A/N: Hi pandom! I haven't been here in ages. Again. Sorry. First of all, thanks to carry-cat-cat who managed to disturb my original project and make me work on this again (thanks so much Catty). Second, I've updated the last chapter due to a change of mind in plot, you might wanna read that first. Without further ado, enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Kung Fu Panda, it belongs to Dreamworks Animation. This work is purely fiction.


生肖戰士

Riddle of Realms

Chapter 4


Shifu once told him when he was very young that warriors braved the inexplicable. A few years later, when his father was away in an orphanage to train a mind reader that would later become his sister, Oogway told him that the inexplicable is a line to be travelled indeed, but there will be times when the line takes you in circle, because whatever it's bordering just can't be explained by our perceptions.

"But know this, young one. What we might see as going in circle, others might see as crossing the realms."

As far as his experience with the inexplicable goes, what happened to his sister and her friends was the first line he dared not explore. But if he could still find out the truth from his side of the line, then why shouldn't he? Plus, Monkey, Mantis, and Viper were listening in too anyway.

He moved Tigress and Po to the empty rooms downstairs, far enough from the scene of commotion but close enough to the stairs where they could hear bits and pieces of their masters' voice.

Among other things, what caught his attention most was the mention of Valley of Peace's founder.

"I mean did you hear how riddiculous they were? Shan He is dead. I know Crane can see the dead, but they have easier access in talking to that guy, don't they? What with them being high guardians of spirit realm and all…" Mr. Ping's voice alerted them, and their eavesdropping group of four split; two went to Po, the rest to Tigress.

"How are they?" Shifu stepped in with heavy, worried steps. Tai Lung had noticed it since little; Shifu's emotion always presented itself in his footsteps. The more intense it is, the harder the impact against the ground would be. For now, the building still hadn't shaken and Tai Lung was both glad and surprised.

Viper backed away from fanning her friend to give the father and daughter some privacy, giving the snow leopard a look that gestured for him to be with his family. To the room across, she motioned for Mantis and Monkey follow her outside to the hallway.

"Don't worry, Master. She'll wake up soon," Tai Lung assured.

"I know. It's just that Tigress was never spiritually inclined. And for the spirits to come in contact with her..."

Shifu growled low in frustration as he pushed himself away from Tigress' side, placing both hands behind his back. Tai Lung recalled Po calling this Shifu's thinking mode. "She's not like you, Tai Lung. There are things about her that I still can't explain."

Tai Lung knew exactly what his father was talking about. Shifu's gaze to the room right across was an unneeded confirmation. "You're still worried about their telepathy, Master?"

"First they have an exclusive link and now Po can drag her into one of his visions, which apparently was a summoning by the spirits and wasn't meant for him either?"

Tai Lung shrugged in discreet. "Crane and Po always have the same vision. With all due respect, to think that those two different connections might interlace is not a crazy idea. Her powers are still developing, Master, you always said that. Unless… there is another possibility you haven't told me."

Shifu turned his gaze away.

"Master, she's my sister. If something is wrong with her I have the right to know," he insisted, loud enough to make Mr. Ping look.

It caught Soothsayer's attention too, apparently. She was on the last steps of stairs when she heard him. "Indeed, you do, Tai Lung." The goat landed her cane on the floor with a loud thud. "We must talk, Shifu. And I think it's best that you come along, Mr. Ping."

Once again the fathers left their children under the care of their friends.

Soothsayer brought them to the library, where she usually teaches the children history and basic medicine. She spent more time in it than her own chamber that the kids called it her realm.

"You have to help me, Soothsayer. This is practically impossible," exclaimed the red panda as they entered.

"I fail to see how it is," remarked the Soothsayer, planting the base of her walking stick firm on the ground, her other hand reaching for a scroll up in the furthest, untouched shelf.

"Of course it is," he snapped, pacing back and forth. "I've skimmed through the entire records of known gifted powers and I never found a case of exclusive telepathy like this. I thought she'd be able to telepath with others by now. Then there's this incident with the spirits."

She dusted the scroll with gentle carress, and then headed back to where the two men were. She halted just a moment by a table when the pain on her knees began to sting, thankful that the shadows hid her sufferings from the concerned fathers. They already had more than enough to worry about. Or at least Shifu did.

"I know she's still developing, but why is it heading this way? And why is Po the only one to share that connection?"

Mr. Ping finally spoke up for the first time on this matter. "Maybe it's because they're each other's first friend."

"Nonsense," denied the red panda. "She knew Tai Lung first."

"Shifu, he's twice her age and was busy with kung fu training. Still is, if I might add. He doesn't have powers like she does. Po was the first person she can relate to, and she him. Maybe their connection was special from the start."

"I agree on your reasons," Soothsayer stepped out of the darkness, an ancient scroll secured in her hoove. "But I might have found another possibility."

The three approached the long table at the northern part of the room, and she spread out the scroll's short contents, revealing a series of paragraphs and colorful paintings. An odd thing to be found in a palace of warriors and kung fu.

"What is the meaning of this? This is a fairytale!" Shifu snapped.

"What?" Mr. Ping shouted. "'The Three Wronged Prisoners' is not just a fairytale. It's full of moral values, even better for children!" he protested with grand gestures of his wings.

Shifu sighed impatiently. "Alright, alright, nevermind that. Let's focus back on our problem."

Mr. Ping raised an eyebrow. "Shifu, I know you said this is a unique case, but I don't think it's a problem."

"Consider the facts. Nine years ago Po showed up to the Jade Palace. Something strange happened on his chi reading – Oogway still won't tell us what – and later we found out Tigress can telepath only with him. Tell me destiny didn't have a hand in that."

Destiny. Now that was Soothsayer's expertise.

"You're worried of what might be waiting for them in the future." And truly, this time, she finally understood. "It is destiny, and it's why I present you this scroll. In the third part of this story, the traveler met a girl, trapped within unbreakable prison, abandoned, and alone. He decided to stay to take care of her. But he was mute, you see, and in her loneliness she had taken a vow of silence. They couldn't speak to each other. Then, as time goes by, their spirits started to form a link that allows them to communicate in silence."

"Ah, you're thinking Po and Tigress' spirits created the same link," Mr. Ping's said.

"How can that be? They could already telepath on their first meeting."

"The link is spiritual. It could have been created lifetimes ago, carried on through reincarnation."

"They could be soulmates!" gushed Mr. Ping.

The earthbending master fainted.


Po didn't remember falling asleep.

His eyes opened, staring against a blur of orange.. Then another figure slithered into his view; green, with two little spots of pink.

"Viper? Tigress?" he murmured.

Something light jumped onto his stomach. "Man, you were out for the whole day!"

"I was?" Po blinked lazily.

"Nah, just for half an hour. Tigress just woke up fifteen minutes ago."

He rubbed the sleep from his eyes softly and grunted as he forced his body to sit up. "What happened?"

"You were possessed by some spirits Oogway knows," the bug said bluntly.

"Possessed?!"

"Well, I think it was supposed to be just Crane, but because you two share your visions all the time somehow you got dragged in? And you dragged Tigress in? I don't know, complicated stuffs like that."

Po seemed to be more worried about the fact that he involved Tigress. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry. Did the spirits do anything to you? Ugh, my tongue tastes funny. What did they make me eat?"

Tigress shook her head in amusement. "That's probably the bad dumpling you ate last night. And no, they didn't do anything, remember? Master Oogway got us out."

"Oh yeah. They just wanted to talk to-" Po gasped. "What happened to Crane?"

The pair of green animals looked at each other, unsure. When words didn't come out, the two led Po and Tigress upstairs, to Crane's room.

"Oogway told us to let him rest before he left. He's been like that ever since he woke up," Viper whispered.

"Wouldn't answer when we ask. He just sits there mumbling some numbers."

Po opened the door wider. "Crane, you okay, buddy?"

Tigress barely stepped into the avian's mind when his mind-voice attacked her with echoes of numbers. Her sensitive ears flattened against her skull, and she tuned out of his mind immediately. Her body swayed to the side in painful daze, and that was what made her three friends enter.

"You okay?" Viper asked in concern as Po tried to steady her. Tigress brushed them off, pointing out that Crane's well-being was more urgent.

The boy didn't look like himself. The kind, simple light in his eyes had darkened, bringing hollowness to those orbs. His feathers were ruffled from stress and fear, and he was rocking himself back and front on his mat, mumbling, "One, two, no. Seven, nine, no, no, wrong! Three… five…"

The panda approached him slowly, and then kneeled beside his fellow clairvoyant. "Uh… Crane?"

Mantis poked the avian's toes hesitantly. "Dude, you're creeping us out. What happened?"

Crane flinched from his touch, shivering. "Six!" he shrieked.

"That's enough," Tigress said. "Mantis, go get Soothsayer. Viper, get some water."

The two reptiles wasted no time. Mantis disappeared instantly, leaving small trail of dust in his path. Tigress went to grab a small cloth in Crane's drawer and once Viper came back she poured some water on it. Po already got rid of Crane's hat, so Tigress pressed the cloth against Crane's head while Viper bent his sweat away.

"Crane? Can you hear me?" Tigress said.

Crane shook his head wildly, forcing Tigress to pull her hand away. "No, no, I'm still doing it wrong!"

"Doing what wrong? What did the spirits tell you?" Viper coaxed gently.

"Shan He, he's coming home!"

"Whoa, calm down, Crane. Who's Shan He?" Po grabbed Crane's shoulder to stop him from fidgeting, but once he did, Crane suddenly went limp and blacked out.

"Crane!" all three kids shouted. Po shook him again.

"What is going on here?" Shifu demanded, barging in with Soothsayer, Mr. Ping, and Mantis in tow.

"Crane, h-he woke up b-but then he just-" Po stammered, laying his unconscious friend down on the mat.

"He seemed to have a panic attack," Tigress clarified. "He was saying random numbers, Master."

Soothsayer checked Crane's vitals quickly before asking, "Did you remember what he said?"

"Not exactly," Tigress answered, a little ashamed of herself for not coming up with that.

"He wasn't making a lot of sense. He said, one, then two, then six and ten, was it?" Po piped up. Tigress shrugged at his questioning tone. "Yeah, he said ten. I think." Po scratched the back of his head. "Oh, and he mentioned a… Shan He."

Shifu and Soothsayer swapped knowing glances.

"Mr. Ping, would you please prepare breakfast?" Shifu said.

"Oh, of course. It'll be ready in twenty minutes," Mr. Ping said. As a last minute decision, he went over to Po to give him a quick hug. "Glad to see you're okay, son."

"Do you want me to help, Dad?"

Mr. Ping let go of him. "What? You just got possessed! No way, I want you to rest, young man!"

"But I can-"

"Ah ah ah. Rest, I said," Mr. Ping cut him off.

Shifu sighed. "He's right. You two should rest. Crane would be alright here." With that, Mr. Ping took his cue and went straight for the kitchen.

Tigress, Viper, Mantis, and Po was hesitant to leave, but in the end they bowed and bid the masters goodbye. Although rest was the farthest thing from what Tigress and Po had in mind as they went downstairs, where Monkey and Tai Lung were waiting by the front door.

"We have to find out who Shan He is," Tigress said.

Tai Lung smirked. "Way ahead of you, little sister."

As it turned out, Tai Lung and Monkey already went ahead to search for answers. Since Soothsayer, Shifu, and Mr. Ping were discussing in the Jade Palace library, the two went to the estate's secondary library. The Lotus Pagoda.

"So what happened on your side of this whole possession thing?" Tai Lung interrogated. "Funny how the universe seems to always put you two together. You might want to slow down, kids. Shifu's old heart might not be ready," the snow leopard grinned teasingly, followed by a couple of chuckles from the others.

Tigress scowled at them while Po tried to make himself look unperturbed, even though the colors in his face betrayed him. After silencing the others with her threatening gaze, Tigress turned to Po, contemplating whether to tell her brother or not. The panda shrugged, leaving the decision to her.

"Crane was summoned by the Shengxiao spirits."

"Really? Who would've guessed?" Mantis said sarcastically. Another threatening glare was thrown at him, resulting in Mantis escaping fearfully to Monkey's shoulder.

"They said Crane is the new messenger," Viper added.

"Which means one if not all the new Shengxiao Zhanshis is already born," Tai Lung concluded. "And they have a message for Shan He."

Good, at least now they all had the same basic idea on what happened. The two didn't say anything, but they did sneak a glance at Monkey, who was walking ahead of them all, staying silent also.

Po, though, didn't want to waste the gloating opportunity this experience gave him, "Well, we got to see them, too. In the ruins of Shengxiao Palace."

Everyone but the pair of telepathic duo stopped dead in their tracks.

"Hold up-"

"What did you say?"

"You mean to tell me that you two saw the Shengxiao spirits, the most powerful spirits in the world, with your very own eyes?" said Tai Lung, his voice overshadowing the others' curiosity. There might be some amazement in there too. Either way, Po grinned smugly.

"Yeah," Po nodded, then his eyes lit up with giddiness. "They knew our names, too!"

Monkey scowled in annoyance. "They're the guardians of the spirit realm, they know everybody's names!"

"It's still cool, though. The Shengxiao Zhanshis called me by name. How awesome is that?!"

They finally reached their destination. Just across the tea house, by the semi frozen lake, was a majestic pagoda with twelve sides and twelve stories high. The walls were jade, like the main temple, and the roofs were dark red. Inside the double wooden door, countless scrolls and paintings filled the wall-shelves to the brim.

There was a small altar opposite to the door where porcelain figurines of the twelve zodiac animals stood in a single line on the altar's small platform. Laid against the platform itself were paintings of Oogway and three other masters; the Chicken incarnate, Ox incarnate, and Rat incarnate. The previous team of Shengxiao Zhanshi. Red candles, incense, a few buns and fruits were offered before the paintings and figurines.

They sat in a circle in the middle of the first floor while Monkey and Tai Lung grabbed a couple of old scrolls. There was a strange warmth inside the pagoda that instantly melted away the winter cold they had to pass through to get there. Oogway told them it was because the pagoda had a strong spiritual aura, but still, Tigress didn't want to take the chance. She closed the doors shut, and returned to the circle where everybody was already settled.

"I'm surprised the history geek didn't recognize the name," Tai Lung started, looking at Po. "Shan He was the founder of Valley of Peace. The valley folks tell his story to kids all the time."

Po scrunched up his nose. "Wait, Shan He is Lord Yu? The Lord Yu?"

The other five stayed silent. They didn't come down to the valley often, and they all came from places far away. Po was the only one who ever lived among the valley folks.

"Shan He was his birth name." Tai Lung unrolled the first scroll, revealing a series of painting depicting a war and a mysterious figure with a rice hat and a staff as the main focus. "At the time, China was raged with great war and flood, and many people were left homeless. Shan He led them on a journey to find a new home far away from the battles, and so they ended up here. Built a civilization. He named this place Valley of Peace, hoping that war would never harm it. Legend says he's buried in an unnamed grave in the cemeterial ground on the other side of this mountain. Most people who ever lived here considered him as the first master of Jade Palace."

"But Jade Palace wasn't built until the first Shengxiao Zhanshi descended. Long Zhao, from the second dynasty," Tigress countered.

Monkey answered, "Yeah, but Sacred Hall of Warriors was built on the foundation of his house."

"Hey, that staff kinda looks like Oogway's," Viper pointed out.

"That's because it is," Monkey confirmed.

Tai Lung nodded as well. "It's been passed down to the spiritual leaders of this valley and eventually to Long Zhao, who made the Jade Palace as a school for the gifted, and then to the other Jade Palace grandmasters after him."

"If he's so important why is he only painted as a black blob?" Mantis said, tapping the biggest painting of Shan He. "Was he that ugly?"

"Mantis!" Viper chided.

"What? I'm just asking."

Tai Lung rolled his eyes. "In the third dynasty, the emperor burned almost every record that ever existed, including paintings of Shan He. It took a while before knowledge was allowed to be recorded in books and pictures again, and by that time people already forgot what Shan He looked like."

Monkey chimed in, "The only surviving records of Shan He were written ones and they are in Oogway's chamber, so there's no way we're getting there. Not without his chi, anyway."

"Some Dragon incarnation was curious, too, and he tried to contact Shan He's spirit. According to his note," Tai Lung picked up another scroll, "Shan He had reached the highest level of enlightenment that no mortal's visual sense of perception could make sense of his figure."

"So he failed to get a picture," Mantis stated the obvious.

"That, and the note said Shan He didn't really like being painted anyway," Monkey added.

"Ugh, me neither," Po said. "A sketch is fine, though, especially if it's quick and with a famous kung fu master. But if he existed years before the first Shengxiao Zhanshi descended, then why do the Shengxiao spirits have a message for him? What does he have anything to do with zodiac stuffs?"

Monkey shrugged. "Maybe because the Jade Palace was his home and now is the home of the Shengxiao Zhanshis?"

"But he's dead. The Shengxiao spirits have easier access talking to him than Crane does. They live in the same realm!"

Everyone went quiet, thinking.

"Unless, of course, Shan He has returned," Tigress said, interrupting the silence.

Po gasped. "Crane did say Shan He is coming home."

"What, like… the living dead?" Mantis asked.

Tai Lung facepalmed, "No, you fool! Reincarnation!"

"But… why? Didn't you say he's sort of enlightened?" Viper asked.

Monkey rolled back all the scrolls. "Yeah, the whole 'no mortal's visual sense of perception could make sense of his figure' thing."

Then, after another moment of silence, Mantis said casually, "Why don't we just ask him?"

"This is not the time to joke around," Tigress growled.

Monkey repeated the visual sense of perception quote to prove Tigress' point.

"No, I'm serious. Why do you guys have to make everything hard?" Mantis turned to the older feline. "You said he's buried in the cemetary just behind the mountain, right? Why don't we just go there and 'knock knock, Mr. Shan He, are you home?' If he's still there, no reincarnation. If he's not, then he's probably alive again. Somewhere."

"Oh, like you can speak to the dead, tough guy?" Tai Lung sneered.

"I can."

Half of the group gasped as they turned to the door, where it was now open, and the seventh current student of the Jade Palace was standing just outside.

Crane.

No one said anything until Po raised his hand nervously, "Um, my Dad always said don't go looking around for bad luck before new year… and I'm pretty sure talking to a ghost is on the bad luck list."

Crane stepped inside, still looking heavy with tiredness, but he stood tall as he said, "I have a message to send. We're going."


Somewhere hidden by the Jade Mountains, stood a temple far older than the Jade Palace; a dodecagon-shaped building twelve stories high with red roofs and oaken walls, surrounded by sacred pools and twelve guardian statues.

Lit candles became his only source of light inside. He cited the very first chant he was ever taught, slowly letting his energy take the form of light, and with swift fingers he guided the stone calendar to turn.

Each animal carving on the surface was embedded with a single gem. The Dragon's was the only one shining, and now after almost six hundred years its glow had faded, ordinary eyes wouldn't notice that it was glowing at all without being in total darkness.

His eyes became empty after the chanting finished, but soon after his hands went limp something else entirely took over him, and his eyes began to emit a soft golden glow that covered his caramel irises. The ordinary being, who by some miracle acquired a title greater than emperor, kneeled humbly before the spirits he knew were watching.

"Your time is up," followed a singular voice.

"I know," he said, scrunching both his eyes shut to hold the tears. "But I'm not ready." This was the end. For him. For all of him and them. For the mighty spirit who lived and walked the mortal world. But he couldn't. He wouldn't. "Please, I-I like it here. This is my home. These are my people," he whispered, the pain finally bursting through.

"Oogway needs rest. You are infinite, and you had your time. You don't belong here, Dragon. There's one more life to relive, but that is all you have."

Deep inside their vessel, surrounded by the midnight sky of his mindscape, standing under a full grown peach tree, Oogway's spirit came face to face with a monstrous dragon form shining as bright as their vessel's eyes. And goodbye wasn't far.

"I'm sorry, old friend," Oogway said.

The dragon flew closer and landed at the tip of the cliff where the turtle stood. "I've been with you for more than five hundred years, Oogway. I know you don't want to leave, either."

"I have a family here who has to finish what I did, of course I don't want to leave. But if I can fix my past on the other side to make it easier for them, I would." The humble spirit bowed with a sad smile, and with the same manner Dragon bowed back, slightly unwilling. "Please protect my students."

On the stone calendar, three gems flickered alight. Only once did this combination happen, sometime way too far into the past for anyone but the spirits to remember.

"You're coming home soon, brother," said the spirits.

Finally after a short flicker, Dragon's gem relighted.


A/N: Whoo! Who's up for ghost hunting? Anyway, as always, thank you for reading and supporting this fic.

Up next: The kids challenge their luck by going to the cemetery in search of Shan He's ghost. Is superstition just some baloney, or does it ring some truths? Po especially has to make sure that he's not gonna end up as a kung fu and history nerd again in the next life.