Disclaimer: I no own.
A/N: Yeah, this one's a little long to be considered a drabble. Whatever. This might eventually become another story anyway. Anywho, I TOLD myself that I wouldn't do this. That it was cheesy and cliché… and then I said to hell with it and did it anyway. Enjoy :3
Shifu had just settled down to eat a light dinner of egg noodles and spicy ginger tea when Crane entered the small kitchen.
"Master Shifu, I'm sorry to interrupt, but there is someone here to see you," he said.
"Who is it?" Shifu asked, blowing on his tea. Crane picked at the wooden floor with a talon.
"It's a messenger from the village council. The elders have sent him here with a child-" Shifu held up a hand to silence his once-pupil.
"We can't take another student on, Master Crane. We have too many as it is. Send the council's lackey back. Tell him the temple is always looking for new shrine maidens or monks-in-training," the red panda muttered, picking up his chopsticks. Crane cleared his throat.
"The boy has shown great promise in the martial arts field. You might want to take a look at this one, Shifu," Crane said quietly. Shifu looked up at the sound Crane's serious tone. The water fowl looked determined. Shifu sighed and dropped his chopsticks in the holder.
"Fine, fine. Let's see the brat," Shifu grumbled. Crane smiled and led the way out of the kitchen.
"… Village elders always sending me these war orphans… first you five and now this…" Shifu growled. Crane laughed. He knew that Shifu was all bark. He loved his students. Some argued that that in itself was his downfall. 'Or his salvation," Crane thought, smiling at the thought of the happy-go-lucky Dragon Warrior. Finally the pair reached the entrance where Jin, a rotund goose and messenger of the village, stood.
"Alright, Jin, what's this all about?" Shifu said. Jin cleared his throat and unrolled a long, official looking scroll.
"We the council of elders, keepers of the Jade Village, hereby humbly request that the custody of one…" Blah blah blah blah… Shifu growled and interrupted the goose.
"Whatever, where is the child?" he snapped. Jin, looking cross over being cut off, reached behind him and pulled something out from behind his back, or rather someone. Shifu gasped.
It was a very young Giant Panda cub. The little boy blinked up at Shifu and Crane with bright brown eyes.
"Don't be shy, son, tell them your name," Jin said gently. The little panda fiddled with the hem of his tunic.
"My name is… is Hao," the boy said quietly. Jin handed Shifu a packet of parchment paper. Shifu glanced down at it, leafing through the pages.
Xu Hao of the Boar Village. Four summers old. Parents killed in a rockslide three weeks ago. He was trained by a Master Ting in the art of Kung Fu, but she was unable to take him in after his parents died.
The red panda looked over at the little cub. He couldn't help but think of Po. The nervous smile, the fidgeting… the boy's mannerisms were exactly like those of his lover. Shifu felt his heart melt. He finally pulled his gaze away from the child to look over at Crane, who was smiling encouragingly.
"Say something…" the bird mouthed. Shifu nodded weakly and turned to the little one.
"My name is M-" Shifu bit his tongue; formalities and honorifics would only make the boy more nervous, "Shifu… My name is Shifu. I hear that you are interested in Kung Fu," he said, a smile pulling at the corner of his mouth. Hao nodded shyly.
"Come with me then," Shifu replied, taking the cub by the paw. Shifu lifted his hand to Crane. "Fill out all the necessary paperwork if you would, Master Crane," he said before leading the child to the dormitories where the other students slept. Crane shook his head and smiled, taking the ink stick in his foot from Jin to sign the parchment.
"Well, that was unusual… I've never known Shifu to be so interested in a new student. I honestly thought he would turn the boy away. How did you know that he would take him?" Jin asked. Crane chuckled.
"Call it a hunch."
The name Xu Hao, Xu being his last name, is pronounced "Shoe How."
Review! I'm interested to know if you guys think I should take this route. That is, the adopting of Hao by Po and Shifu. Personally, I'm leaning toward the path of Hao simply being a student, but he does make a few cameos in future chapters. Let me know!
