Author's note: Mmm, Monkey. Surprisingly interesting to write for. No offence to any fans of his. Had a lot of fun writing this chapter, and you will see why fairly soon.

Enjoy.

Abandoned

Regiments of pristine marble columns adorned with jade dragon ornaments stand at attention, guarding its noble grounds. A spotless and reflective jade floor complements these soldiers as the subjects of their protection glisten with pride. These ancient artefacts stand the test of time, silently telling stories of immense valour and sacrifice. The ghosts of bloody battles radiate off these archaic structures, giving the massive hall of heroes a sense of well-earned grandeur. Their overseer, a gigantic golden statue of a Dragon's head engraved into the ceiling at the far end of the hall, hovering over the calming moon pool. Its stare unflinching with utter fierceness at the still water. Sitting before the moon pool, in routine meditation, is none other than the elderly grandmaster. Though many legendary pieces of kung fu history had been destroyed in kai's senseless attack, he is at least happy that some of these artefacts have survived.

"Inner peace." A quiet mantra reverberates off the halls newly rebuilt walls. A mantra the great hall had been growing tired of. The red panda's ear twitches. Horrific cries echo in his mind as he remembers Viper's hysterical breakdown four days ago. The joyful serpent still remains inconsolable and the palace's inhabitants clearly mirror her pain. His wish to solve this problem only resulted in yet another problem in the form of a damning scroll delivered to him merely a day ago. Failing his attempts at tranquilising his agitation, he shoots his eyes open and glares at the scroll patiently sitting on his right side. A hopeless sigh bursts out of his mouth, feelings of loss invade his mind as he turns his head to the ironically still moon pool.

"Master Shifu?"

A quiet voice snaps Shifu out of his trance. He swiftly turns his head, searching the gigantic wooden doors of the hall to find Master Monkey poking his head in slightly. The very second they make eye contact, the pranking langur walks fully into the room and respectfully bows. "Is this a bad time, master?" Monkey asks, concern laced in his eyes.

Quickly eliminating his wordless despair with a steely stare, Shifu shakes his head. "Not at all, Monkey." The grandmaster offers the langur a seat beside him. He turns back around, gazing at the moon pool whilst being acutely aware of Monkey approaching his side.

Master Monkey tilts his head in confusion as he sits down, keeping his eyes on the scroll that lay next to Shifu. "What is that?" He inquires, motioning his head towards the parchment in question.

Looking back at the irritating scroll beside him, the red panda heaves a heavy sigh. "That, is a message I recently got from our neighbouring valley." A tone of exasperation paints his voice.

"You mean Xiwang* Valley?"

"The very same." Shifu begrudgingly confirms, "They have reported 4 missing people within the last few days. No traces of where they could have gone and no possible idea of what could've happened to them."

Monkey's eyes widen in shock. "Shouldn't we investigate?"

"No." His answer only providing a confused glaze to Monkey's expression. "They requested that we don't go there unless the situation grows out of control. Not only do they not want to scare the villagers, but they also want to be safe in case one of the missing people turn up in here."

The langur's face relaxes in realisation, "So that explains why you sent out Crane to go on patrol this morning." A sense of discomfort grows in his normally mischievous blue eyes. "Are you sure we shouldn't send at least one of us?"

Shifu shakes his head once more, "The message was only sent as a warning. They're fairly certain that it's nothing serious." His voice clearly betrays his thoughts of disregarding the scroll, but he pushes those thoughts out to accommodate his former student. "Why have you come to see me, Monkey?"

The well-known prankster begins to shrink into himself as he remembers his reasons for coming straight to the grandmaster. His eyes downtrodden, he looks to Shifu's steely orbs, noting their exhaustion. Maybe I shouldn't. A thought thrown away the second it came. "It's about… Gaining inner peace." Uncertainty wavering his voice.

Raising his brow in confusion, the red panda inquires, "Shouldn't you be speaking to Po about this?"

Monkey sighs in slight frustration, "I would… But he wouldn't really understand what I am going through… Well, he would but…" Navy blue eyes plead to steely blue orbs, "He wouldn't be as helpful as you."

A silence permeates the hall as Shifu keeps their eye contact, his curiosity piqued at Monkey's explanation. "Go on." He requests, a warmness present in his eyes.

Monkey turns his head, gazing into the Moon pool with a forlorn heart. A single wave crashes against his mind. A bitter, haunting memory. Despite the furious five celebrating a job well done, Monkey could only focus his gaze on the person who was being apprehended by the rhino guards. En route to Chorh-Ghom prison, the guards barely had to put any effort into restraining him, for the prisoner barely put up a fight. Monkey continued to stare at the prisoner, at the langur being held in the tight grip of the rhino soldiers. His eyes boring into Monkey's despite the scar that was imprinted on the left eye. Anger and pain could be seen within those fierce orbs, but one thing overpowered all other feeling in his soul. Betrayal. Seeing this venomous gaze reflected within the tranquil waters of the pool, the guilt-ridden langur pitifully whispers…

"My brother."

Just being able to catch it, Shifu's eyes widen in realisation and soon narrows in empathy. He remembers the day that Monkey had to endure the unfavourable task of having to arrest his own brother. Despite wanting to protect him, the noble langur managed to go through with it and captured the thieving miscreant. The old master takes his time to form a response, knowing full well the depths of Monkey's guilt.

Finally, after an almost unbearable silence, Shifu utters, "You cannot blame yourself Monkey. For this is the life that he has chosen. He knew that what he was doing was wrong and yet he still went through with it-

"Even when I tried to stop him." Monkey interrupts in a regretful whimper, "I know all of this, master. It doesn't make me feel any less guilty. I just know… I could've done… something." He breathes out in a slight growl.

"You don't know that for sure." Shifu corrects his former student before explaining, "Besides, that is all in the past. You can't change that."

The forlorn langur pathetically nods. There is a brief silence within the hall of heroes, engulfing it in a remorseful atmosphere. "How did you cope?" Master Monkey turns his head to the grandmaster, looking him dead in the eyes.

Closing his eyes briefly, the red panda sighs in dread of sorting through his memories of dealing with his son's imprisonment. However, in combing through his many memories of a Tai Lung free Jade Palace, he quickly realises one thing.

"I didn't."

That single utterance plasters a dumbfounded expression on Monkey's face. A fearful voice creaks out of him, "What?"

Steel blue orbs soon adopt a look of sorrow as the grandmaster simply states, "I wasn't able to cope. I kept trying to hide away my sadness by being cold to everyone… All that did was make everyone else miserable. I was only able to get over that loss when Po had defeated Tai Lung, and I had realised that it wasn't truly my fault." Noticing Monkey's confusion turn to grief, he quickly continues, "I know that this isn't what you wanted to hear, but it is the truth… Think of it like this; You can lock as many doors or windows as you want, but a thief can always find another way into your house."

Monkey's face creases in confusion once more, the analogy not quite clicking with him. A warm smile plants itself across Shifu's face as he encourages the langur, "Don't worry, you'll understand soon enough." Knowing that there is simply nothing more the old red panda could tell him, Monkey simply bows to his former master and makes his way to the ancient doors of the hall until he hears, "Monkey!" the langur turns to face him once more to see Shifu giving him a stern, yet understanding look. "You didn't abandon him. Remember that."

The former student reflects that look of understanding and bows once more. "Thank you, master." He humbly declares, before calmly exiting through the old wooden doors.

Meanwhile, a tremendous boom can be heard from atop Wu dang mountain. A brief silence. Then another massive explosion followed by a flash of golden light pierces through the misty caps of the holy grounds. "Damn it!" Through all the fog, a giant panda can be seen walking past the shattered remains of a humongous rock in a huff. Arriving at a new boulder, the dragon warrior puts his paws together and links his fingers until a golden glow shines through his palms. He unlinks his paws, clenching his right one into a fist and clamping onto his right arm with his left paw. Jade eyes narrow in intense concentration, gazing at his right fist. His right arm begins to tremble as the golden glow is emptied from his left palm and fully engulfs the entirety of his right fist. Increasing in intensity, the golden light illuminates the shrouded training ground. Po closes his eyes slightly, his right fist becoming blindingly bright. His breathing becomes slightly laboured as he looks towards the boulder. "Alright. Let's do this!" His proclamation echoes throughout the sacred ground. Approaching the boulder at a breakneck pace, he pulls back his radiated fist and ploughs it into the boulder, producing a sound resembling a thunder crack. Several cracks form on the front of the boulder and continue to snake its way around it. A golden glow fills these cracks, its intensity rivalling that of the sun, until it consumes the entire boulder. The boulder shakes as more cracks form.

Boom!

Yet another earth-shattering explosion of chi and rocks. Debris falls all around Po, luckily landing nowhere near the plants that occupy the clearing near the pool of sacred tears. All that remains of the boulder are the pebbles now littered around the mountain caps. The ground underneath the boulder retains a blackened soot scar. A truly devastating attack.

"Oh C'mon!" A disappointed whine fills the air as the panda master drops to his knees and pouts in a childlike manner. Po and the five had tested out incorporating chi into their attacks whilst the Jade Palace was being repaired and found how effective it was. Even if they weren't training, they still needed to protect the citizens from bandits and the like. Within the past few days of training they had managed to make this ability more consistent, but there was one drawback. It left them much more tired than before since they had to use their own life energy to give their attacks more power. The dragon warrior breathes heavily as he picks himself back up and walks to the pool of sacred tears. "I think that's enough for one day." He says almost breathlessly.

"Really? I'd like to see more." A calm and elderly voice flows through the air, only making the panda jump through its familiar timbre. He narrows his eyes over to the flowery clearing, noticing a round figure that seems to be… glimmering? As Po gets closer, he is able to make out the figure's white and gold robes, his hardened shell and his jade green eyes accompanied by a peaceful smile. The dragon warrior's eyes widen in shock and a massive smile is plastered on his face as he recognises the figure.

"Master Oogway!?"

Oogway's trademark chuckle is the only response as the panda's energy pops back into him, running towards the elderly founder of kung fu. As he stands before the turtle, he bows lowly, noticing the massive jade staff held in the master's claw. Oogway motions for Po to rise, giving the panda a one-armed hug as he stands up, "It is very good to see you again, my friend." His soothing timbre blesses the birthplace of kung fu once more. Po reciprocates with a tight embrace. As they break, Oogway inquires, "So, what was that move you have been working on?" Motioning towards the rocky debris.

Po looks at the elderly turtle with an excitable fire in his eyes, proudly proclaiming with his fist in the air, "It's the Golden Chi Fist of Absolute Justice!"

Oogway hums in intrigue and gives an impressed nod to Po's newest attack. "Quite a mouthful." He quips.

"Yeah, still working on the name." Po sheepishly replies, "Not to be rude, but… uh… What are you doing here? I thought you weren't able to come back to the… uh… normal… realm? No wait… the… "not dead" realm? No that's not right either…" The panda trails off, providing the source of his own confusion.

As Po continues his search for the correct term, Oogway ushers him into the Pool of sacred tears. "I said I never tried to come back to the living realm, I never said I couldn't." He corrects the befuddled panda. "My time had passed long ago, and I believed my journey had ended, until the universe contacted me once more."

"Wait, so does that mean you'll stay!?" Hopeful jade eyes stare into aged jade orbs.

The turtle slowly shakes his head, "I have only returned for the universe's will, for if I stay it will spit on the natural order and mock the Gods that have been so kind to me."

"Aw, that sucks." The panda warrior mutters, pouting as he follows the wise turtle into the holy grounds. Wise Jade eyes look around the cavern in a haze of nostalgia, noting the rustic state of the dragon guardian. "You weren't kidding when you said you have a bigger stick." The panda jokingly motions to the simple jade staff gripped in Oogway's claw, "I just wish I didn't forget mine." Po utters in a slight sense of shame.

With a slight grin on his face, the turtle plunges his claw into the sacred pool, fishing out a jade staff topped with a yin and yang symbol. He hands it to the young panda whose face is frozen in stupefied wonder. Oogway responds to Po's silent question with a simple chuckle as the panda takes the staff in his speechless stupor. Orange and black petals catch the eyes of the wise turtle master as he crouches down and lightly caresses the tiger lily with his claw, admiring the beautiful flower. "Your favourite flower for many reasons, I suppose." Oogway looks back at the panda with a knowing glint.

Snapping out of his awestruck state, Po babbles in response, "Uh… B-but how?... Never mind, You're all wise and stuff." He pauses in realisation, "Wait. What do you mean 'for many reasons'?"

Oogway gets up and slowly walks around the edge of the pool of sacred tears, gazing upon the new vegetation coating the cavern walls. He breathes a content sigh, "Ah, young love. Never ceases to warm the heart."

Po scratches the back of his neck in embarrassment. Am I really that obvious? He brushes that thought aside, merely chalking it up to Oogway's many years of wisdom. Then another thought enters his head. "Speaking of… um… 'Young love'… Is it okay for the dragon warrior to… Uh… be… 'attracted' to someone?" Tremors of nervousness coarse through Po's being, dreading the turtle master's possible answer.

Elderly jade eyes gaze at the panda with a serene warmth and comfort, eradicating Po's fear. "There is no greater suffering than the entrapment of the heart. A pain that I would never wish upon anyone." An evangelical gentleness is fine-tuned into his voice, complimenting the turtle's glowing body. "A warrior's greatest strength is also their greatest weakness. Their heart. Which is why it must be nurtured. Be cherished." He slowly taps one of his claws onto the left side of Po's chest, right at his heart. "Nothing comforts the heart more, than giving love and being loved back. So why should a great warrior be exempt of this comfort when it is them who needs it most?"

A soft smile graces the lovestruck panda's face as he nods in understanding of Oogway's caring answer.

Oogway's caring smile dissipates. "Now, as for why I am here." He states in a grim replacement of the compassionate tone he used before, "You are attempting to train the five to attain inner peace. Correct?"

Po sighs deeply, "Well… I'm trying to… I guess." He mutters in a disheartened voice, gripping his jade staff in frustration. "It's just… I don't know what to do. I got a good start with Tigress, but I want to make sure that no one is left behind, y'know? Whenever I ask Crane or Mantis, they say they aren't ready, and Monkey insists he speaks to master Shifu for some reason. And Viper…" Pausing his rant, he remembers seeing Viper bawling on the floor of her room. "Oh, Viper." His jade eyes are covered in empathy, flashes of his panda mother appearing in his mind. Po sees Oogway's elderly eyes, glazed with pity. But something else is hidden there, something he can't decipher. Ignoring that hidden emotion, he keeps staring at Oogway, "What do I do, master?" A soft plea exits the usually boisterous panda.

A thoughtful silence occupies the sacred grounds as Young jade orbs beg to the old for answers. "Perhaps it is time I told you a story." Oogway's calmness remains despite his clearly pensive expression. Gasp. Po's eyes widen as he plops down on the ground, sitting cross legged and his paws holding his chin, eyes glued on the wise turtle like a child is to a storyteller. A smile melts onto Oogway's face at the panda's enthusiasm despite his dilemma. "70 years ago, there was a little girl named Jingxi*. She was the daughter of her village's chief, a man who had hoped for a son to continue his lineage. It was because of this that he had rarely showed her any love, instead he made his disdain and disappointment clear. As for her mother… She had felt ashamed of failing her husband and so the child could only see her mother in misery." Po's face creases in pity, horrified that a child would have to endure something like that.

As Oogway recounts this tale a memory pierces his mind, throwing him back into the very day that he had met her. "By the age of 7 she couldn't take it anymore and ran away from her home when her father was away on business." A white tiger cub with amethyst eyes sprinted down the winding maze of streets and alleyways, an endless tidal wave of tears pouring out of her. Plagued by her pain she tripped up and fell unceremoniously in a practically abandoned street. Her eyes burned from the tears she cried. Her throat dried out from her wails of agony.

"The poor girl." Oogway slowly shakes his head, his sorrow stapled on his face.

Feeling a claw on her back, the tiger girl turned around, eyes filled to the brim with fear. A slightly younger Oogway stood before her, jade eyes sending a message of compassion and sympathy. "I had found her on the streets near a neighbouring village." His hand remained on her shoulder as he kneeled down in front of her, asking how he could help. Her fear had almost completely dissipated at the presence of the turtle. "I had offered her a place at the Jade Palace." Tiny rivers poured down Jingxi's face as she hugged the kind master with all of her strength. "I had offered her a home."

Memories of the young tiger's training fill his mind, "13 years and she had managed to learn almost everything I had to give her. She was a true prodigy. But then… She began…" A garbled mix of hurt and disgust fill the turtle's eyes, something Po had never seen before, "Her experiments with chi."

A single haunting memory pierces his heart. A hostage situation. Oogway and Jingxi were at the mercy of a wolf bandit holding a knife to the neck of a bunny child. The masters stood at opposite sides of the bandit, with Oogway waiting for the perfect moment to unleash a nerve attack on the wolf. Jingxi saw the helpless child and felt something within her burn. She raised her paw when the bandit focused on Oogway for a brief moment. Amethyst orbs shined as indigo tendrils shot out of her paw, piercing the bandit's body. The wolf dropped the knife as he grabbed his rapidly beating heart until. Gasp. His body flopped onto the floor, lifelessly sprawled out in front of both the child and her master. As the child ran back to his mother, Jingxi saw the horror that had filled Oogway's eyes. A familiar sense of shame ran through her along with a newfound feeling. Coldness. "She had found a way to manipulate a person's body to her whim, including hers. She was capable of stopping their hearts within mere moments."

Po's eyes widen in shock as he whispers "So co-

Oogway shoots his eyes to the childish panda, silencing him immediately. A venomous rage singes his once calm jade eyes as he speaks in a dangerous tone, "It was unnatural. Hideous. There may be techniques that are used to kill, but this one makes the victim… suffer." The turtle shudders on the final word, remembering the pain in the wolf's eyes. "She began to use it indiscriminately in her solo missions. Whether it was a bandit or a warlord, she would use this technique against the people she deemed 'weak' or 'not a challenge'. I had voiced my disapproval in this and had begged her not to do it again. She only agreed… When she had fallen in love." Po's eyes widen once more.

One final memory crawls into Oogway's mind as he recounts, "She had thought that he was the love of her life… Fate didn't want to be so kind. Within three months she had found him with another woman. To say she was devastated would be a kindness." Jingxi knelt before Oogway, reddened amethyst eyes showering the floor with tears. Pleas for help and guidance echoed off the walls of the grandmaster's study.

"She had sought me for comfort." Oogway's face grimaces in shame as he remembers his reply.

The turtle knelt down to the white tiger and gazed into her saddened eyes, "I merely told her that I couldn't help her, that this was something she needed to figure out on her own."

Jingxi just sat there. Broken. Her crestfallen expression morphed into a face as still as stone. Amethyst eyes frozen with coldness. An emotionless tone rang through the room as Jingxi stood up, saying the three words that would forever haunt Oogway, "I understand, master." She walked out of the room, her gait hardened and hollow.

"She thought I had abandoned her." The turtle still has his shameful grimace engraved on his face, "The very next day she had disappeared from the Jade Palace and her past lover was found dead alongside the woman he had cheated on her with. Neither of them had any signs of how they died on their bodies, but I knew well enough that this was her doing." Young Jade eyes look upon the aged turtle in pity, "After that day there were several rumours of a white tiger who preyed on anyone that she deemed deserving. Most of them being couples, or people with massive families. They had given her the nickname: Nuba."

Po's eyebrows shoot up in surprise, "Now I know why she sounds familiar!" He exclaims in realisation. "But… I thought she was just a myth." Fear grips the panda's voice.

Oogway shakes his head in anguish, "No Po, she was very real." The turtle heaves a great sigh, "I attempted to search for her, but I always ended up empty-handed. It wasn't until 30 years ago I had finally swallowed my guilt and ventured into the village where she was born, hoping that maybe I could find her there. What I found... Was the entire village... Destroyed." Po's brow's furrow in horror, "Every single person... Dead. There was no sign of her there. I was hoping that she had nothing to do with it but knowing her contempt towards her family it was very likely. After that, I had never heard of her again." A silence fills the air, pregnant with Oogway's guilt and Po's rumination.

"It wasn't your fault." The dragon warrior finally utters, "You weren't wrong… I mean, she couldn't expect you to be there all the time."

"But I was wrong, Po." The wise founder counters, "I had abandoned her when she needed me most." Guilt plagues his gentle timbre, "It is true that she needed to have the strength to handle it herself, but she needed to know that I was there to care for her." He turns his head to Po, "Just like you need to show your friends, Po."

Oogway walks off towards the meadow just outside the sacred pool, Po following suit. He gestures towards many of the tulips and lilies littering the clearing, "Not every flower grows the same. Some need more water; others need more sun. They will only bloom once they have been given exactly what they need. You cannot provide each one of the five the things they need to grow, but that doesn't mean you don't have to be there." Suddenly, the aged turtle clamps onto Po's shoulder with a grip comparable to a vice, "Don't give up on them, Po. Don't abandon them like I had abandoned Jingxi." He pleads with his calming timbre returning.

The dragon warrior looks towards the wise sage with a burning seriousness in his jade orbs. Nodding slightly, he says "I'll never abandon them, master… Never." His voice coated in a deep determination that had the Gods shuddering in fear.

Seeing his successor's sincerity, Oogway smiles upon him once more as he adopts his carefree disposition again. He pats Po's shoulder, a silent wish for good luck, and takes a few steps away from him. "Please do give my old friend my regards. He does need some sort of good news after all."

Bowing in respect, Po simply replies, "Of course, Master."

Oogway looks upon Po, an immeasurable amount of pride glistening in his eyes. He taps his simple jade staff on the grass. Cloudy veils soon evaporate, letting the sun shine upon Oogway in a blinding fashion, making his ethereal body glow brighter than before. Petals from the surrounding flowers begin to flutter, slowly detaching themselves from their homes and spiral around Oogway. They freeze in mid-air, forming some kind of detached spiral staircase. As the dragon warrior looks upon this phenomenon in wonder, Oogway requests in earnest, "Take care, Po."

The founder of kung fu gently places his foot on one of the floating petals and climbs up the makeshift stairs. With his eyes doubled in size, Po simply whispers, "So awesome." Before quickly snapping out of his awed state and shouting, "Goodbye Master Oogway! I'll try my best!" He attempts to keep his eyes on Oogway's form but is forced to shield his orbs from the blinding sunlight.

As Oogway ascends into the blinding heavens, his voice rings out from above, "Good luck getting your girlfriend, Po." A cheeky air ever present in his voice as he chuckles again.

Po chuckles meekly at the aged master's blessing. Feeling the sun's rays decrease in intensity, he looks back towards the heavens. Oogway is gone. The only proof of him being there are the petals, descending from their positions at a snail's pace. He looks to the jade staff in his paw, "Yours may be bigger, but mine looks cooler." A small brag quickly silenced, by a few of the floating petals shooting into his face with a gust of wind. "Okay, okay! I was joking." He guffaws, shooing the petals away from his face. He sighs in admiration of the late master. With a smile on his face, and a newfound strength of will in his heart, he hikes down the holy mountains.

1* Xiwang = Hope

2* Jingxi = Fine (as in delicate)

Oogway is too much fun to write. Hope I haven't made him feel strange... Or stranger than he usually is anyway.