And now we're back to the present.

I really wish I didn't have to go over this again…

Not to seem bossy, but could you all please start reviewing again? I've said it before, reviews serve as motivation, and only one review in one week doesn't really help. It gives me the impression that you have either stopped reading my fiction, or think my fiction is so bad you're not going to bother reviewing.

Please, PLEASE review!

Also, could you please do a review for the previous chapters as well as this one, those who haven't done so yet? I want to know what exactly it was about the story so far that you've liked.

Anyway, back to the story…


"… And that's the whole story." Qiang spoke as he sat at the kitchen table opposite Xue (now named Po). "Two days after Ming was born, we traveled into the mountains and found an isolated forest which in a matter of weeks became our new home. To keep myself from going into depression again, I took up meditating. I achieved what you call 'inner peace' a couple of months ago, and the day after that, I sensed that you were still alive."

Po had not spoken once since Qiang had begun his story. He never stopped staring even after Qiang finished and began staring back.

"Xue…" Qiang rubbed the back of his head. "I know this is still a big shock to you…"

"No, I'm feeling a little better." Po said quickly. He was being half-honest: part of him was still in shock, but his father's explanation had answered the majority of his questions.

"Again, I am so sorry it took me over two months to find you after I sensed your existence." Again, Qiang's eyes were swimming with apology. "But I had to take the long way out of the mountains to avoid Gongmen City. My village would be in danger if any of Shen's soldiers spotted me and realized that there were pandas still living."

"Shen's dead."

Qiang almost spilled his tea.

"What?"

"I defeated him a couple of months ago."

"You killed him?" Qiang gasped.

"No! No!" Po waved his hands in front of him in denial. "I just took out his army. His death was sorta his own handiwork."

"Oh." Qiang sighed in relief. "Well, my people will be very pleased to know that." He inhaled, as if he was about to say something, else, but stopped mid-breath.

"What is it?" Po asked.

"Nothing. It's nothing."

"Dad…"

"Alright. It's just that I have to ask… how on earth did you survive that night? And how did you end up all the way here in the Valley of Peace?"

Po hesitated, and bit his lip.

"Do you remember what happened?"

"Oh yeah, I do. It's just hard to talk about…"

"Go on." Qiang urged gently.

"I only survived because of mom." As Po began, the memories of that terrible raid once again washed over him. Once again, he saw his mother clutching his infant self as she fled from a pursuing wolf boss. "While we were in the forest, mom managed to lose the wolves temporarily. She ran down a slope…" suddenly Po found it difficult to speak. "she… she hid me… in a radish basket… and led Shen and his goons away from me..." Po narrowed his eyes in pain and looked away.

Qiang's paws clenched into fists as he fought back the tears.

"Of course she did." He choked out.

"I never saw her again." Po was having less luck with controlling his emotions. Tears started trickling down his white cheeks.

Before he knew it, Qiang had walked round the table and was now embracing his son.

All this time, Qiang had believed that Mei had died in vain, her death never having been avenged, her attempt to flee failing to save their beloved child. And now he knew otherwise. It was so relieving... like an enormous weight was being lifted from his shoulders.

"After that…" Po went on after regaining some control over himself. "The basket I was hidden in got carried all the way here to the Valley of Peace. Don't ask how, it's a very long and complicated story. Anyway, the basket was delivered to my dad's noodle shop…"

"Your dad?" Qiang blinked.

"I mean Mr. Ping. He adopted me after discovering me behind his shop."

Qiang swallowed nervously. He should have known that Po obviously would have been raised by a parental figure during his time in the Valley, but the news still came as a shock to him.

Little Xue was smiling as he nibbled on his father's thumb, green eyes shining with happiness.

No… Qiang thought. No, I can't lose him to someone else. Maybe if I…

"Um, son…"

"Dad, can I come visit your village?"

Qiang straightened up suddenly, startled that Po had asked before he did.

"Why?" Qiang asked.

"So I can get to know you better!" Po rose up from his chair, his expression serious. "I want to know more about my life before I came to the Valley! I want to see more of my own kind!"

"What, me and Ming aren't enough for you?" Qiang felt the corners of his mouth lift slightly.

"No, it's not that!" Po pouted in a manner very hauntingly like Mei's. "I would also like to meet some of your old friends. Like Ming's mother, Ting Ting…"

"That's going to be a problem, I'm afraid." Qiang sighed sadly. "Ting Ting died of the fever ten years ago."

Po gave a tiny gasp. His pout slackened. He lowered himself back into his chair.

"Oh…" He said in a small voice. "I- I'm sorry."

"Ming doesn't like to talk about it, so please do not bring it up with her."

"Okay." Po nodded slowly.

"So anyway… you're really serious about visiting the village?" Qiang asked hopefully. As he asked this question, he felt another, heavier weight lift from around his heart as it slowly dawned on him that Po had completely forgiven him for his absence.

"Yeah. In fact, can I come back with you to the village now?" Po's face lit up like a child's during the winter festival.

"Huh?"

"When you leave the Valley, I want to come with you. For a visit, like I said."

Qiang stared at his son for a few minutes, and then grinned. This was too good to be true.

"Oh course you can. Honestly, you think that after losing you for twenty five years, I'm seriously going to refuse?"

"Awesome!" Po rose from his chair again. "Hey, is it alright if I bring my friends?"

"Of course. If you're very serious about this, I can set off first thing in the morning. Besides, my village will need to know of Shen's death as soon as possible."

"Double awesome! I'll go ask them right now!"


Viper was the first to speak after Po emerged from the kitchen.

"Po, are you okay?" She asked cautiously.

"Okay? I'm freaking awesome!" Po grinned.

Viper and her friends blinked. Ming pursed her lips in surprise.

"Awesome?" A thoroughly confused Monkey stepped up to Po. "Just an hour ago you ran away at the sight of your long lost father!"

"I was just shocked to see him." Po replied. "I mean, I thought he was dead. But my dad explained everything, and everything is okay."

"Oh good." Viper smiled when she saw that Po was being honest.

"So where had he been all this time?" Mantis hopped onto Po's shoulders.

"He and the other pandas were hiding in the Shidao Mountains."

"Other pandas?" Crane gaped. "You mean there's more?"

"That's almost on the other side of China!" Mantis exclaimed. "No wonder it took twenty five years for him to find you."

Viper hissed angrily and smacked the back of his head with her tail. The insect was sincerely the most tactless person she knew.

"Ouch!" Mantis rubbed the back of his head, scowling.

"What do you mean 'hiding'?" Shifu frowned.

"They didn't want to risk Shen finding out about survivors, in case he decided to come after them. Dad was really relieved when I told him that Shen's dead."

"Shen's dead?" Ming gasped.

Po turned to face her.

It was the second time he looked at her properly, and he suddenly realized that she looked pretty cute with her heart shaped nose and warm brown eyes. Aside from his mother, whom he had seen only through flashbacks, she was the prettiest panda he had ever seen.

"Uh, er… yeah, Shen's dead." Po replied, wondering why his cheeks suddenly felt slightly warm. "I'm guessing you're feeling pretty relieved."

"You guess?" Ming blinked. Her paws, smaller and more delicate than a male panda's, clenched into fists. "Shen killed my father before I was even born! Of course I'm feeling relieved!" She suddenly seemed to realise that she was raising her voice and she shut up. Her angry expression fell. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that. I'm just glad that my people don't have to live in hiding anymore."

"I bet you are." Po smiled gently. Ming smiled back, her cheeks slightly pink.

"I see you've properly introduced yourself to Ming." Qiang spoke and he stepped out the kitchen.

"Hey, dad." Po smiled upon seeing him. "Darn! I totally forgot to ask… when dad leaves, I'm going with him to visit his village. Do you guys want to come?"

While Monkey, Crane, Mantis and Viper all nodded happily without hesitation, Tigress and Shifu alone seemed concerned.

"I don't know…" she stroked her chin. "Who is going to watch over the Valley while we're gone?"

"That's what I was thinking." Said Shifu.

"Oh, we can do that." Said a slightly shaky voice right behind Po, making him yell in fright.

Po whirled round to find himself staring down at a very familiar pig and goat, both as wrinkled as dried apples.

"Mr Yeung! Mrs Gow!" Po exclaimed in surprise and pleasure. "What are you guys doing here?"

"Visiting your father, what do you think?" Yeung chuckled.

"Wait a sec…" Mantis's eyes widened. "By Mr Yeung and Mrs Gow, are you meaning Yeung the Musical Archer and Gow of the Hundred Stars?"

"Yep." Po grinned widely. "In the pale pruny flesh."

"Anyway, if you're going away for a little while, we can take care of the Valley while you're gone." Said Yeung, ignoring Po's comment.

"When you're old and wrinkly, it's good to have something to do." Gow agreed.

Shifu sighed, more out of relief than defeat.

"Alright then. I'll come."

"Me too." Said Tigress, glancing at Ming with an unreadable expression.

"Dear, where's the bathhouse?"

"It's down the path from here. To the right." Said Po. Gow thanked him and then disappeared from the corridor.

"I could do with a bath too…" Said Yeung. "Um, Dragon Warrior?"

"Yeah?"

"When I arrived at the Valley half an hour ago, I noticed that your father looked very upset. Perhaps you should go see him."

Po's heart sank as Yeung followed Gow out the barracks.

In his shock and excitement over seeing his birth father again, Po had forgotten about the goose who had adopted him.

At that moment, Zeng the palace goose entered the corridor.

"Ahem! Master Po, your father is waiting outside the barracks. He seemed unwilling to enter himself."

Po glanced at Qiang. The elder panda was no longer smiling.

"I should talk to him." Said Po.

Qiang opened his mouth as if to disagree, then changed his mind and closed it again.

Po glanced at his concerned friends as he stepped out the corridor.


Po exited the barracks to find his goose father sitting on the front steps of the building. His head was bowed, his beak pointing directly at the ground.

"Dad?" Po asked tentatively.

Mr. Ping slowly turned his head to look up at the panda. Po was dismayed to see that there were tears in his eyes.

"Hello, Po." The goose spoke in a small voice.

Po very slowly stepped down a few steps and sat down next to his adoptive father.

"Dad…" Po said after a few seconds. "Dad, how are you feeling?"

"I don't know." Said Mr. Ping.

"Dad, you have to understand that this changes nothing between us." Said Po gently. He gently put a paw on top of the goose's wing. "When I learned that I was adopted, I made the mistake of not acknowledging you as my father. I'm never going to do that to you again."

"But I'm not your father!" Mr. Ping wailed. "I never was! He is!" the goose pointed to the barracks behind them, or rather the elder panda currently inside.

The despairing words stabbed at the panda's heart. Po sighed and placed a large arm round Mr. Ping, unintentionally forcing the goose to lean forward under the limb's weight.

"Dad, I've said it once, I'll say it again… I'm your son." Po said calmly. "And nothing is going to change that."

Mr. Ping wiped his beak with a feathered finger.

"Oh really?" he asked. "Then why did I overhear you claiming that you were returning to the village with him?"

"As a visit!" Po exclaimed, half out of frustration. "I'm not going off to live with him!"

"Really?"

"Really, really."

Mr. Ping sniffed and wrapped his wings round Po's belly as far as he could.

"Speaking of visiting the village…" Po said as he hugged back. "Do you want to come with us?"

Mr. Ping looked up with wide eyes.

"It's just so you and dad can get to know one another. He's going back first thing tomorrow, so doing it in the Valley isn't really an option."

"Me and dad?"

"I mean my other dad!" Po quickly corrected himself.

"I don't know, Po… what about my business?"

"Come on, dad!" Po looked at him with pleading eyes. "The last thing I want is for you and dad number two to be at odds because you both share a son! How do you think it's going to make me feel if I have two parents fighting over me?"

Mr. Ping didn't answer.

"Please do this… for me?" Po leaned down so he was eye-level with the goose.

Mr. Ping sighed. When faced with Po's wide green eyes practically begging him to comply, he just couldn't refuse.

"Alright, son."

"Awesome!"

Po pulled his goose father into a bone-cracking hug, neither of them noticing the panda father watching them with a nervous expression from the doorway.