Chapter 2: The Dragon and Wonder Warrior

I still couldn't believe what was happening; here I am in the valley of peace, the setting of Kung fu Panda my favorite movie. I've been turned into my own wonder panda of all things, and I'm walking beside my favorite character, the dragon warrior to be Po himself. I somehow got put into the first movie just when he goes to the Jade Palace, and though it might be a bit of a change I'm joining him to help with the noodle cart. "Whoa, Won Pan look at that."

Won Pan is the name I made up for myself, for someone reason I can't remember my real one. And besides it is Chinese enough to be a name. Po and I had reached the thousand steps… and it looked like they even further in person than on TV. "Are we seriously gonna bring this cart all the way up there?"

"Yeah… we do." Po answered with a sigh and I joined in with him.

"Well then, let's just get it over with." I grabbed the back of the cart nudged it against Po's back. "Come on, you pull and I push."

"Right."

So the two of us started walking up the stairs with cart in tow, but that's when I realized that there was more to how I look than appearance; I didn't just get a panda's body, I got a panda's weight and muscle. Though there wasn't much to begin with I tried to push on… but I felt myself tire out easily. "Po… Po wait a sec… I'm getting tired."

"Yeah let's… take a break." He said through deep breaths. "How far did… we get?"

"Um…"

"What is it?"

"You might wanna turn around." I couldn't see, but I could tell the look he had was of shock and embarrassment.

"No! Oh noooo!" Po yelled as he realized that we had only made it up to seven steps. Even I was surprised by how tired I got, back home I could climb stairs so easily. It made me wonder if jumping two steps at once would make me pass out. Po looked devastated, I felt so sorry for him too.

"Hey Po, are you gonna be ok?" I asked.

"Yeah it's just…" He sighed. "I didn't even wanna sell noodles when we got there, I just wanted to watch the five in action, and see who becomes the dragon warrior."

"Well why didn't you just tell your dad that?"

"Dad wouldn't understand, and I don't want to break his heart." Po said. "He wants me to become noodle folk like him, but what I really want. What I dream about, is to be a great kung fu master. If you want to laugh… you can."

"That's a very admirable dream." I held onto the sword resting by my side. "I want to be a great hero to others too."

"So that wooden sword is what you practice with?" Po asked "That's pretty cool, at least you're trying to achieve your dream."

"You can too Po, all you've gotta do is just keep believing." I point my new furry finger at him and said, "And if you want to achieve yours you gotta make a choice, getting up those stairs or staying here with this noodle cart."

Just as he started to think about it, the two pigs from the movie come in… though I don't know their names.

"Sorry, Po." The first pig said.

"We'll bring you back a souvenir." The other assured.

Right after those two said that, I knew what Po was gonna say. "No… I'll bring me back a souvenir!"

"Someone's got their energy back."

"Yeah, thanks for helping Pan." Hearing that from Po I couldn't help but blush, but there was no time for that right now.

"W-Well what're we waiting for… last one to the top is a rotten egg!" I ran past the panda getting a little head start.

"Oh you're on!"

Up in the Jade Palace arena, the audience got to their seats, drums began to play as the test to see who would be chosen as the dragon warrior was about to begin. A red panda in a red robe named Shifu looked over the preparations, as he did that the great Master Oogway appeared walking down the steps of the palace behind him. The aged tortoise walked by with a wooden staff in his hands and stood beside his student.

"It is a historic day isn't it, Master Oogway?" Shifu asked

"Yes and one I feared I would not live to see." The aged tortoise smiled as the wind that blew changed its direction, the sudden change caught him in surprise. "Oh, it seems there is something more here."

"Master?" Shifu asked puzzled.

"Shifu, do remember the story of the Dragon Warrior?" He answered. "You must remember the legend of the warrior who stands beside the Dragon Warrior. The warrior of wonder who's gentle blue color shall show its true form as a ferocious red."

"Master Oogway… are you suggesting that the Wonder Warrior is here as well?" The red panda asked.

"All in due time Shifu, are your students ready?"

"Yes, Master Oogway."

"Now know this, old friend." Oogway said. "Whomever I choose will not only bring peace to the Valley, but also to you."

The old master walked off, leaving Shifu to ponder what his words had meant. Could the wonder warrior really be here as well, could it have been one of his students perhaps? He dismissed the thought as he walked beside his master to start the festivities. "Let the tournament begin!"

Meanwhile, the two panda's had finally arrived up the top of the stairs. Won Pan panted heavily as he had reached the top first. "I won, in your face Po! I… u-ugh, oh crap… gonna blow chunks!"

As he threw up behind some bushes, Po crawled up the last bit of steps and fell on his back in exhaustion. "Whew… ha… yeah!" He looked back to the arena and noticed that the doors were closing. "Oh no! No no no, wait… I'm coming! Yes!" He sprinted as fast as he could but he ended up slamming face first into the closed door. Owww… Hey, open the door! Let us in!"

"There goes that pizza from lunch today, huh?" Coming back after throwing up, Pan looked as Po peeked through a crack in the door. 'Right, Po's gonna be looking for ways to get in now. I think I'll just watch him.'

"Pan I found a window, can you give me a boost?" Po asked.

'Oh god this won't end well…'

The blue panda groaned as he felt Po's entire weight on his shoulder, giving the hero to be a boost to the small window he saw Master Shifu step forward to the audience. "Citizens of the Valley of Peace! It is my great honor to present to you… Tigress! Viper! Crane! Monkey! Mantis! The Furious Five!"

"Oh man, it's the Furious Five!" Po laughed delight as the five masters appeared in the middle of the arena in their kung fu stances.

"I can't see them Po… plus I really don't know how long I can…" Just as Pan felt his legs go out, the powerful wind from Crane's wing's closed the window in Po's face and cased the both of them to fall on their backs. "Ow… that sucked."

"No, we gotta see this!" Po kept looking around until he saw a small crack in the arena door. "Oh, ah! Peeky-hole!"

As the tournament continued, I watched as Po made several attempts to get inside. He tried punching it, though I think I heard his hand break; he tried to pole vault over but he ended up slamming into the wall, it was funny to see him try so much so I just watched and drew some lines on the ground with my sword until Po said, "What're you doing, aren't you gonna help?"

"I am I'm counting how many times you've failed to get inside." I joked.

"Very funny, but we're totally missing out on who the dragon warrior will be." Po replied

"Citizens of the Valley of Peace!" I heard the voice of Shifu announce. "Master Oogway will now choose… the Dragon Warrior!"

"Oh no, we're going to miss it!" Po was totally freaking out and at this rate he'd never get inside so I decided to help.

"Po I have an idea, and all we need is a chair." He didn't get it at first, so I gestured towards the fireworks behind us.

"Yeah… that'll work." Po smirked as he finally got it.

I kind of have to say though, as Po started tying the fireworks onto a chair he had a bit of a mad scientist smile. He sat down and started to light each firework until Mr. Ping appeared shocked. "Po, what are you doing!?"

"What do you think I'm doing?" Po replied, his dad tried to blow the flames away but I guess it was too late. "No stop, stop! I'm going to see the Dragon Warrior!"

"But I don't understand, you finally had the noodle dream!" Ping said.

"I lied. I don't dream about noodles, Dad!" Po looked to see the fuse was almost out and braced himself for the explosion. "I LOVE KUNG FUUUUUUUUUUU!"

Po yelled it into the heavens, but the fireworks didn't light at all; he fell flat on his face with the chair still stuck on his butt, Po started sniffling a small tear coming from his eye. 'I know everything will be alright, but I can't help feeling sad for him. If nothing really did happen, I wish I could do something to make him feel better.'

"Oh, come on, son." Mr. Ping held out Po's apron, though he is sympathetic for his son I guess he figured work would help him feel better. "Let's get back to work."

"Okay…" Po sighed.

"Um actually Po, you might wanna get up quick cause the fuse'll-!?" Oops, right when I was about to say it the fireworks finally fired and Po shot straight into the wall. Ping was freaking out just as much as his son, and then Po finally fired straight into the air. "Oh boy, there he goes…"

"Po, come back!" Ping yelled at him from the sky.

It was too late; the chair had taken Po high into the sky in beautiful colors. It didn't take long for the fireworks to finally wear off, I couldn't see what happened from so far up but it was pretty obvious when Po fell from the sky right into the arena. I knew it wouldn't take long till Oogway announced him as the Dragon Warrior… actually, he announced it right when Mr. Ping opened the arena door the very door Po had trouble pulling open when it was actually a simple push.

"The universe has brought us the Dragon Warrior!" Oogway announced.

"What?" Said Po.

"What!?" Said the five.

"What!?" Said Shifu.

"WHAT!?" Mr. Ping exclaimed.

The gong rung and everyone began to cheer as their Dragon Warrior was chosen, though it looked like Shifu and the Furious Five looked like they were just brought into a nightmare. Po on the other hand looked just as surprised, but he's happy on the inside I know it; he ended up being put on a chair and carried up to the Jade Palace, with a little mishap… like him breaking the chair they were able to get up the stairs. "Well I guess I should leave him alone now, Po's got his own adventure to look forward to."

"Aren't you going to join him?" My new fur almost jumped off my skin when I heard that voice next to me, it was Master Oogway himself talking to me.

"M-Master Oogway it's a great honor to meet you." I went back and forth from bowing to doing the traditional kung fu bow with my fist in my paw.

"Why don't you go with him, the panda will need a friend." Oogway smiled. "Don't you think so, Won Pan?"

"You… know my name?" I asked.

"I know your name, and I also know the name you've given yourself. A very nice name you have as well." He said. "Go with the Dragon Warrior, and you might find something interesting… just like the other panda did."

I wanted to say something but what could I say? Oogway was basically offering me the chance to be in the movie, which was cool but also strange; if I wasn't so freaked about being around Po I probably would've said ok to the master… oh well, I guess it would be easier to not look the gift horse in the mouth. "I'm right behind you Po, so here I come."

As the blue panda headed towards the palace, Master Oogway watched from behind with a gentle smile on his face.

"It seems the universe has brought us the warrior of wonder much earlier than I thought." The tortoise chuckled.