Chapter 10

Nearly three weeks later…

Rose sat along the edge of the outer walls of the Jade Palace admiring the vast view of the Valley of Peace. Her father, Po, was right, for the past three weeks after her morning training and helping clean around the student barrack, she would spend her free time sitting here and gaze about the valley. No matter how many times she looked upon it never cease to amaze her.

"Rose," a voice called from behind, "lunch is ready."

A smile formed on the leopard's face as she glanced over her shoulder and called back with, "Coming, Mom." With that, Rose stood up, took several deep breaths, raised arms up and with her eyes closed, the young leopard jumped backward from the wall's edge performing a spiral flip, landing solidly on all four, a bold smile on her though it vanished as she gazed into the face of Grandmaster Shifu.

"Oh Master Shifu," she said in a nerves voice, "I didn't think I would be bumping into you…" she paused as she looked about wondering if any of the others were watching then turned back to the red panda, taking on a pleading gesture, "please don't tell Mom and Dad."

A smirk formed on Shifu's face as he slowly turned and walked away while saying, "I didn't see a thing, merely one of my students improving her technique."

Rose looked pleased to be let off the hook. The last time she did this; she slipped at the last minute before her jump, had it not been for her father rushing in to catch her, there was a good chance she would have broke her back…though that might have been better than the stern lecture she got from her mother. Pushing those memories aside, Rose stood up, slipped her favorite flute into her belt and rushed off toward the kitchen.

Upon reaching it, her nose was overcome with the sweet aroma of her Dad's special Secret Ingredient Soup. She couldn't help but stop and giggle upon remembering the first time she had the soup, and had to wonder what the secret was and though the goose refused to tell, Po had told her the truth after her first week her in palace only if she promised to never tell another person, and though she didn't believe him, she had kept her promise.

Entering the kitchen she spotted Crane and Mantis sitting at the table along with Tigress and Po standing at the counter with his back to her. She came to sit next to her mother and slowly reached out for the bowl of noodles though stopped when she heard a faint growl. Looking up, she cast her gaze at Tigress, though the female tiger was merely gazing down at her own bowl, bringing small spoonful of soup to her lips, Rose then turned her attention toward the panda and her eyes open wide at the sight of his rigid shoulder, the muscles along his back and sides all flared and swelled, and a twitch in his left ear.

"Rose," Po said as he slowly gripped a nearby bowl, the strength within his paw cause the it to shatter, "we've discussed your methods of training correct?"

Rose lowered her head and spoke in a shallow voice, "Yes."

Po turned around to glare at his daughter speaking in a hard angry tone, "Then example to me why you were seen performing one of your spiral flips from the top of the outer walls after I told you never to do after you nearly injured yourself."

Rose cast her gaze toward Crane and Mantis wondering which one of them rated her out.

"DON'T LOOK AT THEM!" Po shouted causing the leopard to snap her head up. "They only look for you because they care about you, we all care about you, and the last thing any of us want is for you to get hurt or worse…" he trailed off, his shoulder slumped and fury of his flexed muscles reseeded making him appear less imposing. "I just don't want anything bad to happen to you," he went on in a calmer voice, "but I can't just let this slip by, that is why you will not be allow to work on your kung fu training for one week."

"What?!" Rose snapped, jumping up to stand on her chair and plant her paw on the table. She then turned face Tigress and cried, "Mom?"

"You'll get no help from me young lady," Tigress said, her voice surprisingly calm.

Rose sat back down, looking completely defeated. "I'm sorry Daddy, but I really have gotten better with my flips, even Shifu said so."

"We know," Tigress said after taking another mouthful of noodles, "he was the one who told us."

Rose released a puff of air. "So he lied right to my face," she whispered. Knowing there was no way out of this; she gazed back into her father's eyes and said, "Alright Daddy, I hope you're not deeply angry with me."

Po let loose with a low sigh. "I could never be angry with you Rose," the panda said, "I just want you to be safe. That's why I agreed to let you train kung fu in the first place," he then turned back to the counter to grab a bowl of noodles from him and a large plate of dumping for everyone. He then sat down next to Rose, and said while playfully patting his daughter's head, "Now eat up, Lilly should be done working for Mr. Ping soon and waiting for you down in the valley for your music lesson."

Rose ears perked up at the sound of Lilly's name and mentioning her music lesson. "You mean you're still going to let me practice my flute?"

"Of course," Tigress said with a smile, "I mean just as we care and worry about you, we also know how much you love to play the flute."

A joyful smile formed on the leopard's face, standing up again to give her parents a playful kiss about their cheeks then went to eating her lunch.

Dragon shrine…

Shifu sat before the dragon statue in the cave behind the Jade Palace, a smirk formed on his face as he recalled informing Tigress of Rose's action of pulling off a back flip from the wall. Though he was deeply impressed with the leopard improvement, he knew that in doing so placed the child in danger and it would do no good for Po or Tigress to worry about her had the young leopard got hurt.

He took several deep breaths to steady his thoughts. It had been a relaxing three weeks but now that they were coming to an end, he and the other Masters of the Jade Palace would need to resume their training and states as protectors of the Valley of Peace. Po's training would have change heavily to include the use of his Hero's Chi. A solemn expression formed on his face as his thoughts drifted to the panda. Ever since the defeat of Shen, Po seem to be growing stronger every day, nearly to the point of rivaling both Tigress and Tai Lung, lucky it did not seem to affect him, he had known warriors of the past who thrived on power making them evil and lust for more, but for Po, it merely gave him the means to better protect those he cared for.

Tigress was another matter, with her obtaining Inner Peace, her mood had changed majorly. She no longer behaved as others had come to refer her as hardcore, her physical appearance has become more relax with an ever present smile on her face, she also wore a different assortment of clothes, within the past three weeks she had gone from wearing her training vest to the fancy dress she wore to the Summer Festival gala to adoring herself in more casual tunics and robes. It did bother him a little that she had also gone without wearing her torso wrapping that held her breasts firmly against her chest, but after watching her perform several advance kung fu techniques without fail Shifu believe that she could handle things.

While gripping Oogway's staff, the red panda began to breathe deeply once more drifting into a solemn state. "Inner Peace, Inner Peace, Inn—"

A sudden thunder clap broke Shifu from his mediated state and turned to gaze out the cave opening, a look of terror covered his face as a horrifying storm seem to suddenly appear out of nowhere. Lightening flared, thunder clapped and a number of twisters passed across sky. Coming to stand as close to the entrance as the wind would allow, Shifu's eyes widen in shock as the village was being ransacked in a raging fire, massive slabs of stone spikes shoot up from the ground tiring through the building, and even from this distance and over the intense unnatural storm, Shifu could hear the painful screams of the villagers caught in the maelstrom. Another clash of thunder drew his attention and looked up to see a massive thick black cloud descended before him. As the cloud blocked out all view, casting the red panda in a dense shadow, blood red eyes appeared and a bone chilling voiced boomed throughout the chamber. "My time draws nears while your end is close at hand. May you swell in terror in the realization that there is nothing you can do to prevent the destruction of this world."

A terrified chill enveloped Shifu's core and backed away from the piercing eyes only to stumble and fall into the water, only instead of hitting the ground, he found himself falling deeper and deeper into the water, the very air ripped from his lungs as he struggled to breathe the chilling sounds of laughter echoed around him.

Shifu screamed, waving his arms about tossing Oogway's staff about. Opening his eyes, the red panda found himself still in the Dragon Cave, he took a number of deep breaths, his heart pounding in his chest so hard that he feared it would burst at any moment. Turning back to the entrance, the skies look cleared and as he rushed toward the edge, the valley looked completely normal and peaceful. And yet despite it all, Shifu could still hear the dreadful laughter in his ears, filling his body with terror never before experienced.

Something terrible is coming, but what could it possibly be and from where?

Down in the valley…

The locals of the Valley of Peace were calmly going about their daily lives, merchants were selling their fine products, children rushed about pulling on kite strings laughing as the toy danced about the air, woman passed local gossip about their boyfriends. And in the mix of it strolled a lone figure who wore a full body tan robe. The person made no attempt to browse the fruit stand or gaze upon the assortment of fine jewelry and fashion. The person did pause however upon gazing the sign of a noodle shop called the 'Goose and Panda'.

Strolling inside, the figure turned to face a large poster of a panda in a heroic fighting stance with the symbol of the dragon behind him.

"I see you're admiring the poster of our Dragon Warrior."

The hooded figure turned once again this time to gaze down upon a small old goose with a strange looking hat, and young looking snow leopard.

"Hello," the goose said in a friendly voice, "how might I help you."

The robed figure raised an arm toward the poster, in doing so it revealed that the figure's hand was completely wrapped in a white clothe. "Who is that panda?"

"Oh Po," the goose said in a cheerful voice, "he used to work here, but that was before he became the Dragon Warrior."

"And where might I find him?"

"Oh he lives up in the Jade Palace," the snow leopard said, "I was about to go meet Rose for our music lesson. Do you want me to tell him you're here?"

"No," the figure said quickly in a harsh tone, the shadow of the hood rooted on the goose, "how else might I get this Po to come to me?"

"Well he and the other warriors of the Valley of Peace don't show up unless there some major trouble in the valley so suggest you—"

The gooses statement was cut short as the figure suddenly struck, slapping the small avian against the face sending him flying over several table. Those sitting there turned their gaze to the figure and screamed jumping back as the person lifted one of the tables and flung it across the dining room where it smashed into the kitchen.

"I would say that would be enough trouble to draw him," the figure said addressing the snow leopard, "wouldn't you?"

The young girl took several steps back until running head long on all fours down the main street.

Hall of Heroes…

Po and the others stood in the main hall of the palace, their full attention pitted on Shifu as he strolled past them, his cane making a faint clicking sound with each step.

"Now then," Shifu said, "as we agreed, your three week of relaxation period is just about over, as such, you will resume your patrols over the valley as well as your daily training routine, expect for you Po. I'm afraid that you still need to work on mastering the Hero's Chi, and I've asked Taotie to work on some more advance routine for you to work with."

"I understand Shifu," Po said.

"Good, also Tigress, now that you have obtain Inner Peace, there is a fair chance of using your chi in more advance means so I will give you and Po several scroll to study."

Tigress was about reply when suddenly they turned to the high pitch screams from behind and turned to see Lilly running head long into the hall and didn't stop until she crashed into Tai Lung, her body cringing as she wrapped her arms around the male snow leopard crying out with, "You've got to help Dad, she's attacking Mr. Ping."

"Whoa there honey," Tai Lung said, "now calm down and start over."

"Someone came into Mr. Ping's noodle shop, and asked about Po," Lilly said turning to face the panda in question. "We told her where to find you but she didn't want to come up here and suddenly slapped Ping across the room and tossed a whole table into the kitchen. You've got to stop her before she kills someone."

Po turned the main gates, a look of rage formed on his face. Whoever it was who thought they could just stroll in and hurt one of his friends and trashed his home village was about to be in for a rude awakening.

Several minutes later…

Po rushed through the archway, way ahead of the others. Somehow he had managed to jump all the way from the palace ground to the valley floor leaving a gaping hole in the street. He gazed about the room, appalled by the sight of the dining area of Mr. Ping's noodle shop. Tables were scattered about, some cracked clean in two while others were turned complete over, with another sticking out from within the kitchen, a plume of smoke rising up, there were few villages littered about though he could tell other than a few bruises they were alright, he then spotted Mr. Ping in the far corner, a patch of blood covered a section of his face and his left wing looked twisted.

"Ping!" Po snapped taking a step forward.

"Po…" Ping said in a weak voice, "look…out…behind…"

Ping warning came all too late for Po as he felt a crushing blow to the back of his head causing to him to stumble to the side.

"So it really is you."

Po looked up from the floor to gaze upon a tall robed figure who must of have been the woman Lilly spoke up. There was something about the voice, but he couldn't place. Standing, Po shifted into a fighting stance and said, "Who are you?"

The robed figure tilted her head to the side, and said in an amusing tone, "Oh please do not tell me that you have forgotten me." She slowly began to walk toward Po, raising her hands up the sides of her hood, pulling it back to reveal the face of a female panda with sky blue eyes.

Po looked on with utter shock regardless of the fact she was a panda but the realization that she was Jiao. "It can't be," he whispered lowering his arms.

"Still don't believe me," Jiao said in a playful tone, then took hold of the side of Po's vest and added lowering her voice to a sexual level, "then perhaps this will spark your memory, Xiong." With that Jiao pulled against Po's vest forcing his lips against her own in a heated passionate kiss.

Several minutes ago…

Tigress and the others raced past the archway leading to village and she smile as she took note of the small hole in the ground. "Remind me to head over to the stone carvers when this is all done to let them know about the damaged street."

"What," Monkey said, "this is going to the third time in so many months."

"You should have seen how they reacted after the Qidan attacked the village," Tai Lung said with a faint chuckle.

Tigress found herself giggling as well, though a slight twinge in the pit of her stomach caused her cringe. She didn't know why she had been feeling like this way for the past few days, but she couldn't bring herself to worry about that now. Po was at the noodle shop facing whole knows what kind of crazed fiend.

Though as they approached the entrance to the noodle shop, Tigress came to a sudden stop; her eyes wide in shock and mouth slightly dropped. The others stopped as well some of them bumped into her, though she didn't notice them as her gaze was rooted on what took place before her.

There standing in the middle of Mr. Ping's noodle shop was Po with his hands held firmly against a female panda's shoulders and in the midst of a deep rooted passionate kiss.

I think I'm going to be sick.

Well this is moment, I have been building to for sometime, and I hope that you all like what I have in store down the road for our kung fu warriors.

Please review.