Well. A sudden brainstorm hit me earlier on. So, there will be NO Tai/Po pairing besides friendship... Well, as friendly as those two can get.

Trust me, it will be too wierd. Sorry to anyone who was counting on it.

So instead, lets see who should get the heart of Tigress... Po, or Tai Lung? Or even Monkey? You decide my friends... She could even remain single.

STAR STAR STAR STAR

Vlaer watched as the Sun rose over the large mountainside from the small window of the tent, the golden light spreading everywhere, cleansing everything it touched. It reached the top of the Jade Palace, illumiating the dojo from behind like a celestrial temple. The Valley of Peace was hailed as the most beautiful, most serene, most carefree land on the entire planet...

And then they came.

It would be a sacrilege to invade a land dedicated to creating peace between people. Yet he had his orders.

Now shed of his armour and underclothes, you could see his body more clearly. His fur was a golden orange apart from his stomach up to his neck which was purest white. His tail was a little longer than most Foxes, reaching the tips of his ears when pressed against his spine. The years of serving in the Imperial Army had molded his physique into a well muscled, lean and handsomely proportioned body. Back in the training camps, quite a few of the female recruits had dreams about sharing a tent with him...

But the warrior training came with a price. A long, ragged dull pink scar ran down his face and chest, curving over the brow of his right eye, avoiding his neck altogether, and continued down his chest, almost reaching his navel. A "Souvenir" from a previous campain. He later killed the Ape that gave it to him. His eyes were deep blue, almost like a fresh Sapphire dug up from the ground. As the sun rose, they began to well up. But the training did more than harden his body. He hadn't cried in ten years. He would not show weakness now.

Hanyu came up behind him, reaching round his bare chest, her legs pressing against the back of his knees and placing her head in the crook between neck and chin, watching the sunrise with him. Her fur a rich, dark grey, like wood ash, with generous curves in all the right places, slender fingers that gently traced Vlaer's scar, and a smal pink tongue that flicked out to touch at the base of his ear, making him shudder. But she too had been sculpted by her people's training facilities. Her arms were far stronger than they appeared, and she could keep up with the best of warriors.

Namely, Vlaer.

She was obviously naked, her tail coiling round Vlaer's protectively. She was having the same thoughts as him. Ever since she was a little girl, she dreamed of visiting the Peace Valley, to study the way of negotiation, to learn how to preserve peace for the sake of her people... Now she was here to destroy it.

Funny thing irony.

"It begins today..." Vlaer said nothing, not trusting himself to speak without his voice breaking. He too worshiped the ideals of peace, and longed to study here under the great Masters; Oogway and Shifu. Just to witness the Furious Five in action would be an honour. Finally, he managed to find his voice.

"Shall I awaken the army my Lady?" Hanyu gave him a sad smile, nuzzling into his chin.

"No... Let them sleep a little longer..." With that she tugged on his arm, dragging him back to the "bedroom"...

--

Po woke up, a small trail of smoke coiling up towards the black, heavy clouds above. Grunting, he sat up, waving his hands at the embers. A small pile of dirt rose up and poured over the smouldering wood, putting it out completely. He rubbed his face, wiping the sleep from his eyes before wrinkling his nose. Sniffing at his arm, he made a face, looking down at himself.

"Urgh... I need water..."

He lucked out. Finding a small mountian hot spring running down to the valley below, he gratefully stripped and dived in. Relaxing in the shallow water, he looked down at his floating bulk, barely able to see over himself. Cocking an eybrow, he sat up in the water, placing his hand under his mouth. A slow trickle of rock dust poured out, collecting in his hand before being sweapt away by the wind. He tapped his ample stomach twice, then looked towards the small amount of grains still left on his hand.

Making a quick decision, he heaved himself out of the water and dropped to all fours. Opening his mouth wide, a steady stream of dust tumbled out, making clouds that hid him from any peeping tom that may come along. However, when he thought he was finished, it just kept coming...

Jesus, I knew it was a lot, but not this much!

Eventually he was left with a large pile of rock dust...

And one slim(er) body.

Now that the dust was gone, you could see his proper proportions. Lean and muscular but not overly so. There was still a paunch to him that would never have been there four hundred years ago, so he was still nowhere near as lean as any of the other Masters, but he was still a lot thinner than earlier. His cheeks were the noticable change, slimmer and with a more profound jawline. And that wasn't mentioning the lower half of the body...

Perhaps if he slowed his progress a little, made up a few imaginary bandits he could get away with this sudden change?

Nah.

For a start, his trousers wouldn't fit.

Slinking back into the water, he submerged beneath the liquid, a few bubbles the only hint he was there.

--

Hanyu rode past on her horse, fully coated in her gold trimmed armour with the Fox crest on her chest.

It resembled a muzzle in the loosest sense of the word, a blotch of ink swept into a face with graceful curves and lines. A skilled calligrapher must have been paid a lot of money, or threatened, by her father in order to make such a work of art. She was betting on the latter.

Behind her and to the right was her most trusted General, Vlaer, his fur shining in the morning sun. She snapped her fingers and a scribe stepped forward, ready with a wet pen. Taking a few moments to gather her thought's, she began to dictate.

"To the Inhabitants of the Valley of Peace.

Surrender yourselves at once to the Fox Empire. I, Princess Hanyu of the Royal Family, will gauantee your safety if you put up no resistance."

She paused to think as the Generals muttered to themselves behind her. Surrender wasn't an option... Vlaer manuvoured his steed closer to the Generals, talking to them in a stage whisper.

"The Valley is also home to the Furious Five if I recall... Plus their new Dragon Warrior. She knows they won't surrender..." The generals settled back, satisfied. Vlaer bit his tongue in order not to pull a face. Those egotistical warmongers... And these are the ones to lead our people? The sooned that old Warlord back home died, the better.

Meanwhile, Hanyu had resumed her dictation.

"However... If anyone takes arms against our forces, I'm afraid that blows will be exhanged, and you shall feel our full might, which I assure you is considerable. Your Kung-Fu Masters will become our prisoners either way, but if they submit without incident, I assure their wellbeing."

She paused once more, looking to the heavens as if in prayer. Closing her eyes, she murmered a quick plea to the gods unheard by her generals or scribe.

Gods, forgive me what I'm abut to do...

"You have two hours to meet our demands. Send it."

The scribe bowed low and summoned a young messanger, handing over the scroll after sealing it with the Princess's seal. A pair of paws placed together, as if in Prayer.

As the young fox ran to the Jade Palace, only Vlaer saw the single tear fall down her cheek.

--

Po crawled out of the water, enjoying the natural agility he now possessed now that he no longer had that bulk inside him.

"Now, why did I do that in the first place?" He sat on the water's edge, feet splashing in the warm spring, fully exposed and without a care in the world. He shrugged, not in the mood to dig up ancient history and leaned back on his arms, watching the clouds boil in the sky above. A storm was building, but it would be a few hours before it hit. He'd be at the Prison long before then. He dug his fingers into the soft earth, feeling the movement on it, through it, beneath it. He could feel the resonance of ancient stone deep underground as well as the singing of newly formed crystals and gems. The towering mountains nearby were a low droning, a testament to eternity. Closing his eyes, he sighed, a smile crawling over his face. The first time he had a chance to relax since he became Shifu's student...

His fingers twitched. Then he sat up, eyes opening slowly, fingers burrowing deeper into the soil. His eyes, now a vivid violet, were focused, concentrating as he sought out... Yes, there it was...

Many footsteps. All in time, like a parade... Or march. Heading into the Valley...

He inhaled sharply, considering his next move. Tai Lung, or the Valley? On one hand, he had Tai Lung; the most vicious, brutal, merciless fighter on Earth... And on the other, the entire Valley, home to many innocent people, including his fellow Masters and "father". But then again, the Masters were formidable warriors long before he came along. Although there were a lot of footsteps... He bit his lip, glancing back the way he came and towards the Prison. Valley. Prison. Valley. Prison...

Pulling on his trousers, inhaling the dust pile once more, he searched nearby for something long and thin. Eventually he found a discarded branch, worn smooth by years of tumbling over rocks and water. Rubbing it softly, he made a notch on one side and tossed it into the air, watching as it fell back to earth. When it finished clattering, his eyes followed the notch mark.

To Chi-Tai Prison...

Sighing, he glanced back behind them, whispering a quick prayer of protection. Snatching back up the stick and his bag, he made his way towards the Lesser Prison, leaving the Valley to its own fate.

--

Shifu lowered the scroll carefully, his eye latching on to the young Fox in the middle of the courtyard. He was barely out of Cubhood, only sixteen if he was any judge. Far too young to be conscripted into an army. Sniffing, he carefully laid the scroll to the side, as if it would explode like a firework if mistreated. The Furious Five were sitting behind him, each staring at the fox with neutral expressions, although Tigress's was perhaps a little more hostile than the others.

The Fox's tail was twisting to and fro over the stone, fully aware of his own exposed position. He opened his mouth to speak, fell silent, then took another breath,

"Great Master Shifu... Please consider it. You have no idea what my people have in store..." Shifu said nothing, boring into the boy with that piercing stare of his. It was a technique he long since developed. When they were surrounded by silence, people oftan tried to break it with noise, any noise. Even by speaking what they normally would not speak.

"Our Lord has recovered great weapons that were lost in time. Please, your warriors are good, but you cannot fight them and live! Please!" Shifu held up his hand, silencing the young cub. After thinking through his words carefully, he stood up and guided the fox back outside.

"We cannot stand by and let Peace, the very virtue after which our home was created, be destroyed without our attempting to save it. Return to your Princess. Inform her that the Masters will stay here. However, I would appreciate if our civillians would be evacuated before the battle began..."

The fox stammered, almost whimpering as they reached the towering steps.

"Master Shifu, please reconsider... Taking on the Fox Empire army is, is... Is Madness!" Shifu allowed himself a small grin, placing his hand on the young Fox's shoulder.

"What is your name young fox?" The boy lowered his gaze, taking in every detail of the the ground and both his and Master Shifu's feet. Finally, he managed to meet the Red Panda's gaze, mumbling.

"Soone sir." Shifu smiled and opened the doors with a wave of his staff.

"Well Soone... I hope, for your people's sake, that the Dragon Warrior does not return before we defeat you. I can say with experiance that he has quite a kick on him..." He stepped back to the Jade Palace, his ears drooping once the doors were closed and the fox on his way. Taking a deep breath, he called to his students.

"... Tell the Villagers. We must evacuate the Valley. Again." As the Five hurried off to carry out his orders, he stroked his chin thoughtfully.

"Lost in time?"

--

Chi-Tai Prison. A bleak place, situated at the bottom of a deep cavern with only one way up the smooth, highly polished rock face. Home to three hundred of the country's worst felons. Multiple murder. Rape. Child Abuse. Arson. You name it, they'll be someone here.

Including Tai Lung.

Since Chor-Gom was destroyed in the Snow Leopard's escape, when he was recovered they had nowhere to place him. Chi-Tai was the only place which could possibly hold him until a new, more secure prison was built for him. Very few people visited, and even then it was only to drop off supplies or new prisoners. No one has asked to meet a prisoner.

Until now.

Po stood silent in the small wooden two-man lift, running his hand over the unnaturally smooth rock as he decended. The cavern was so deep that natural sunlight couldn't reach it. The guards made do with torches, lanterns and, when conditions were favorable, mirrors. The guards were all large, brutish beasts. Rhinos, Oxen, Elephants and the like. Even a few Pandas like himself. Not one sleek, lean, athletic guard in the place... Just like Chor-Gom. And look how that one turned out.

The Bear assigned to him led the way, a flaming torch held high. When they passed several crowed cells the inmates shouted and jeered, banging on the metal bars, or throwing objects. Without taking his eyes off the back in front of him, Po knocked several of these out the air before they reached him. One or two depressed faces looked out, eyes blank. The innocents, wrongly accused and forced to do anything in order to survive in this hell-hole. As he watched, one bat, with a scar travelling down and over one eye, reached out and placed a hand over one's chest, pulling him back gently with a leering look in his remaining eye. Just as Po was about to leave the main cells, he stamped down hard on the ground. In the cell, a pillar of rock shot up between the bat's legs, making him hunch over and topple to the ground, gripping himself and groaning in pain. Before the guards on duty could see anything, he sank the rock back down, a proud smile on his face.

He had a thing about Rapists.

The bear opened the door to a winding staircase, cut into the rock itself. While Po felt compltely at ease, the bear was another story.

"Gods, I hate this post... I keep having nightmares about Cave-ins..." Po nodded, understanding. He had similar nightmares once upon a time. Before he got used to his new powers. After ten more minutes of silence, he spoke up again. It seemed that in his nervousness, he needed to talk, or whistle, or do something to get his mind off the mountain's worth of rock hanging above them.

"So... You're here to see Tai Lung?"

"Yeah. He's... Well, lets say he's my responsibility." The bear nodded, not really listening and glancing at the celing every once in a while. Eventually Po took pity on him.

"Look, go on back to the surface. I can take it from here." His eyes flashed with gratitude, desperate to get out of here and grateful for the chance, but he was a loyal guard who lived his life by the book. He shook his head and held up a strange key. It was a rod of stone, with several pits and points on it. A certain combonation would be needed to open the cell door, and only the key could move the massive stone tumblers.

At least, thats what they thought.

At last they reached the bottom of the stairwell, one door cut into the rock itself. Five stone bars, as thick as Po was wide and twice as tall as him. In the centre of the door was a hole for the key. Po turned his back while the Bear struggled to turn the tumblers in the combination lock, recoiling everytime a slab sunk back into the wall with a grating slam of stone against stone. When all five were removed, Po stepped forward.

"I'd like some time alone with him please." The bear opened his mouth to speak, but hesitated. There was look in the Panda's eyes that said he wouldn't take no for an answer. Telling him he'd be on the stairs, he opened it up and backed away slowly. Inwardly, Po rolled his eyes. If this was how they reacted to him, how would they cope with Tai Lung...

--

Hanyu gripped the table in front of her when she heard what the messanger had to say. She hadn't thought they would take her offer, but for the sake of her consience, she had to try. Nodding to Vlaer, she sent him off to monitor the evacuation of the Valley. Then the messanger dropped the bombshell.

"What?!" The messanger recoiled, head bowed low.

"The Dragon Warrior left yesterday morning your Highness! Something about a Prison..." Hanyu growled deeply, almost striking the cub. Taking a few deep breaths, she remembered that old saying "Don't kill the messanger". Truth be told, she heard about this traveller, but Vlaer had given her a detailed description. Surely that fatso wasn't their Dragon Warrior? She waved the messanger out, much to his relief, before calling on her Generals once more. Master Shifu was one of the best warriors in China. Possibly the best since Oogway passed away. If he said the Panda was his student, then student he was. Still, it was kinda hard to believe.

After explaining the fact the Dragon Warrior was out of the Valley for an unknown time to her generals, they advised on attacking immediatly. Hanyu bit her lip before creating an excuse : The evacuation of the Villagers. The faces of the war veterans stiffened, before they bowed and left, a few choice curses escaping their mouths. As the last General left, the material of the door flying behind him, Vlaer only just managed to move out of the way of the scowling leader and he rose an eyebrow in silent question.

"That Panda was their new warrior... Gone to a Prison for some reason." Vlaer clicked his tongue, thinking.

"Well, sorry to say I've got some more bad news... The Villagers refuse to leave. They know the Furious Five and the Dragon Warrior will protect them. And they're gonna help fight." Hanyu groaned and crossed her arms on the table, placing her head on them. Her voice was muffled as Vlaer moved up, a slight smile creeping over his lips at his love's slightly childish actions.

"Urgh... I hate my life..." She rose up slightly as he leaned over, resting his hand on her shoulder comfortingly.

"Try to delay the forces as much as possible without raising suspicion... I told the other Generals to wait until the evacuation was over..." Vlaer nodded once, turning to make his way out. Before he left though, he reached up with his tail and gripped hers in his, trying to reassure her that everything would be alright before ducking under the canvas.

--

Po squinted, letting his eyes get used to the darkness where no light belonged. In the shadows created by the flickering torch held behind his head, he made out a shape bound to the walls. As his pupils widened he could see that Tai-Lung's arms, legs and tail was stuck in holes in the wall, with heavy iron and stone bracelets over them attached to the wall with iron chains, steel pegs screwed tightly into his flesh. A steel collar was wrapped around his neck, hunching him over as it pulled his head down. With a slight wave of his hand, Po felt the huge rock at the opposite end of the chain swinging within a large bottemless pit. He could also smell the blood the screws caused to drip to the floor.

He was also, very plainly, asleep.

Who would have thought that Snow Leopards snored?

Lowering his pack to the ground, he sat down, crossing his legs, waiting for the Snow Leopard to wake...

STAR STAR STAR STAR

Remember Soone... Not a major character, but he has one last task to do before the end of this fic... And If I get it right, it may tug on a few heartstrings...