Chapter Twenty

They had progressed a long way in two weeks. It had been arduous to say the least, and downright exhausting to say the worst.

It was with great relief, then, that the small band of travelers at last found themselves upon the outskirts of Choulin township.

Choulin was a wholesome, quiet place, with flat, open spaces and low rolling hills. Not majestic, but beautiful in it's own way, it was home to about 750 individual residents, all of which were happy to call it home.

Fenghuang instantly felt this in the town's aura, as she stepped in. It was refreshing and surprising, and she was greatly glad of it.

"This place is well and homely," she remarked, turning to the others behind her, "We should do well to stay here for tonight."

Shen, who seemed to have become the group's unofficial Phoenix translator, looked around the town appraisingly.

"Easier said than done, Yin," he replied.

Despite the fact that they got along less than well on several occasions, Shen still felt disposed to keep his tone towards her respectful, if not all the time, then at least as often as he could. She was the queen of birds, after all.

"We are somewhat lacking in the way of monetary resources," he continued on, "And we cannot expect kindness to continue to afford us a room."

Fenghuang sighed. "True," she murmured absently, continuing to take in the view.

"Can we at least sit down?" Po's voice butted into the conversation, groaning beneath his heavy pack, "My feet are killing me!"

"I don't really see why not," Shen responded benevolently, "I think we should be entitled to a rest, after that most unpleasant walk."

Fenghuang frowned momentarily, considering. True, she did feel rather disposed towards stopping, now that they had reached their destination... But she did not want to stay here. She would rather rest under a roof.

But still she conceded, setting herself down beneath a convenient tree.

Dunthrie flopped himself on the ground without any such ceremony, for him, rest was something to be taken at the first opportunity.

It was a strangely surreal feeling to see houses again, Shen realized, looking at the village again. After weeks of nothing but trees, hills and that blasted mountain, it was shock to see these unnatural habitations here. A pleasant shock, however.

Shen looked down at himself, and realized he must look like some ragged mountain-man. His clothes were soiled and torn, he had cuts along his wings, and his feathers were somewhat unkempt. That would never do.

He ruffled his white feathers and began to preen, shaking out dandruff and dirt from the follicles. He noticed, from the corner of his eye, that Fenghuang was doing the same thing, although he could not fathom why. She had somehow managed to remain spotless throughout the entire trip so far, and Shen began to think that it was due to something more then simple avoidance of mess. He had to ask about her tailor sometime.

Po, on the other hand, was searching through the traveling pack rapidly, looking to see if they did in fact have any money handy.

It turns out, they did! Mr. Ping had been remarkably thorough in his packing job, and Po whispered some silent thanks to his adoptive father, now so far away.

"Hey guys!" he called to the others, a smug look on his face, "Look what I found!"

He held up the pouch of yuan, and grinned. Inside was at least enough money to afford a place to stay, as well as garner some food.

Shen frowned."Panda! You could have mentioned you had that sooner!"

"Well, how about you go find us a place to stay then, hmmm?" Dunthrie suggested, "I'll just sit here and wait..."

He suddenly found himself the center of several nasty glares, and he stood up.

"On second thoughts, it would be much better if we all went together! Come on then!"

Po grinned wryly at the badger, and hoisted the pack to his shoulders. "Hey, we should at least see the town, they might have some nice things... And didn't you say you needed some warmer clothes?"

The last remark was addressed to Fenghuang, who looked up abruptly. "Why yes, thank you for reminding me."

Shen stood up wearily, rolling his eyes.

"Hooray, let's all go shopping!" he muttered sarcastically, "I can't wait."

"That's the spirit, peacock!" Po nodded, with what may have been an equal amount of sarcasm in his eyes, "Let's get going!"

They all picked themselves up, and made sure they were as presentable as possible, given the situation. Then they were off, making their way down the winding streets of Choulin.

The houses were packed quite close together, as is common in small towns like these. The streets were full of life, as the citizens moved in a constant ebb and flow between vendors and street merchants. The merchants themselves were yelling there wares at the top of their lungs, each in an unspoken competition with the vendor closest to them.

Po, as he walked, saw spices, noodle carts, fruit stands, and richly ornamented fans being advertised, but no clothes of yet. Still, they should be able to see most of what the town had to offer just by continuing to walk through the street. Few stores had the luxury of an actual roof and walls, particularly in small townships like these.

"Hey!" he yelled suddenly, something catching his eye, "That cart sells dumplings! And tang-halurs!"

Shen ground his beak, swallowing back the abrupt rush of juices that rushed to his beak.

"W-we don't have time for that, panda..." he struggled out, trying not to smell the aromatic food, and failing. "Not out in the open like this."

Dunthrie stopped, staring longingly at the white balls and the sweet candy.

None of the party had eaten since morning, and that hardly could be considered breakfast by the badger's standards. Just some dry rice, because of Fenghuang's paranoia involving fire, and some dry fish.

Regardless, that delicious... Aromatic... Beautifully presented food... Looked good.

"Couldn't we just... Grab some for the road, then?" he asked pleadingly, added with emphasis from the growls of his stomach.

"We... Really... Shouldn't," Shen murmured weakly, unable to tear his eyes from the food, as if it had some magnetic power.

Fenghuang seemed immune to the urges of her stomach, instead seeming focused on getting her clothes. She was already several paces ahead, making her way back to the group after realizing they were no longer following.

"Are you following?" she asked, trying to see what they were all looking at, "You have all the money Po, I can't go anywhere without you..."

Po snapped out of his daze. "That's it! I have all the money, and I'm getting some dumplings! Move aside, Shen!"

The peacock raised no objection to being shoved aside like dirty laundry. There was food involved, and he, although he hated to admit it, was starving.

"Ohhhh! Eat quickly, if you please!" Fenghuang instructed testily, tapping her foot in impatience. Truth be told, although she prided herself on her masses of patience, she felt indescribably drawn to the idea of sorting through clothes. Perhaps it was the lure of actually owning something that drew her, or finding the perfect hues to match her color scheme. Whatever it was, she wanted to experience it.

Po returned, a bowl of steamed dumplings in one paw, and four sticks of the tang-halur candy.

"Here, you want one?" he offered, holding the bowl out to Shen and Dunthrie. His cheeks were already full of food.

"Yes I would, thank you," Shen nodded, taking two quickly. Dunthrie was less polite, grabbing a solid handful.

"Here," Po continued, "I got you a candy! Want one?"

He offered a stick to Shen. The peacock didn't refuse, picking the closest candy with all the dignity he could muster. It was not entirely seeming to yank from someone who was offering food freely, although Shen very much wished to do just that.

"What about me, eh?" Dunthrie piped up, although his mouth was crammed, "Do I get one of those candy things, then?"

Po handed him one. "Here you are!" he said, with a flourish and bow that would have made any restaurant waiter proud. Dunthrie took it, with much less primp and proper than Shen. He simply took the candy, and inserted it into his mouth.

Fenghuang frowned, crossing her wings. How could they spend so much time eating? Couldn't they see she was eager? Of course, she knew they were hungry. So, it was partly from guilt that she had hurried them to arrive. In fact, if it was up to her to quench their natrual appetite, she would have.

It wasn't really her fault, was it? That she refused them the luxury and utility of fire, denying them anything more than dry rice and fish? It was her fear of Yaan, the fear of the dragon...

"Should I find a place to rest, then?" she remarked dryly, keeping her eye focused on the ground, "It is a pity. I should have enjoyed acquiring some fresh apparel... today." The word 'today' was pronounced with added emphasis.

Po rolled his eyes, and held out one of the two remaining sticks of candy. "I got you one!" he said teasingly, wagging the stick in an inviting manner, "Here, you want it?"

Fenghuang eyed the panda sideways, then eyed the candy. The Dragon Warrior... Was offering her food. And he looked so... eager about it too. How could she stay mad at that?

She sighed, and held out her wing with an air of dramatic surrender. Po placed the stick in her snowy-white wing with a grin. He had found, quite accurately, that it was easy to calm a person down by offering them candy.

The Phoenix eyed the tang-halur suspiciously. Mortal food... you could never quite tell what it was going to taste like. She tentatively reached out her tongue towards it. She cut her eyes towards Po at the last minute. The panda had the whole stick in his mouth, and was seemingly enjoying it immensely. Fenghuang sighed again, and licked the candied stick quickly and experimentally. A jolt of sweetness ran through her tongue, and she gave another lick. It was good! Shopping and the wolves in pursuit were temporarily forgotten, as she finished up the divine food.

It was delicious... She thought, as she eyed the empty skewer regretfully. She wondered, briefly, fleetingly, what she was missing out on by forbidding fire from Po, their chef.

Then business was back. The world returned, and she breathed in, looking around. Po was finished, as was Shen and the badger, Dunthrie. It seemed the one they were all waiting for was... Her. She blushed, looking down.

"Well, we should be on our way, hmm?" she trilled quickly, looking at the ground with a sheepish expression on her pristine face.

"Of course," Shen replied knowingly, nodding with a darned infuriating smirk on his face, "We should not wish to... hold you up, now would we?"

"No you would not," Fenghuang replied loftily, breezing past the peacock indifferently.

Shen watched her pass in satisfied silence. He knew enough about reading people's masks to realize that Zhu Yin, queen of Avia, was SEETHING over spending too long eating candy. And he was privately enjoying that fact.

He followed her, suddenly coming to the realization that he enjoyed seeing her uncomfortable far too much. That was not a desirable trait to hold against your martial arts student. Because he could make her VERY uncomfortable in such a situation, if he so wished.

Suddenly, he nearly trod on her tail, as she abruptly stopped.

She was looking over some heavily ornamented fans, her wing tracing over the edges slowly. The peacock looked ver to the vendor- and met a pair of quivering blue eyes, as the goat behind the cart eyed him intensely for a second, before looking away shamefully.

Shen ruffled his feathers, suddenly aware that he was the center of several suspicious stares, the magnitude of which made him yearn for the open road again.

In front of him, the goat grinned nervously, and turned her attention back to the Phoenix, who had picked up the fan, and flutterred it experimentally.

"It's a good choice, ma'am..." the salesperson suggested warily. Obviously, she was distracted by Shen's proximity.

Fenghuang looked up quickly, seemingly shaking herself free of some daydream.

"Oh no, I-I can't," she assured quickly, folding the fan with an obviously practiced grace, "Thank you anyway."

She sauntered on her way absently, apparently lost in her own little world.

Shen noticed the salesperson cursing beneath her breath. She obviously wasn't too pleased on losing such an opulent customer. Shen shrugged, and followed after Fenghuang quickly, Po and Dunthrie trailing behind him.

The Phoenix made an absurdly easy target to trail, Shen realized. She stood out, even among the bustling crowd of dirty, sweaty animals. In fact, she seemed to stand out more so there than anywhere else. She didn't fit in at all, like a single diamond amongst a field of coal.

Of course, there was more than that. For the first time, Shen suddenly realized that people were scurrying to get out of his way. Anywhere he went, suddenly the street would empty. The peacock had taken this for granted, only now did he realize how odd it was.

Or rather, how odd he was. Looking around, Shen suddenly realized that everything in this town was stained a deep brown. And he, as always, stood out like a tongue of flame in a dark night.

Behind him, Po, too, had a clear zone around him. Of course, that was to be expected. If the villagers knew who Shen was, they almost certainly would know who Po was.

Fenghuang stopped again, this time at another cart, the proprietor of which was selling clothes, but not very good ones. Once upon a time, a younger Shen would have passed this cart without a second glance, no doubt on his way to find more silks to add to his already large assortment at home.

Now, Shen felt a second wave of glares hit him like a tidal wave. How had he managed to avoid these, as a prince? He turned his head away, keeping his eyes in the air.

"No thank you," he could hear, as if in another dimension, Fenghuang's voice, as she moved on.

How long had it been, he wondered, since he had been surrounded by so many people? It had to have been... A very long time.

Faint music reached his ears.

It reminded him of festivals, and dancing... A time when he was alienated, feared, yet respected. A time when he was a prince.

Again, he shook himself from his thoughts. Po was pointing out a juggling goose, but strangely, Shen couldn't hear it. All he could hear was that music.

The peacock closed his eyes for a brief minute, clearing his head. He opened his eyes again, slowly. Sound had returned. Shen breathed out in relief.

"Sheeennn, oh Sheenn..." Po was saying, waving his paw in the peacock's face, "You there, peacock?"

Shen blinked. "Yes, I'm here, Po... Your point is?"

"Well," Po answered, drawing back in surprise, "You... did kinda space out there, and Yin is getting further away. We should catch up."

Shen nodded, heading forward already.

For the next several hours, the group was forced into torture, following Fenghuang around as she traveled from shop to shop with all the determination and energy of a

hummingbird. She, eventually, narrowed down her choice to two different clothes, both meant for cold weather. One was a thick outfit resembling a slender dress, which wrapped diagonally across the body. It was snowy white, with blue at the cuffs and collar, and a thin line of blue reaching across the winding line.

The other was much similar in make, but was a golden in color, with thick, draping sleeves resembling wings. Designs resembling leaves in autumn patterned the sleeved and waist, giving in a distinct ornamental flair, while still remaining practical.

Shen leaned on a post, waiting and watching, while the Phoenix dithered between the two choices, for all practical purposes unable to choose.

The peacock leaned towards Po. "We could be here all day," he whispered conspiratorially, "How much longer can it take for her to choose? There isn't really much difference."

Po shrugged. "Yeah, well, you can't rush fashion," he reminded, "It took me and Viper an AGE to find that yin-yang robe for you."

Shen grumbled, but conceded. It was a fair point, after all.

"She should totally take the white one," Dunthrie commentated, "I mean, she's white, it's white... They just match, eh?"

Fenghuang breathed out, long and loud. "Thank you! I thought so! I'll take the white one, please!"

Shen blinked. "Seriously? You were just waiting for someone to give you some advice?" he asked her incredulously, "Why didn't you just ask?"

"Well, a girl likes some helpful compliments from time to time," Yin responded innocently, grinding her beak, "And sometimes we're just too proud to ask for them."

"So you would rather walk in circles for an hour?" Shen raised a black eyebrow in amusement.

"Oh hush you!" Fenghuang snapped playfully. Normally, she would have been annoyed by Shen's tone,

but she was apparently in far too good a mood for that right now.

Po came back, handing the nicely-wrapped winter robe to the Phoenix, and clapped his hands.

"Well, now that we have that out the way, maybe we could kinda... Find something to eat?" he asked hopefully, leaning forwards, "We should at least find somewhere to sleep, if we aren't going to do that."

"Sleep sounds nice!" Dunthrie nodded enthusiastically, "I don't mean to sound rude, miss, but your shopping trip took out all my stuffing! Where do we start?"

Fenghuang nodded in agreement. "We should find a place for the night, and perhaps the day after," she commented, sweeping the surrounding area with a golden eye.

"Fine," Po sighed, his shoulders slumping in defeat, "Let's go looking for beddies."

To his left, Shen raised a long black eyebrow in an amused smirk. "Beddies, panda? Is that even a word?"

"It could be," Po humphed defensively, crossing his arms.

Dunthrie, behind them both, grinned fondly, shaking his black-and-white head in silence. Shen noticed, and turned to him curiously. "What do you find so interesting?"

Dunthrie looked up in startled surprise, searching Shen's face. The peacock at first thought that he wouldn't answer, but the mammal grunted. Apparently he detected an honest question, not sarcasm.

"Eh, just... Just that you two, eh, you are comfortable with each other. Like good friends." Dunthrie's eyes regained that faraway glaze, looking to the far west. "Ah, I guess it just reminds me of some friends I had back home. Us badgers have a jolly grand home... But ah suppose that you're not interested in hearing about an old badger's tales of home."

He lapsed into silence, and Shen could get no more from him.

The group made their way down the plaza, taking in the sights.

"Hey, there's an inn," Po pointed out, gesturing towards the building, "Only.. That looks too expensive."

"It does look... A little beyond our price range, doesn't it?" Shen remarked, giving the building a brief glance before moving on. "Look for another one."

The peacock followed his own advice dutifully, scanning the streets up and down for anywhere that looked suitable.

Something caught his eye. The Chinese symbol '神'. His own name.

On closer inspection, the character was painted on a wooden board sign, saying "Shen Chi Kung Fu academy". The divinity blaze Kung Fu academy, in other words.

He knotted his eyebrows. It felt weird, seeing his name there. He hadn't even known the place existed until now. How very odd.

"Hey, what'cha lookin' at?" Po scrutinized eagerly, leaning in the direction Shen was looking. "Hey cool, that place literally has your name on it! We should stop there!"

Shen jerked his head towards the panda in obvious disagreement. "There? A Kung Fu academy? They'd never let me in."

"Oh, don't be so melodramatic," Po frowned.

"They have to let me in, Shen. I'm kinda like the Dragon Warrior, after all. It does have it's privileges, and if they want to let me in, they have to, like, let you in too. It's simple, and, it'd most likely be free too! It's a win-win!"

Shen shook his head in exasperation. "Look, Po, I'm sure they would let you in. They would let Yin in, or maybe even Dunthrie. But I can guarantee that no martial arts teacher in his right mind would allow me, the one who vowed to destroy his art, inside their academy."

"We let you in," Po reminded, raising an eyebrow, "Are you saying Master Shifu's not in hs right mind?"

"Well, no..." the peacock stammered, crossing his wings in slight confusion, "But t-that was something exceptional, Po. You can't expect everyone to be as understanding as our Grandmaster."

Po grinned wryly, and looked down. "Well, suit yourself, Shen. I'm going to go check it out! Seriously, though..." he fixed Shen in a glare, and crossed his arms. "You are way too pessimistic."

Shen's beak opened in indignation, and he fixed Po in a laser eye glare. "I am not pessimistic! I'm realistic!"

He heard giggling. No doubt Yin found his expression amusing. Well, that didn't matter... even though he hated being funny.

"What's the difference?" Po argued, his arms still crossed obstinately, "You still see things all... Drab, and grey and stuff. Where are the cheery thoughts in realism, Shen?"

"That's how the world is, Po," Shen replied, his tone unusually thoughtful. "It's drab, and grey, and lifeless. The only color comes from what we make ourselves, and even that is soon snuffed out. Reality is cruel."

"Well then," Po nodded, standing a little straighter, "Perhaps we need to ignore reality a little."

He turned, and marched towards the academy.

Shen drooped in defeat, calling after the retreating figure for him to return. But Po did not.

"Oh... That panda!" the peacock growled.

"He's right, you know," Fenghuang said quietly, standing beside him, and watching Po head towards the academy doors. "The world may be drab, but our perception of it is greatly our own choice."

"Oh, don't you start as well," Shen snapped irritably. He was almost surprised at himself. Where did that come from? She hadn't really deserved that... Of course, she had giggled.

"There is a philosophy I often try to adhere myself to," Yin continued, seemingly ignoring his outburst, "It is that happiness is not so much a feeling, but an attitude. We, not our circumstances, are responsible for our own happiness."

The phoenix looked at Shen through the corners of her eyes, as if expecting him to say something.

Shen shook his head in silence, not really hearing Yin's advice at first. He was deep in his own morbid thoughts, imagining the exchange of words between Po and whoever opened the academy's doors. It took a while for the words to sink in.

He blinked, trying to go over the words again in his head. Hadn't... Was it just him, or had he heard that before?

"E-excuse me?" he asked, turning to Yin fully, "Where... What was that?"

Fenghuang sighed, as he often did when he had to repeat a point. Was she irritated? It was her own fault... He couldn't hear what she was saying.

"I said..." she shook her head, and took in a breath, softly, gently. "I said that we determine our own happiness, not our surroundings."

That was not what Shen had been asking about, but he let it go. It didn't matter anyways... He had probably heard that saying before from the Soothsayer. She was always saying things like that.

"I suppose I agree with you, in part," Shen said quietly, striding forwards after the panda. He turned his head briefly towards Yin, and sighed. "I have always believed... that happiness must be taken."

He turned away from the Sacred Phoenix, and walked after Po.

Po stood before the heavily ornamented doors of the academy. They were not as grand or as ancient as those of the Jade Palace, but they were purposeful and intimidating in their own right. The gleaming steel doors were emblazoned with a burning sunburst, which seemed to glow in the afternoon sun with a reddish blaze of their own.

"Welcome, traveler, to the resting place of divinity," an ibis, his voice venerable and ancient, bowed before him in respect. "Is there anything that we, the humble and harried students of the Divinity Blaze academy may do to assist you in your journey towards enlightenment?"

Po blinked. "Actually, we were just looking for a place to rest... Is this place full, or something? 'Cause we don't have to stay here..."

"That will not be necessary, young one," the ibis replied softly, "While we would rather guide you on your spiritual journey towards enlightenment, the callings of the flesh are also our responsibility to sate. I am Master Chang. For as long as you are here, you may call our home yours, my friend."

"Wow, really? You don't even know who I am, and you're just gonna let me in? I might be a thief!" Po exclaimed, throwing his arms out.

"Are you?" Chang asked, a sagely twinkle in his eye that reminded Po of Oogway.

"Well... No," Po admitted, "But I could have been, and then I could have lied, and then you'd have never known! Ha!"

"Well, it is good that you think of my safety," the avian chuckled, leaning sideways on his blackwood staff, "But as long as you are nothing to fear, then I have nothing to be afraid of, hmm? Make yourself welcome, my friend."

"Oh!" Po nodded, his eyed widening. Shen strode forwards, nodding to the ibis in greeting.

Po hurriedly introduced him. "Oh, ah, I forgot to mention, I have some friends with me... Ah, this is Shen, and those" - he gestured to Fenghuang and Dunthrie behind him - "are my two other companions, Yin and Dunthrie."

"Ah, former Lord Shen, eh?" Master Chang hobbled forwards, towards the albino peacock in a slow but steady motion. "I have heard about you, young one. In fact, I saw you, flying overhead in that flying machination you created."

"See? I told you!" Shen snapped accusingly towards the panda, then turned back towards Chang. "And?"

"And I also heard of your reprieve from the emperor, so I suppose it's alright, hmm?" the ibis smiled, placing both wings on his staff and leaning forwards, "I am curious as to how you got him to do that for you, you know."

"I-ah... Er..." Shen stammered, at a sudden and awkward loss for words.

"Ah, I see. It isn't my business," Chang dismissed with a wave of his wing. "You are all welcome here- in a short while."

Abruptly, the ibis disappeared back into the academy building. The large doors slammed with a resounding boom.

"Uhhh... Well... That was interesting, I suppose..." Po shrugged, staring at the now-closed doors, "I didn't even know doors that big could close that fast."

"So... They are going to open those doors again, right?" Dunthrie asked, coming up alongside them, Fenghuang on his heels.

"See? What did I tell you? One look at me, and there goes any bed we may have had," Shen huffed accusatorially, "Let's go find someplace else."

"Whoa, hold on!" Po stated, holding out his arms, "He said they would open the door again, and so we will wait here until they do. He seemed like a nice enough guy."

He also did NOT want to be proven wrong by Shen on this point, but he thought that this reason was far less important. No reason to bring that up. Honestly though, Shen needed something to kick out his overly dark perspective on the world.

The doors creaked open, and a figure stepped out. It was Chang, but this time, he was not alone. He was accompanied by a much younger-looking girl, a pheasant.

"Excuse me," the old Ibis nodded, bowing again, "Our academy was not presentable. We hope you are not angered."

Po sent Shen a triumphant look, while the peacock huffed.

"This," Chang continued, gesturing to the pheasant standing next to him, "Is Miss Xuan-Lian Hua. She is my assistant-"

"But you just call me Xua," the pheasant practically squeaked in a excited and girly tone.

"I was about to tell them that, my dear," the aged master remarked idly, "I believe I shall have to give her some lessons on patience. But she was very excited to meet you, Dragon Warrior."

"O-oh! A fan! Always a pleasure, miss," Po grinned, tipping an imaginary hat. Shen could swear the girl practically fainted.

"Come in," Chang said, motioning them inside with his wing. Xua hurriedly scrambled to get out the way, blushing profusely.

The party entered slowly, looking around at their surroundings as they did.

The whole building was made of iron, save for the floors. The symbol of the sunburst was branded on the walls, just like the door, except these were far larger. Lamps, unlit, lined the walls, and the panda could see some kind of powder inside them.

Around them, tall glistening pillars reached up towards the ceiling, much like the ones at the Jade Palace. However, these had swirling Phoenixes forged from some orange metal, chasing their tails around the pillar.

Fenghuang noted those with some strange kind of fascination, shaking her head at the visages. Po figured they must look weird to her. He always thought pictures of him seemed strange when he looked at them.

Here and there, Po could see what he presumed to be students, peering at them curiously through the pillars. Most of them were birds, he noticed. He suddenly wondered what kind of style they taught here.

"Would you like some tea, Dragon Warrior?" Xua, standing to the side, offered hopefully.

"Err..." Po shot a glance at the rest of the party. They nodded.

"Yes I would. Three cups, please."

"Oh! Ok! I'll be right back!" the pheasant bounced down a hall, out of sight.

Abruptly, she reappeared. "I mean, I'll be right back, sir! Sir! I... Forgot..." she dissapeared, back down the hall.

"Cute," Fenghuang remarked, leaning towards Po, "But there are four of us. Only three cups of tea?"

"Yeah, I don't really like the stuff," Po shrugged, "But I couldn't just say no, now could I?"

Yin lapsed into silence, apparently thinking about something.

"Make yourselves at home," Chang nodded, beginning to walk down the hall after Xua, "I have to go take care of my assistant."

"I wonder what she needs help with-" Po started. A yelp sounded down the hall, as if someone had spilled boilingwater on themselves. "Never mind."

"Have you noticed how many times he has told us to 'make ourselves at home'?" Shen pointed out, leaning towards Po's ear and whispering, "It doesn't seem right to me. It is probably a trap!"

"Shen..." Po replied in a normal voice, rolling his eyes, "That 'doesn't seem right' is what normal people call 'hospitality'. It's something you need to get used to."

"Of course, because I'm completely not normal," Shen snorted. He tried to sound casual, but hurt dripped from his voice like rainwater.

"Oh come on, Shen, that's not what I meant and you know it," Po frowned, crossing his arms and facing the peacock gruffly.

"We should not argue, not here," Fenghuang pointed out wisely, glancing around, "Shen, please..."

Shen huffed. "Well, then, if it's just hospitality, it's still strange. No-one in their right mind offers me hospitality."

Po decided not to answer, seating himself at a simple wooden chair nearby. If Shen wished to be paranoid, let him. Just don't let it interfere with business.

Dunthrie sat next to him. "Ah feel like I'm treading on glass, eh? "Ah am sure I'm gonna break something."

"It feels rather quaint to me," Fenghuang remarked, sliding in at the opposite side of the table, sitting by the window, "At least, after, well, Heaven, it seems."

Shen remained standing, crossing his wings and looking aloof. Po could tell he was muttering to himself.

"Your tea?" Po turned, and saw that Xua had somehow managed to get there without him noticing. He blamed Shen.

"Oh, yeah, thanks," Po replied, taking the tray from the pheasant, and setting it on the table.

"Oh goody, tea..." Dunthrie muttered. His tone was obviously sarcastic.

Xua raised an eyebrow in worry. "Would you like something else?"

"Well, ah would like something a wee bit..." he made a stretching motion with his fingers, and grinned.

"Sorry, alcoholic beverages are not allowed on the premises," Xua informed him, an unsympathetic grin on her beak, which she was trying without much success to hide.

"Oh..." the badger said quickly, "Here Po, you can have my tea," he then offered generously, pushing the cup towards Po with a sanguine grin.

"Oh, no, really, you drink it..." Po smiled a little too widely, and pushed the cup back.

"No, you forgot to order yourself one," Dunthrie replied, nudging the cup back again in front of Po, "So I insist that you have mine!"

Po cut his eyes towards Xua, who was watching with a confused expression on her face. "Would... One of you like another cup?" she asked uncertainly.

"Oh, fine..." Po relented, trying not to sound too disgusted. He lifted the cup, gave one last glance at Xua, and downed the tea in one gulp.

"Mmmm-mmm!" he swallowed, raising the cup, "Good stuff!"

The young pheasant smiled, backing away with a bow. She bumped into Shen.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" she yelped, "I didn't see you there!"

"This is why females are not normally permitted at dining tables..."

Shen mumbled, looking at his own spilled tea on his robes. The remark earned him a glare from Fenghuang and a worried expression from Xua.

"It's fine. I didn't see you there either," Shen amended, huffing and finally taking a seat.

Xua left, vanishing down one of the long corridors of the academy. Po noted Shen's eyes following her.

"Clumsy..." the peacock murmured, "Overly enthusiastic, and doesn't make good tea. I don't like her."

"Relax Shen!" Fenghuang reprimanded, "She's young, she will learn in time. Besides, we won't be here but one day. You won't even see her again, probably."

"Good," Shen huffed again, "As I said, she's-"

"Cute," Yin interrupted, "She's young, naive, and innocent. A refreshing breath in this dank world."

"That makes up for anything?" Shen asked sceptically.

"I think so," the Phoenix replied mildly.

Po took in a deep breath. "Shen, you were a little mean to her. You are in kind of a mood, aren't you?"

Shen rolled his eyes and huffed. He deigned a response other than that.

Po leaned forwards a little, and whispered in a conspiratorial tone. "I have to agree with you though, I can't say much for her tea."

Fenghuang sighed, lifting her own cup to her beak. "I don't think so," she said, taking a long sip, "I find it simply delicious!"

Author's note: This chapter is mostly filler, you may notice. The point of introducing Xua? Don't ask me. She is more about showing that Shen is getting disgruntled than about her in particular. I'm building up now to the part one finale... So keep tabs!

Big thanks to my sister, without whom this chapter would not have been possible.