A/n This chapter will include a character from Legends of Awesomesness. It's not my favorite version of Kung fu Panda but I liked the character so I wanted to include him. I also want to make something perfectly clear: The opinions and thoughts in this Chapter are not all the author's thoughts. Some parts are just a reflection of life. And of course, I want to thank everyone who has reviewed so far, it really encourages me. This chapter is dedicated to my father who was a major Kung Fu Panda fan. Passed away June 7 six years ago. The song in this chapter is the verison of "Always There" from Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp's Adventure.I recommend watching the song on youtube, it's beautiful.

Chapter 4 Facing the Music

The following moring Faith woke up completely refreshed. And even though she had been in the world of Kung Fu Panda for a little while, she still thought that she would awake up in the morning to find that it was all a dream.Though so far every time Faith woke up she was still in a new glorious part of the fanastical world of Kung Fu Panda. But she wondered and not for the first time, what she was doing there.

Oogway was ready to go. He had laid Faith's new clothes out for her the night before. Faith had been so exhausted the night before she hadn't even noticed what kind of clothes they were. The outfit was a beautiful qipao similar to the outfit Tigress wore in the third movie.There was also a pair of sandals to replace Faith's shoes which had become worn from her journey so far. As Faith dressed she wondered how much Oogway had spent on her account. Although she had to admit that the qipao was beautiful. Sky blue in color mostly, with golden colored lilies on the sleeves. The qipao really complimented her eye color too. Faith took another bath in order to feel fresh in her new clothes. Though if Faith had been paying attention to her necklace, which had also been laid out with the rest of her clothes, she would have noticed a strange new glow in it.

Faith had just finished dressing when Oogway knocked on the door. He asked if she was ready to go. Faith said she was. And Oogway came in.

"My, my, don't you look lovely?" Oogway remarked. "I thought the outfit would look good on you but seeing you in it, I think it makes you even more beautiful than you already are."

Faith blushed at the compliment. "I'm not beautiful. This belongs on someone like an Empress or some other government official who's female."

Oogway looked sympathetically at his traveling companion. After a moment he sighed. "Growing up you were made fun of a lot, weren't you?"

Faith didn't verbally answer at first, she just nodded. After allowing herself a small cry while Oogway gave her a much needed comforting hug she explained what was wrong.

"Whenever I use to dress up as a child, the other kids used to say 'What's a beautiful dress like that doing on a cripple? It belongs on a beautiful girl not you.' Stuff like that has really caused me to have a low self-esteem."

"Some people do not think about the lasting effect of their words. It can scar a kid for life." Oogway remarked.

"Like the Head Caretaker of the Bao Gu Orphanage calling the young Tigress a 'monster'?" asked Faith.

"Exactly." Said Oogway. "The more people try to follow the crowd or try to mold someone into what they someone to be. Or into what they believe them to be. Now come along, we have a lot of traveling today."

Faith was surprised that Oogway was not going to have breakfast at the Inn. She sure was hungry enough to eat a huge breakfast right then and there, but since Oogway had been delayed probably double the normal amount of time it would have taken him to get home because of her. So she didn't complain. When Faith tried to leave the night shirt she had been given the Innkeeper said that it was hers to keep. And Oogway already had a traveling satchel ready for the remainder of the trip. Faith was glad she had something to put her new belongings in, but once again it begged the question:

'How much did Oogway actually know?'

AsThey didn't eat breakfast at the Inn, Oogway had to explain that he wanted to get closer to the Jade Palace before eating. and Faith didn't argue since Oogway had helped her immensely since her arrival. That and she had a pretty good idea of where they were going to eat.

Turns out hunches can be right. Because after another half hour of traveling they finally made it to The Valley of Peace. And Oogway had Faith follow him into Mr. Ping's Noodle Shop. It honestly didn't look like anything special, or something you'd write home about if you could, but it had a down to earth feel and the delicious smell of Mr. Ping's 'Secret' Ingredient Soup to lure customers in. And Faith could tell Mr. Ping was a no nonsense type of business owner as he dealt with his many different costumers.

Some were polite, some were funny, some were sweet, and then there were those who didn't think that Mr. Ping should be raising a young giant panda.One of the latter costumers was a pig who seemed to like making the young 3 year old panda feel bad about being around his father.

It was as Mr. Ping was greeting Master Oogway and inquiring about his traveling companion that the pig said to Po:

"Hey kid, you still eating the goose out of house and home? What are you doing out here anyway? The messes you make spoil my friends and I good mood and appetite for your 'father's' good food."

"'I'm just trying to help." Po said in a tearful voice.

"You can help by getting your fat butt away from every costumer!" exclaimed the pig. "And start getting some brains in your head about where you belong, if you have any!"

At those words Po ran back into the kitchen to cry. Mr. Ping was about to give the rude pig and his friends a piece of his mind, when Oogway blocked Mr. Ping's way to the table with his cane.

"My friend Xinyang and I will deal with these jokers. You go and comfort your son." Oogway advises the Goose. Mr. Ping is upset at the costumers but he is more more concerned for his son head off to the kitchen to try and comfort his son.

"Why did you give that young panda child such a hard time?" Oogway asked the rude costumers. Faith was barely containing her anger because she can guess what the customer's problem is.

"That brat is the only panda in the village." The Pig remarks. "It's wonder that the. goose can make a profit. That kid eats too much. And if he eats anywhere near the costumers they lose their appetite. The goose would have done better to adopt another goose, duck, or bunny. What in world was Mr. Ping thinking adopting that kid?"

"Why does everyone here want things to be normal?!" Faith exclaimed. "You just mentioned that people can adopt people who are different from each other, but when someone does something out of the norm, you criticize their decision!"

Oogway sensing that another sore spot had been struck with his young friend asked:

"Why did you say that Xinyang?"

"Because these people think that family is one thing when it can be a lot things!" Faith exclaimed.

"Like what?" The Pig retorted.

Faith saw a rabbit wjth a pipa ( which is a four string chinese guitar) and asked if she could borrow it. The rabbit was interested in what this strange creature was up to so he let Faith borrow it. As Faith was tuning the instrument noticed the pegs were making odd clicking noises. Once she was finished she launched into a soft ballad.

Always there to warm you in the winter

always there with shelter from the rain

always there to caught you when your falling

always there to stand you up again...

Family

at the same time Faith was singing the next verse at Mr. Ping's restaunt Tigress was thinking about it in The Bao Gu Orphanage.

By your side in seconds if you ask it

arms out wide to welcome you to stay

near enough to listen to your heart song

always there to help you on your way...

family

back at the restaurant Mr. Ping caught the melody and took a verse. All while comforting his son. Holding Po in his wings.

What is a family?

Caring and devoted hearts

Faith smiles and sings

With endless love to share...

then together with Mr. Ping

Love that will follow you everywhere

Faith

Always there to welcome you in winter

Tigress

What is a family?

Mr. Ping

Arms out wide to welcome you to stay

Faith

Right by your side

Faith and Tigress

Near enough to your heart song

Oogway

Always there to help you on your way...

family

Tigress

Always there..

Faith

family...

Mr. Ping

Family...

Then everyone together

Family

After the final note is strum Faith speaks frankly.

"You don't have to look like each other to care and love each other. So don't judge others by what you say or do. Because life is hard enough."

Mr. Ping was grateful to Faith or Xinyang as Oogway was referring to Faith as.He was so happy that he gave her and Oogway a free bowl of noodle soup, which is admittedly extremely delicious, and some fresh bean buns. And Faith also got a cute bear hug from Po. And Mr. Ping said that anytime she wanted a free meal she was welcome to it although it was in a whisper. And when Faith tried to return the pipa to the rabbit but he said she could keep it.

The thing that took the two travelers the longest time after saying goodbye to Mr. Ping and his son was getting up the thousand steps of the Jade Palace. But Oogway was once again impressed by Faith's determination to be independent in getting to wherever she was going.

The climb was obviously hard for her due to her disabilities, and when Oogway offered to some of the Palace servant carry her the rest of the way. But Faith respectfully declined. Explaining that she had to use to climbing the stairs. But she did ask why Oogway built the Jade Palace on a mountain with a thousand steps.

"Two reasons: 1) it gives a good view if there is an attack, and 2) this..."

He gave a Faith a hand for the last steps. Then turned her around. And Faith's eyes widened. What laid before her was the entire Valley of Peace bathed in the last rays of sunlight. It was breathtaking to say the least. But the peace was broken by shouts coming from within the Palace.

"I wish Oogway would return already! I don't why he had to take such terrible actions is beyond me!" This was Shifu talking about Tai-Lung's jail sentence.

"Well perhaps if you had done things differently this wouldn't have happened." said calm but stern while trying to kind.

Faith was surprised because she knew the voice. It was Master Chao. And Oogway opened the giant doors of The Jade Palace and greet the lizard and the red panda. But as he was trying to greet them Shifu shouted:

"You took my son away and brought back a new monster?!" Shifu exclaimed. As Chao was surprised by the appearance of a creature no one ever saw. This was going to take a lot of explaining.

Closing A/n ok so Shifu wasn't in the chapter that much. But you wait for the next chapter he'll sure have a lot then. Stay safe everyone.