, Viper, Monkey and Mantis bowed when Master Shifu approached them.
"You have done well."
"Thank you, Master Shifu." They responded in unison.
Master Shifu placed his fist into his palm. That day, he was so happy. Finally, after teaching her Kung Fu for years, his prized student was now being chosen as The Dragon Warrior, just as he desired. He was very sure that Tigress was the right person to defeat Tai Lung. Master Oogway really did make the right choice.
But... did he? That's what he was thinking when he saw his tortoise master looked unhappy. Isn't he suppose to smile or something cause their first problem about choosing The Dragon Warrior had been solved? But, what is wrong with him?
"This is a happy day, isn't it Master?" Shifu asked as he stood beside him.
Master Oogway looked up at the sky, as if he was waiting for something to come down from above. "Is it?"
"Indeed. We finally have The Dragon Warrior now. This is just like I—I mean- us, have dreamed about."
"But the chosen one hasn't been chosen." The old tortoise turned to glance at Shifu. "He is still hiding among us."
Shifu frowned. "Are you referring to Tigress? Or are you talking about someone else?
"I am talking about him, The True Chosen One," He leaned towards Shifu. "The True Dragon Warrior."
"Wait a minute!" Shifu exclaimed, panicking. "Are you telling me that Tigress isn't The Dragon Warrior? But why? You just pointed at her earlier!"
"I had no other choice. For today, she is the one."
"Is there someone else who's more deserving to be The Dragon Warrior? Who is it? Crane? Viper? Mantis? Monkey? Or... Me? You?"
Master Oogway chuckled. "It won't be you, them or even me. He is a warrior unlike anything the world has ever seen. But time will tell us more about this one."
Master Oogway walked off, leaving Shifu to ponder on the meaning of it.
"Wait. Master Oogway..."
But the master had already left.
Shifu shook his head in lack of understanding. But one important thing he got from his master's words ; Clearly that there was someone else that more deserve to be The Dragon Warrior than Tigress.
Shifu then remembered that he had to see her at the moment. The last task he had left was to hand her the dragon scroll. A scroll that could only be read by the true Dragon Warrior.
Hall of warriors,
The tiger master was awaiting her master's arrival in the hall when she noticed the door was opened, allowing a red panda to come inside.
"Master Shifu." Tigress greeted him as bowed.
Master Shifu gave her a smile. It was his first smile ever since Tai Lung was sent to jail. "I knew it would be you. You made me proud, Dragon Warrior."
"Thank you, Master," Tigress replied, glowing in happiness. "I wouldn't have achieved if not for your teachings."
Her master had just given her the two things that she had been yearning for for a long time; A smile, and pride. For seventeen years, she had been training hard in Kung Fu. But never before had her master given those two things... until now. Her training has finally paid off.
"And now," Shifu said as walked towards the moon pool. He looked up towards the ceiling, right at the intricate golden dragon statue that was clutching a scroll in its mouth. "It's time."
Shifu whirled his walking stick. The peach blossom petals rose in a flickering, spinning whirlwind, from the pool to the ceiling where the carved dragon statue held the Dragon Scroll. As the petals touched the edge of the scroll, it loosed the loosen the scroll from the dragon's mouth and it fell. At the last second, Shifu reached out with the stick to catch the scroll on the end of it. He turned to Tigress, holding it out.
"You know what will happen when you read this?" asked Shifu.
Tigress nodded. "Legend says that I'll be able to hear a butterfly's wing beat and see the light in the deepest cave."
"This is yours, Tigress," Shifu continued. "Read it and fulfil your destiny. Read it and become... The Dragon Warrior."
Dramatically, Tigress took that scroll. She easily removed opened the plug and pulled out a paper scroll. Right when she read it, something awesome would be coming over her.
But her face turned in to disappointment as she unrolled the sroll.
"It's blank." she told her master.
"What?"
"Yes. Look." She said as showed the scroll to him. But Shifu quickly turned his head away, stopping himself from looking at the scroll.
"Oh. No…no…no… I was forbidden to look upon-."
There was silence for a moment before Shifu suddenly grabbed the scroll, checking to see if there was a trick or something.
"Blank?" he muttered to himself, confused. "I…I don't understand."
"What does it mean, Master?" Tigress asked. "Isn't there suppose to be words?"
Shifu rolled up the scroll. "Master Oogway created this scroll. He will know the answer." He stared at her. "Don't worry. He'll explain everything. You'll be mastering this scroll soon. I promise."
He handed the scroll back to Tigress and turned to leave. To be honest, he knew the exact reason why Tigress couldn't read the scroll. As Master Oogway said, there was someone else who was more deserving of the title of The Dragon Warrior and that someone wasn't Tigress.
But he was too afraid to tell her. He was afraid that if he told her, history could repeat itself. He was afraid that Tigress might react in rage, following Tai Lung's path to darkness and laying waste to the valley.
Meanwhile in Mr. Ping's Noodle Shop
Po was daydreaming as sat on a chair in his dad's shop, resting his chin on his paws. There were currently no customers around.
Life in the noodle shop was boring. Although he loved cooking, he preferred doing Kung Fu more. But what else can he do? He's just the son of a noodle seller. Being a Kung Fu Master was a dream that would never come true.
A number of villagers were starting to return from the Jade Palace. Po stood up from his seat and called out to a pig that was about to walk past his dad's shop.
"Ling." he waved his hand.
Ling stopped as he saw Po. "Oh, hey, Po." He returned the wave. "Where have you been? I didn't see you at The Jade Palace."
"That's not important. Hey, who's the Dragon Warrior?" Po asked excitedly.
"Of course it's her, Po. The strongest of The Furious Five."
Po gasped. "Master Tigress?!"
"You bet."
"Whoa… Awesome…"
Po gazed wistfully into the distance at the Jade Palace on hill. Ever since he was a cub, he had been admiring that tiger in terms of both her awesomeness and the other.
He had long wanted to have a chance to meet her just to say 'Hi'. During the day, he often saw her along with her fellow masters, fighting bandits and defending the valley. In the night, he was always training, attempting to imitate her moves with his lousy Kung Fu. When he reached five, he carved an action figure of her from bamboo.
Back to reality, he knew that it's impossible to meet her face to face now. His idol was now The Dragon Warrior.
"Po," his dad called him from the kitchen. "Come in here, I need your help."
"Okay, Dad." He replied and walked back into the kitchen. Yes. This was how he had to live his life as a big fat panda; working for his dad and unable to do anything except to dream about learning Kung Fu. His life was much too different to all master of the Jade Palace's.
