Hope you all don't mind, but we're gonna take a bit more focus on what's going on away from Jinzhou for a little bit. Just a warning.

But I promise, it's not a total waste of time.

Granted, that's for you to decide, not me. Hopefully I did decent enough.

Let's go!

Xiao Niao and Shengqi looked on with sadness, standing next to the greying Peach Tree as they stared upon the long ruined Valley of Peace. It was just as terrible as they heard that it was, and seeing it not only confirmed it for them, but had made them feel even worse.

Having been on quite a journey ever since a band of kind yet chaotic bunch helped set her father free, the duo had been traveling throughout China in matters of self-discovery. Xiao Niao had her mind mostly on Tigress,, and every day, could not wait to eventually see her again. But for now, she felt great empathy for the feline at the moment, because this was where she had grown up, and it had been devastated without her being able to do anything about it, as she wasn't there to even try.

She heard this was such a beautiful Valley once upon a time, and now it was nothing but ruins.

"It's so sad..." Xiao Niao mumbled with her head hanging down. "Tigress must have been feeling terrible for not being able to prevent this. I wonder if she still feels that pain in her heart even now? Along with the rest of her friends.

"It's likely that they do. It might be why they never settle for a set permanent home." Shengqi hummed. "In any case, we must go, Xiao Niao. There's nothing for us here."

"Yes, father." Xiao Niao sighed as she began to follow her father...then she tripped. "Oof!"

"Xiao! Are you alright?!"

"Y-Yes, father. Just a small trip." Xiao Niao rubbed her head, then blinked as she realized she tripped on one of the roots. And sitting right in front of her, perfectly healthy, was a single peach. She looked back at the tree, and noticed that, much like the petals were decreasing by the day there weren't any healthy peaches left. This was the last one that looked truly and fully fresh. She briefly takes it into her paws and gazes at it.

She wondered if it tasted sweet.

Yet for some reason, a part of her dissuaded her from actually eating it.

"...Maybe I can bring this to Tigress. Hopefully I can keep it mostly clean by the time I get there. Perhaps having something like this will help her remember the good times she had in the Valley..."

"Xiao Niao!"

"I'm coming, Father!" Xiao Niao stuffs the peach in her bag and quickly follows Shengqi down the path, as they were both prepared to leave and go on their next destination.

And that would be where Tigress and friends went for that tournament announced a while back. Xiao Niao thought it was finally time to do so.

She really wanted to see her friend again.

"And that's about how things are going to go."

Master Ding never realized just how exciting it was to be a demon. All of these intense desires begging to be unleashed onto the world in the most destructive and cruel ways possible, all while laughing at the sufferings of the innocent that get caught up in all of that chaos. At this point, he feels like this was actually a massive improvement over having a mere mortal body to possess. Now he has his own, and all of this demonic might to unleash against possible fools that may dare to stand against him.

As well as against his Demon King, of course. He'd have to accept his new status as a subordinate and just go as wild as he pleases. But first, he was here to complete his first assignment.

"So, what do you say, fellow demon, Xi'an?" Ding hummed as he slowly pulled the sword out through telekinesis, so the demon dwelling within wouldn't try and possess him. Can't be too careful, after all. "On second thought, don't speak just yet. Let's take you back to our new master, first. He'll be very happy to have another one of his own on his side."

With that, Master Ding levitated away from the area where Xi'an's sword was kept, uncaring of the two rhino corpses he made when he made his way here.

Shen sighed in annoyance, as he reluctantly slurped a handful of noodles into his beak, with the most annoyed look in his eyes. Eyes which glared at the smiling Mr. Ping that was returning his gaze but with a more gentle and welcoming demeanor. The very fact that this goose of all people was giving him this look was baffling, as Shen certainly hasn't forgotten how badly Mr. Ping flipped out when he first saw that his son dismembered himself to save Shen's life. He very explicitly threatened grave harm upon Shen's being for forcing Po into that situation.

Now, he was serving him food as if they were friends.

He seriously can't get a good read on this goose. How does Fenghuang manage to do it?

Oh wait, not even she can do it sometimes. Despite how long she's known the goose by now.

Curses.

"You look like you have something to say, Shen. No need to be shy!" Mr. Ping smiles. Shen grumbled, turning his head away despite the fact that he was still slurping noodles into his beak.

"Nothing of importance. Just that I believe that your noodles are...acceptable." If Shen were able to, he'd personally hire Mr. Ping as his personal chef. Well, not that he needs to even now because Mr. Ping will cook for everyone regardless of status.

"Ah, I knew you would keep liking them! You're cheering up already!"

"I'm not 'cheering up', you're speaking nonsense." Shen groaned, unwilling to admit that he was indeed feeling slightly better about things. He'd be right embarrassed if he was even more angry than usual because he didn't eat.

There's no other thought that could make him blush as brightly. Well, aside from the sensation of Fenghuang tauntingly pressing her body against him...she completely and utterly dominated him and he couldn't do much about it except wait for her to release him.

And he didn't know how he felt about some scandalous part of his mind that wasn't entirely against the interaction. Nor the fact that the owl was surprisingly curvy despite the robes mostly hiding her figure. Not to mention the smooth silky feel of her feathers, and he didn't know if he could admit to getting lost in her blue eyes. Never mind the rather luscious sight and swell of her chest, which he felt the most when she pinned him-

Shen suddenly slurped even more noodles into his beak to break the line of thought that was popping up without his consent. He placed the bowl down.

"Please, might I have more? About two or three? Or maybe five?"

"Oh wow! I knew you were running on empty! There's no shame in admitting it you know! Anyways, here you go!" Ping smiles as he balanced a bowl of jokes atop his head as well as his wings, sliding all of them over to Shen. He proceeded to devour them, anything to distract him from his current train of thought.

What the heck were these thoughts anyway?! He has no need for them right now when he's trying to think about important things! They need to go away!

"Anyway...what do we intend to talk about regarding my...rather conflicting mindset?" Shen asked while wiping his beak, as Mr. Ping calmly goes to work.

"Well, I see it like this. You once tried to make yourself happy by taking it from others. Obviously that is wrong. But worse than that, it would have been ultimately pointless."

"I do not follow."

Mr. Ping lightly twirled his spoon. "Making yourself happy...is much like cooking."

"You use cooking comparisons a lot..."

"You see, when I see another chef cook something that I might be envious of, I don't believe that the first thought to come to my mind would be to literally take it from him and claim it as my creation. I might have a taste of two. And if tastes wonderful. Grand. Amazing, even!" He sighed while brushing several bits away with a wing. "And yet, the experience would be secondhand. I took it, I didn't make it."

Shen didn't know if he could really understand what Mr. Ping was trying to say, but the goose was sounding quite serious, so he stayed paying attention.

"I may enjoy the smell, the flavor, the texture, and more. But as a cook myself, I wouldn't be able to fully appreciate it because I didn't make it myself." Mr. Ping turned to Shen with another bowl in wings. "The difference between cooks sharing recipes with each other and one cook outright taking a recipe from another, is simple. When they share, they gain an understanding of how one another does things, in the hopes of see something that they can adapt to so they can further improve their cooking craft. But if it's outright stolen, there's little to be gained but the mere dish. There would be no truly understanding or appreciating it. No one truly gains anything. And thus, the experience would be extremely fleeting because I wouldn't be able to recreate it like they did, and I'd be right back where I started. If not even lower than before, because I now know the experience and have to endure the pain of never being able to replicate it."

Mr. Ping placed the bowl in front of Shen before looking him in the eye.

"In essence, your particular pursuit of your own happiness pushed you to throw compassion into the wind. When really, it's through compassion and cooperation that enhances our ability to create our own happiness, which has much more meaning than trying to take it from other people by force. Had you continued on the way you did, you would have ended up completely and utterly alone. Miserable and bitter, having severed your connections to everyone who's ever cared about you in pursuit of your own happiness at their expense. When you put all that together, what kind of victory is that?" Mr. Ping sighed once again, then looked at Shen once more. "Does that journey, with loneliness as the destination, sound familiar to you?"

Shen blinked blankly at this, wondering what the goose was going on about. Pursuing their own happiness while throwing compassion aside? Miserable and bitter? He had to admit, that very well could have happened, because he never considered what to do with all of that power if he actually managed to succeed in conquering China and possibly beyond. He would always seek out more, in desire to fill a cup that had no bottom. He couldn't stop, because that would mean he was wrong and he never needed to do all the horrible things he did. He didn't want to be wrong.

But he was indeed defeated, and was forced to confront the very idea that no, he didn't need to do all of that. And it ultimately might not have even been worth it in the end.

Still, he didn't quite get what Mr. Ping was getting at. The only one who could possibly match such a description was Fengh-

...Oh.

A young avian with great promise and potential, growing stronger and stronger, until that ambition began to take hold of them, darkness clutching onto their hearts. In pursuit of their dark ambition, they cast aside most who have ever cared for them, with nothing but their goals in sight. And the silent question of 'will all of this be worth it?' would linger quietly in the back of their minds, with no active attempt to answer them until someone pulls them out and forced them to do so.

He and Fenghuang had a deeper similarity than he thought they did. Except his wrongdoings far outnumber and outweigh hers. And while his fiery intensity burned all who tried getting too close, which included his own parents, Fenghuang banished herself to an icy mountain where no one would reach her nor want to find her, her heart having gone cold. And yet, where was so far their biggest intersect, that managed to cool down Shen's flames and warm up Fenghuang's heart?

Po.

And the one who raised him was standing right before his eyes.

Shen looked down at the table, realizing that through his thinking, he had already finished five bowls of noodles as well as the dumplings that accompanied them, like he asked for. He was slightly baffled by this, and even felt a little lethargic from eating so much. He swore he even saw that his stomach slightly distended from everything he ate. Then he realized.

The emptiness he usually felt, was not there.

He's never felt so full before. Not merely his stomach, either. It's just that a majority of the negative feelings welling up within him... dissipated. At least for the moment. He looked towards the gently smiling Mr. Ping.

"...Who are you?"

"Me? I'm just a mere noodle chef who lives to make his son and others happy. Though it would help if I kept expanding my culinary horizons a bit more. Don't wanna end up a one-trick goose! Having multiple skills on hand will be better for business in the long run!"

"A 'mere' noodle chef who managed to get the likes of Fenghuang swear to be one of his most devoted protectors?"

"Everyone else saw a menace that needed to be apprehended. I saw someone lonely, who was in dear need of a friend. And nothing cements a friendship faster than good food! So when Po eats in surplus, he wants to be surrounded by friends."

Shen thought of something else, due to seeing the radiance in Mr. Ping's eyes whenever he's gushing about his foster son. "You really do adore him, don't you? Do you not worry about the dangers your son faces?"

"Every day. Every time." Mr. Ping briefly takes off his hat and holds it within his wings. "That's one of the slightly more stressful things about being a devoted parent. No matter how big and strong they get, no matter how smart and wise they become, in the back of your head you'll always worry about them and fuss over them sometimes, because they're still your children." Mr. Ping gently placed his hat back onto his head. "Watching him head off to Gongmen after he told me to stay behind was one of the rare instances we actually, really argued and disagreed on something. I was worried something bad would happen to him, and he was worried I'd get caught in the crossfire. He must have instinctively known how serious that specific quest would be, even if his mind didn't catch up to the reason why. And we both ended up being right, to a degree."

Something about that statement made Shen think of his own parents, and how despair truly killed them when they had to banish him for his actions. He remembered being truly enraged at them and swearing vengeance for the perceived vengeance. Those were his last words to his parents. The last thing they heard him say to them is how much he hated them and would swear revenge. And yet, their deaths due to his banishing meant their final thoughts of him were grief and love.

Shen's heart clenched tightly at that, so much that he nearly lost his ability to breathe properly. Now he can't stop thinking of one other thing.

Soothsayer.

Was her constant attempts to push him away from his self-destructive path similar to Mr. Ping not wanting the panda to go to Gongmen while he was here? Most likely. Because it was prophesized that a warrior of black and white would eventually be his downfall.

Now Shen was beginning to believe she didn't actually mean the panda, but himself. Especially now that half his face was permanently scarred black. All the actions he took were self-destructive in the long run, and she could see his death at the very end of the path, and thus didn't want it to come to be. The panda stopped that from happening, at a cost.

Did Soothsayer know? Was she surprised, or did she see that possible path beforehand?

He tried to remember. What was the last major thing he actually heard from her? And the last major thing he said to her? What final exchange of words did they have which stood out above all else, before she was killed?

"Why do you care?!"

"Oh, I've always been like this. You just never paid attention."

Shen's heart suddenly clenched even tighter, and it took all of his willpower to not pass out or hyperventilate from the guilt.

She constantly annoyed him, and she was constantly annoyed with him, yet she still believed in him more than anyone else, even the panda. She fussed over him, which he brushed off. Tried to give him guidance, which he ignored. And forced him to eat when he stubbornly chose to starve rather than eat with someone he still considered an enemy. Everything she did for him was out of love and a desire to see him truly happy with his life, and he took all of that for granted.

He didn't deserve her. He had no idea just how truly precious she was to him, until he lost her. Now he was completely lost without her.

He began to wonder even more. Did she say anything? What were her final words? What were the last words to leave her lips before she was forcefully taken from this world? That curiosity began to haunt him. He'd truly give anything to know what was the last thing she said before she died, if she said anything at all. To go even further, he'd rather just have taken her place completely and wish her a happy life, because she certainly deserved it far more than he did. He imagined that after his death, she'd probably live the rest of her life in quiet serenity, before peacefully passing away surrounded by her friends, having lived a good and happy life doing the best she could.

That was cruelly taken away from her.

Forget his banishment, forget his defeat, and forget everything else. What he truly hated fate for, was that.

She resolutely put up with his stubbornness out of love, and a sincere desire to see him happy and content with his life. She believed in him more than anyone ever has and ever would, had more faith in him than he was worthy of, having more concern and compassion for him when almost everyone else would rather see him perish for his callous actions.

Yet her reward for all of that genuine and unbreakable, if strained, loyalty, was a cold and lonely death.

Shen already hated those thoughts before today, but now it's really sinking in. He was truly beginning to grasp how, to him, just how cruelly and completely unfair that was.

Before his mind collapsed, Mr. Ping fortunately brought his focus back to him.

"Happiness isn't taken, it's created and shared. And the more we're able to further improve ourselves, the greater our ability to do both of these things." Mr. Ping gently took Shen's wings, and looked him in the eyes. "Let's end our talk here. I want you to think about what I said. And when you're done, when you're calmed yourself enough, I want you to talk to Fenghuang again. She'll be able to help you with this part onwards better than I can alone." Mr. Ping let go of Shen, grabbed another bowl filled with food, and waddled away from the befuddled peacock.

Perhaps he was right. Maybe yet another talk with Fenghuang would help him get a better understanding on things, because he still can't help but feel a bit lost. Furthermore, he might gain a thing or two from another chat with her.

Because even more than her physical beauty, he begrudgingly admired her ability to soar through life, unburdened by crippling self-doubt and insecurity. A mindset she then passed onto her disciple. He wanted to know how they did it. Mr. Ping and the panda painted a good picture through their actions, but he wanted to hear it and experience it more directly from her.

*Burrp*

Shen's eyes widened as he quickly covered his beak. He looked around, desperately hoping that no one saw him or heard the vulgar eructation from him.

"Did that come from me?! I've never been so gr-*burrp*-oss before in my enti-*burrrp*-good lord! Make it st-*BURRRRRP!*"

On second thought, he'll first wait until this goes away. There was no way he was going to face Fenghuang while he was riddled with belches. He didn't need to give her MORE reasons to tease him or laugh at him, least of all over his lack of manners. Because he knows he won't be able to do anything about it.

He really shouldn't have eaten so much, because now he can't stop voicing just how full his belly was. And he was slightly horrified that he didn't mind it as much as he should, due to feeling like he could now eat even more.

"Curse that panda. His hunger AND lack of manners somehow became infectious...*burp*."

He went elsewhere to excuse himself, preferably where no one could hear him.

Though while he was passing by a few rooms, something curious reached his hearing.

"I do not know what the Emperor was thinking, inviting that creature..."

Shen briefly looked around to see where the source of the voice was, then looked upwards. Pang Bing was levitating above him, in a meditative position, deep in her thoughts. Even though she was voicing them aloud.

"What is he thinking? A Qilin, as his Royal Cook?" Pang Bing muttered as she caressed her head with worry. "Surely he should know what the appearance of a Qilin signifies. But it appears even the Qilin himself does not know. Is that why he brought him here? A wise yet simultaneously simple Qilin who wants to cook for people, will unknowingly bring about an unavoidable fate...not even the panda can defy this. And even if he could, he's not here to do so..."

Shen did recall that the panda and Mr. Ping also befriended a Qilin of all things. And as he recalled this, and with Qilin just casually serving meals to guests and friends, unknowing of what his appearance in proximity of the Emperor would cause, his own eyes slowly widened with a horrifying realization of exactly what that means.

"It's not over..."

The Emperor wasn't safe.

The Royal Family still wasn't safe.

"Alright, that ought to be enough for now."

Easy for Tai Lung to say, as he was mostly no worse for wear. Meanwhile, his nephew Peng was the only one capable of standing on his own feet, while Lian was on he butt, and Bian Zao was lying on his back...sleeping. All of the, were covered in bruises in various degrees, but the only one who was actually rendered unconscious was Bian Zao. And even then, Tai Lung had a feeling that the warthog was doing that on purpose so he wouldn't have to participate anymore.

Peng huffed as he reached over to help Lian up, brushing the dirt off of her shoulder. "Uncle truly is strong, huh Lian?"

"I was hoping to claw his eye out..."

"You came close several times. I can admit to that, at least." Tai Lung chuckled anxiously.

Bian Zao yawned as he slowly sits up, seeing that the felines have recovered before he was able to, which he already expected. "Is it over? Can you let me know, so I can go back to sleep?"

"You're very consistent with your low energy." Tai Lung muttered, genuinely impressed with just how much Bian Zao didn't want to continue with this, and would rather take an extended nap.

"Hey, Peng, Lian." Bian Zao yawned again as he walked up to the two felines, scratching his back. "Are we done here? You both punching each other out to make each other easier to be around? Because if you are, I want your help on something. I wanna make a cake for Dad whenever he gets back. I'll need the extra pair of paws, as well as Peng being seriously strong and stuff."

"D'aww, you wanna make your Dad something for his triumphant return?" Lian immediately cheered up, cooing as she wrapped a paw around Bian Zao's shoulder and poked his cheek. "Are you gonna share this cake with him as you two just hang out and do father-son stuff?"

"...Maybe I do, so what?" Bian Zao muttered, folding his arms with a soft blush on his face. "He'd better not get himself seriously hurt or something lame. I'd hate to have to help him recover, because he's really gonna ask a lot of me."

"Won't that count as spending quality time with him, though?"

"Maybe, but that's me taking care of him after he's been hurt. I don't want him to get hurt just so I can spend time with him." Bian Zao lightly rubbed his arm. "I wanna take a crack at being a better son to him. A lot of things happened, and it's really making me anxious whenever he's away, now."

Lian blinked. "You're really worried about your dad, huh?"

"I guess. It's lame, but I just want him to come back safely so this uneasy feeling goes away. He's going to a dangerous place, after all."

Peng smiled as he patted his shoulder. "Your dad is going to be fine, Bian Zao. He has plenty of good people backing him up."

Tai Lung simply watched Peng and Bian Zao interact. Bian Zao's father, Taotie, was once best friends with Shifu before Taotie was ultimately kicked out. Though through various trials and tribulations, the two have made up and became friends again. Now, Taotie simply wanted to use his mechanical know-how to help people rather than to simply prop himself up. And if need be, protect his comrades and his son. Like how he once built a prosthetic arm for Po, with help form Shen. It was a genuine act of helping someone out.

Until Po broke it.

Neither of them were happy about that, because it wasn't easy to build.

In any case, Bian Zao seemed relieved that his father reconnected with his old friend, and have made more. It made comfortable room for Bian Zao to make friends around his own age.

"Well, in any case, let's go bake those cakes! Gotta get them ready by the time your dad gets back, right?" Lian chirped as she pulled Bian Zao along by the arm.

"Ow. Be gentle, this arm is very delicate."

"Oh don't be such a drama queen."

Peng chuckled at the both of them, before briefly turning to Tai Lung and bowing. "Thank you for agreeing to spar, uncle." He then turned and ran to catch up with his friends. Tai Lung smiled at them, before it slowly descended into a frown once they vanished from sight.

Now he was left alone with his thoughts again, wrestling with them now that he no longer had a distraction.

Believing in his own strength...

Was that truly all it took to be the Dragon Warrior? Truly for real?

The panda himself strongly believed in his own power. He didn't seem to place much stock in being the Legendary Dragon Warrior. It's like nothing had changed with him. The only thing about it that brought him genuine concern was if Tigress would see him differently, because of her previous personal hatred towards it as a title because of what Tai Lung did to obtain it and the consequences of those actions. Otherwise, he simply didn't care about it any further. He's fine with being this supposed warrior, but also seemed content with the idea of not being that warrior. He didn't have much investment in the name itself. And Tai Lung was still having trouble coming to terms with that.

There's no secret or shortcut to gaining immense power. There's only our own determination to become the best version of us that we can be.

We shouldn't count on some grand secret to make ourselves stronger. The Dragon Scroll can keep it's 'limitless power'. I'll create my own. And my friends have that same potential.

Po seemed to sincerely believe in those words. And based on what he's seen from the panda action, he very much reinforced them through said actions. But he was still completely baffled by how nonchalantly Po brushed off being the supposed Dragon Warrior, while Tai Lung had grown up wanting that title for years, and having gone on a rampage when he was denied the Dragon Scroll. Well, now the Dragon Scroll was lost, and the actual Dragon Warrior didn't seem to mind being such at all. He had no strong feeling towards it either way. So now Tai Lung was left wondering, with a completely lost look in his eyes.

What was the point?

He looked down at his paw. The same paw that was scarred when Tigress had a knife stabbed through his and her own just to keep him close, and pounded away at him until he was ultimately defeated by her. With help from her comrades, which she did not deny. She likely had a scar on her own paw as well, which is also knife shaped. Yet, she barely gave it any thought. All she thought about was that she successfully protected her nephew from his, at the time, evil uncle. At the time, he was her evil brother.

He swore there's a story or two somewhere about older siblings and younger siblings opposing each other, with the former being evil and the latter being good. And through that battle, he feels he and Tigress might have experienced such themselves.

Tai Lung could say that he's still currently stronger, faster, more skilled, and an overall better fighter than she was. But if there was two things Tigress had become his better at by in leaps and bounds, without question, it's her terrifying tenacity, and taking hits. Her spirit was far stronger than his own, and that made her his better.

And it was thanks to being mentored by Shifu and being driven to protect Peng.

Shifu. Tigress. Peng. His father, sister, and nephew, respectively. Only one of them was blood related to him, but he still regarded them all as dearly precious.

Tai Lung's tail went still, his ears flat against his head as his eyes reflected in pain. He nearly killed his father, attacked his sister with murderous intent, and was fully intent on corrupting nephew. These wishes, which he acted upon, lied within the darkest pits of his heart, so they weren't falsified emotions. No, some part of him was truly like this.

And he both hated and feared it.

What would have happened if things hadn't progressed to this point? Would be have been locked in prison? Would be have opposed his sister and master still? Would someone have come along and eventually put him down when he was deemed too dangerous, thus indirectly preventing him from ever meeting his nephew?

Perhaps. But several things were clear.

Tai Lung had failed as a son, a brother, and an uncle all at once, and he couldn't stand knowing that it was mostly his own fault, even if outside interference made it worse. Shifu currently doesn't know how to approach him, Tigress no longer has any reason to genuinely trust him, and Peng was uncertain about how to truly feel about him, even if he sincerely tried to reach out.

He did all of that.

I was supposed to be their big hero. But instead, I might just be their most personally menacing villain. How am I supposed to recover from that?

"I spy a brooding kitty in my sight. Might be be interested in a chat?"

Tai Lung nearly swung his fist towards the unexpected voice behind him, but it was gracefully deflected to the side with a gentle push of a wing. Fenghuang was gazing coolly towards him.

"Fenghuang? What are you doing here?"

"Seeing you just sitting there wondering what the hell you're supposed to do is getting on my damn nerves, so I'm gonna have to intervene."

"What do you mean?"

"I was going to go for the 'he has to figure this out himself' thing like Oogway tended to do...but screw that. You can't improve yourself if you don't know where you're faltering, and I don't feel like watching you unintentionally screw everyone over trying to figure it out. So we're gonna do this my way. " Fenghuang walked up to him and poked his chest with a feather finger. "What exactly did you expect to happen when you seemingly open the Dragon Scroll, hm? Do tell me. I'd love to know. Consider this owl's curiosity peaked."

Tai Lung briefly most his mouth, then closed it, looking off to the side. "I..."

"No, wait. Don't tell me, I think I know this one. You wanted to become the physically most powerful Kung Fu Warrior in China. Why? Did you seriously think that anybody would just write down the secret to limitless power on a scroll like that? You actually thought it was gonna be that easy?"

Tai Lung clenched his fists. "I don't know. I just wanted to prove myself worthy."

"Worthy of what? His love?"

Tai Lung unclenched his fists and sighed. "I didn't think I was worthy of it. And that I would stay that way until I fulfilled my destiny. At least...that's what I thought."

"You had a loving father, a little sister that absolutely adored you, a whole Valley that once admired you as a hero, and you STILL didn't think you were worthy enough?" Fenghuang blinked. "Even now, deep down, you seriously don't think you're worth a damn, do you?"

Tai Lung lowered his head. "I didn't think I was before. And after what happened more recently, I definitely don't think so now. There's a darkness in me that wanted to corrupt my only nephew, and my younger sister and her friends had to stop me. Our bond is more fractured than ever." Tai Lung's tail drooped, as well as his ears. "I'm...no longer worthy of having one with either of them."

Fenghuang blinked. This was more serious than she expected. Actually, she did expect it, but she could see that he genuinely couldn't process all of the change going on around him, both good and bad. Especially since he greatly contributed to the bad against his will. The most recent events have done massive damage to his self-esteem, which was low enough to begin with, even though he covered it with bravado.

He can't fight this feeling with his fists. She had a feeling he already tried. This was a matter of his spiritual self, which was pathetically weak. His utter lack of self-worth was going to seriously cripple him. Or worse, get him killed. Good fortune only goes so far for people like him.

Shifu loved his son, dearly loved his son, but it was clear to the owl that his parenting techniques were sorely lacking at the time, because this wouldn't have even been an issue if he had spotted the cracks sooner and corrected them before they got too severe.

Fenghuang lightly preened her her feathers while thinking this over. She was going to have to deal with this herself, since most who could give him what he needed are either too afraid of him or too angry with him, and Master Yao was mostly doing his own thing. Peng was trying to connect with his uncle and help him, bless the boy, but he's not going to be able to help with this anymore than being supportive. It was far out of his ability to deal with in great amounts, but she will respect the idea that he tried. Alas, she would have to do it.

The owl master took a deep breath, and sighed.

"You pitiful little kitten."

Tai Lung's head snapped up in surprise. "What?!"

Fenghuang moved closer to him. "It's very true that Shifu holds some accountability for how you ended up, because he didn't temper the pride and ambition he built in you, nor did he notice-and thus help fix-the insecurity festering underneath all of your bravado. But that doesn't mean you're not culpable for your own actions. You felt betrayed by them, but then you went and betrayed everyone. Because you were denied something you were convinced was yours. Just like I did."

Tai Lung was surprised at the last statement. He never seriously thought of it that way.

"Honestly, I don't blame you entirely for feeling like Shifu betrayed you. I always felt that Shifu out of all of us relied too much on Oogway for a lot of things, having himself been raised by him, essentially. So he rarely if ever actually went against most of his decisions. However, that's where his fault ends, and yours began. If Oogway didn't think you were worthy of being Dragon Warrior before, you definitely proved his point through your destructive temper tantrum across the Valley of Peace."

The snow leopard shrunk greatly under the owl's calm yet criticizing gaze. She didn't relent, however. Most of what she said, she needed him to hear and acknowledge. He already knew, but he actually needed to hear it from someone who had little bias towards either side of his situation.

"Tell me something. If Tigress didn't walk in on the both of you that night, would you have seriously killed Shifu in order to obtain the Dragon Scroll?" Fenghuang asked him, watching something freeze in his eyes. Then she saw horrified uncertainty well up in his eyes.

"...I...I don't know."

"You don't know if you hardened your heart enough that night to be willing to murder your father? Would you have done it if innocent little Tigress didn't walk in on you and wonder why a monster seemingly replaced her brother? She might have saved you both that night, because that would have erased any and all paths of possible atonement off the map. Were you prepared to deal with the consequences of that choice?"

"I. Don't. Know." Tai Lung growled, his tail lashing with anger. Fenghuang was unrelenting, however. Merciless.

"Even if you had succeeded, what then? You would killed your own father, when simply attacking and crippling him has already smeared your name in dishonor. You might have gotten the scroll, but no one would have accepted you. At best, you would have been taken down by Oogway shortly after and you'd be locked in prison for the rest of your life, if he doesn't outright kill you himself. Or you'd have been banished from the Valley of Peace forever, with everyone in China cursing your name. Either way, you also would have killed the man who filled Tigress's eyes with hope again, when she's been so painfully alone before. Were you prepared to shoulder these burdens? Were you prepared to be shunned, hated, and if need be, destroyed? Were you prepared to be responsible for being the one who took away Tigress's hope?"

"I DON'T KNOW!" This time, Tai Lung roared out his uncertainty, only for Fenghuang to quash his fearsome presence by stomping her foot hard enough for the ground to crater splinter around them, threateningly raising her wings as her eyes filled with irritation.

"Then what do you know?! If you weren't prepared to face the consequences of your actions, then you shouldn't have taken them so far in the first place!"

Tai Lung stepped back, in what he hated to admit was fear, as the owl's menacing aura almost completely crushed his own in a burst of anger of her own. She was glaring at him intently, as if he were prey about to be snatched up in her talons, her feathers having risen up erratically to give her a nearly feral look. Though eventually, he managed to collect himself and look back at her.

"Are you talking about yourself, Shen, or me?"

"...All of the above." Fenghuang calmed herself, sighing as she tucked her wings and turned away from him. "But compared to you two, my crimes are paltry, which matches my rather pathetic drive at the time. You two felt betrayed by your parents, which drove you to do horrific things while thinking you were in the right. I just wanted to be in charge of the Jade Palace because I thought I deserved it by being stronger than everyone there...everyone but Oogway, that is. All that ambition got me is my ass being kicked and fleeing to the Northern Mountains, where I was frozen both by the cold of the weather, and the cold fear of Oogway potentially coming to put me down for good. I couldn't escape the frozen prison I placed myself in."

Tai Lung blinked, seeing an hearing her sigh while hiding her face in her wings. "So, what happened?"

"I let two complete idiots into my cold frozen heart, that's what happened." Fenghuang scoffed, and Tai Lung guessed she was referring to Po and Mr. Ping.

"That easy, huh?"

"After I saved Po, they welcomed me with open arms and warm food. They were just so disgustingly nice to me. I tried to brush it off but I simply wasn't able to. Being showered with so much compassion, and them standing up for me against those that can effortlessly swat them aside? I cannot deny that I grew fond of them. Having grown protective of them both and having been briefly smitten with Mr. Ping during our training journey, I can no longer deny that they've become important parts of my life."

"Back up, you were what?"

"Unless you want your tongue cut out, you'll immediately forget that slip of mine and never mention it to him. Ever." Fenghuang threatened quietly.

"R-Right...

Now that she's gotten a majority of her scolding out of the way, Fenghuang sighed. "I see a bit of myself in you, which is probably why your pathetic mewling pisses me off. I used to think that physical power, external strength, was all that mattered as well." She closed her eyes. "But now I know where a path pursuing power for the sake of power ultimately leads you. It's cold at the top of a mountain. You're the strongest, you'll stand at the top, but you'll be alone and in fear of someone or something eventually putting you down due to the many lines and people you've crossed to get there."

Tai Lung have crossed his family once. A father that loved him and a sister that adored him. As the years went by, he did indeed come to the conclusion that attacking Shifu for the scroll was well and truly not worth losing the warmth they both provided. Now he can't even fully repent for his actions, because the Valley of Peace was no more. He only has them to remember it by, now.

"Power without a purpose is meaningless and worthless. But a purpose that is firm can give you the potential to do anything. This is something me, you, and Mr. Prince had in common. We all desired great strength, great power, but didn't think past what we'd actually do with it. What were you going to do with limitless power? What was I going to do as Ruler of the Jade Palace? What was Mr. Prince going to do after he conquered China? We tried to avoid these questions and focus on the goal, but now that they're genuinely impossible, we're forced to confront why we wanted these things in the first place, and whether it would have been worth it or not." Fenghuang sighed as she lightly flapped her wings. "Then we have some who created a purpose to their accumulating power and strength, even if it wasn't their intention. Allow me to list Five examples."

"You're talking about them, aren't you?" Tai Lung raised his head to see Fenghuang nod.

"You have Mantis, who can demonstrate that even the smallest people can leave the biggest impacts. Monkey, who can demonstrate that there's sometimes there's shining gold hidden within the trash, you just have to look for it. Viper, who's becoming the newest example of how benevolent reptiles, especially snakes, can truly be, and may very well surpass her father in kindness and Fu-Xi in strength. Crane, who demonstrates that even someone as fragile as he was from the day he was born, can become someone truly powerful. And finally, your beloved sister, Tigress." Fenghuang locked eyes with Tai Lung. "Even monsters can have feelings. They can love and be loved. They can protect, and have someone who wants to protect them. She's taken that monstrous strength and puts it to use for the sake of protecting her comrades and the defenseless. Being a monster doesn't always automatically mean you're evil." Fenghuang nodded. "These are some of the things that drives them. In their own ways, they seek to become shining examples of Kung Fu, and how that excellence can come from the most unexpected of people and places. You can ask them yourself if you don't believe me. But from an outside perspective, they each make sense, do they not?"

The feline listened as the owl listed these things, and found a deep sense of fondness welling up in him once she went over Tigress. She had really, truly come a long way. Though, there was still one thing on his mind, the thing that started this discussion, which has now become a lecture for him, in the first place.

"What about your disciple, Po? For what purpose does he place within the power he possesses? You've trained him, so surely aside from his father, you would know better than anyone."

"To protect his friends and their dreams." Fenghuang said honestly. "It's a simple desire, but Po has been a lonely boy when I met him, with his fellow villagers treating him unkindly, with few friends to his name before hitting it off with Tigress and Fung. It's rather understandable that he'd want many friends, and thus grow very protective of them, and vice versa. All he's ever done and wanted to do is protect the lives and dreams of his cherished ones. That's his way of staying true to himself and those he cares about, which has become an especially shared drive amongst himself and the Five. And now, everyone is calling him the Dragon Warrior for it."

The muscular snow leopard blinked at this, and a rather strange thought occurred to him. Given how he's seen them all act before, he could honestly believe they they really didn't intend to do these things, to become examples of what others could be, and what kinds of examples they were showing themselves to be. They simply followed their heart's desires and kept each other safe.

How in the world does one take the fact that they were unintentionally becoming massive inspirations for those that pay attention to their actions?

"I say all of this for a reason. You already have everything you need to be a mighty warrior, everything you need to atone for what you've done to your family, and everything you need to become the best you can be. That is what Kung Fu is about, after all. Excellence of Self. Something I finally remember, after watching those kids." Fenghuang huffed. "So stop standing around brooding, you stupid cat. I have to deal with that enough with Mr. Prince, and he's a much worse case than you, for several reasons. You actually feel bad for how terribly things went wrong, then do something about it and prove it with actions." Fenghuang turned, preparing to take off.

"Wait. Do you really believe I can do it?" The owl paused at the question, and turned her head around to stare at the snow leopard.

"It's not about whether I or anyone else believes you can do it. You have to believe you can do it." Fenghuang voiced quietly, as she turned her head towards the skies. "Abandon everyone's expectations of you, abandon your desire for outward validation for your worth. It has become nothing more than a pointless burden that limits your true potential and your ability to succeed. Only Tai Lung can decide who Tai Lung is, nobody and nothing else." She gently opened her wings. "If you keep looking outwards for that potential instead of inwards, you'll never be able to advance further than you're at now. Knowing yourself is true wisdom, and mastering yourself is true power." Fenghuang turned towards Tai Lung again as she tucked her wings, and smirked. "Kung Fu means 'Excellence of Self', after all."

Tai Lung blinked as the owl's words managed to stick to his mind. It really was beginning to dawn upon him now. Back then, damn near everyone believed in him and admired him, but he still didn't believe in himself. And no one could do that for him, but himself. It was such a simple answer, yet he saw completely past that for the supposed glory and power.

He hated it when that happens, when there was such a simple answer yet it gets completely missed.

He still had a long way to go, it seems.

With a heavy sigh, Tai Lung palmed his fist and bowed to the owl. "I appreciate you helping me with insight, Master Fenghuang."

"Don't mention it."

They were both surprised by the sound of clapping resounding throughout the area. And not only that, but the sudden heavy feeling of sheer malevolence radiating throughout the area. Tai Lung stumbled, while Fenghuang could barely stay focused.

W-What is this? What is this malice?!

"Excellent mentoring session. Could have cut a few parts here and there, but overall? Not bad, not bad at all."

Tai Lung turned towards the sound of the voice, only to see a pig within his field of view. A pig wearing an orange and yellow robe with a small matching hat. He was standing there idly, with a condescending smirk on his face.

"Well? I patiently provided you an audience. Is it so hard to return the favor? Isn't anyone going to welcome Ke-Pa?"

Ke-Pa? Who the hell is that? Tai Lung thought. "Hey, you have idea what this geezer is talking about, Feng-" He turned towards the owl, only to stop cold at her face.

She was staring at the pig with widened eyes and a dropped beak, and he swore he saw her beginning to break into a brief panic. Tai Lung was immediately recognizing the urgency. He had never seen her like this before.

"Ke-Pa...?! But how? How are you here?!" Fenghuang questioned, only to immediately recall an answer. "The Peach Tree!"

"Got it in one! You're such a smart owl! Yes, it seems that the Peach Tree is finally reaching it's last legs. Too bad so sad, because mine are getting more powerful than ever." The pig chuckled softly, though Fenghuang was still very much on guard. Tai Lung, for the most part, still appeared unimpressed.

"Tch, what are you speaking high and mighty for? I don't know who you a-"

"Cease, foolish child!" Fenghuang seethed at him, which fully snapped him out of his bluster. He was looking at the owl wide-eyed, wondering what exactly was going on. "That pig form is a mere vessel for what lurks inside. The Demon King!"

"THANK YOU! Geez, I shouldn't be so excited by someone actually knowing me. What happened to my rep? I seriously have to earn that back? What a hassle." Ke-Pa smirked. "Guess I'll have to really work to restore my presence across China. Hmm...I think I'll start with this huge area. The Emperor lives here, correct? As well as the matter of...you." Ke-Pa gazed at Fenghuang with a malevolent glint in his eye. "A comrade of mine has a bit of beef with you and your generation of the Furious Five, so while I sent him ahead to do a little errand for me, I think I'll personally have you suffer."

"Comrade? What comrade are you tal-"

Fenghuang suddenly screeched. Her wings immediately covered the right side of her face, which was beginning to bleed profusely.

"Fenghuang?! What happened?!" Tai Lung was immediately by her side, trying to figure out what had just happened. After the initial screech, Fenghuang was calmly collecting herself, even though her angered heavy breathing made it quite known that she was in intense pain. As she lowered her wings, it became instantly clear why there was so much blood coming from the right side of her face.

Her right eye wasn't there anymore.

Tai Lung's head snapped back to the pig known as Ke-Pa, who had a levitating eyeball above his paw. He smirked darkly as he playfully had it float in front of the right side of his face.

"What's wrong? You didn't see that coming?"

...

I do believe that things are about to escalate rather quickly...