Author's Note: I don't own Kung Fu Panda. I believe they're owned by DreamWorks. I also know that the movie is like two years old, but I only saw it recently. In the trailers it looked stupid, boy was I wrong.
Awesomeness vs. Darkness
Chapter 1: The New Threat
It had been four months since Po defeated Tai Lung. Unfortunately, a new darkness has already begun to form. Somewhere far away from the Valley of Peace, a lizard in a ninja outfit began to burn a bizarre plant.
"Ancient Ones! I beseech you!" The lizard yelled as the plant began to smoke, "Please, come to me!" Five towers of fire burst from the ground and formed into blacked robed figures whose eyes glowed like the fires that formed them.
"Why did you call us here Tokage?" The figure in the center asked.
"I made it to the Chinese continent." Tokage said, "I need my further instructions now. What is the name of the elder that I need to meet?"
"You are quite inpatient aren't you?" The figure on the far left said.
"You five said yourselves that the ritual must be ready by this year's Festival of Heavenly Lights." Tokage responded, "And that the ritual must be started while the lights are visible."
"You clearly paid attention." The one on the center right said, "The elder you need to meet, you'll find him at a popular noodle shop in the Valley of Peace. Don't go looking for him until the shop opens. He will be posing as a costumer."
"How am I going to know which costumer he is?" Tokage asked, "And how will I know I'm at the right shop?"
"The shop you'll meet him at is run by a man named Mr. Ping." The one on the center left said, "As for the means of identifying him, if you say 'When the crow flies at midnight…' he will respond '…none shall see him until he strikes.'"
"He will tell you what you need to do from there." The one on the far right said.
"Do not disappoint us Tokage." The center one said, "We don't wish to wait another thousand years for this chance."
"I understand that if I fail, the window of opportunity will close until the cosmic bodies realign." Tokage said.
"Preciously." The center one said, "Now go! Find Karasu!" The five robed figures burst into flames then disappeared.
That Morning…
The morning gong rang through the village. The members of the Furious Five, as always, emerged from their rooms almost instantly. "Good morning Master Shifu." They said in unison. Po, on the other hand, still took one or two seconds to appear.
"Good morning Master Shifu." Po said slightly panting. Shifu just sighed. Even though Po had made remarkable progress since the battle with Tai Lung, his level of discipline was still significantly lower than that of the Furious Five. It didn't matter much anyway. It wasn't like a force more evil than Tai Lung was going to show up anytime soon. He was about to announce the training plan for the day, when a breeze of wind carrying peach blossoms went by. "Master, are you okay?" Po asked.
"Huh? Oh, yes I'm fine Po." Shifu said, "No special training exercise today. I have something I need to attend to."
"Did something about Shifu seem off to you guys?" Crane asked while they were heading for the training room.
"You're right," Viper said, "Something defiantly seemed off. Do you guys have any idea what's the matter?"
"Not a clue." Monkey said.
"Me neither." Mantis said.
"Search me." Po said.
"I doesn't matter what's bothering master." Tigress said, "He told us to train so that's what we're going to do."
"Just thought you'd be a little more concerned about him Tigress." Po said, "He did teach you everything you know."
"It doesn't matter Po." Tigress said, "If Shifu needs some time to himself, then we give it to him. Now come on, we don't have all day."
Hall of Warriors…
Shifu sat meditating at the Moon Pool. How long he sat there, he didn't know. But eventually, Shifu found himself looking at the ghostly form of his master.
"Hello Shifu." Oogway said.
"Master, I sensed you wanted to speak." Shifu said.
"Very perspective." Oogway responded, "I am afraid that what I must tell you is greatly concerning."
"What is it?" Shifu asked.
"I'm afraid that someone is working to free the Ancient Ones." Oogway answered.
"Free the Ancient Ones?" Shifu asked shocked, "But how, that is impossible!"
"Unfortunately, it is quite possible." Oogway said, still calm as ever, "When the Ancient Ones where sealed away one-thousand years ago, a prophesy was foretold. It said that when certain heavenly bodies align, the seal shall be broken. Nobody took this warning to heart and the way to seal them was forgotten. But now, the alignment is happening."
"When will it happen?" Shifu asked, "We can stop whoever is attempting to free them."
"The bodies will be fully aligned during the Festival of Heavenly Lights." Oogway responded, "Once the cosmic entities align, a colorful display of lights will appear in the night sky. If you do not stop them by the time the lights appear, you will be too late."
"Don't worry, I will tell my students. We will stop them!" Shifu said confidently.
"You make it sound easy. But it will not be." Oogway said, "The ones attempting to free them also possess magical abilities. They will use any feelings they can against you all. Especially those that are willing to lay down their lives to protect one they cannot live without."
"What does that mean?" Shifu asked.
"You will find out in time." Oogway said, "You must go now Shifu. Time is precious." The world seemed to fade out of existence. Shifu reawakened in the Hall of Warriors near the Moon Pool. He set out for the training room to alert his students about what has just happened.