Warning. Pretty much the shortest chapter in this story so far. But that is my intention, because the next chapter is one of great mischief and somewhat amusing situations. It's bound to be much longer, I assure you. But for now, I hope the shortest chapter of this story doesn't do very terribly.

Don't hate me too much for me, alright?

Lu Kang was slowly walking along a path, with Zan sitting atop his head and holding onto his horns. They weren't completely aware of what was going on and what was meant to transpire in the future, which was quickly approaching. Lu Kang was wondering what his dear grandfather was up to. For the past few months, he's been acting strangely. His aunt wasn't saying anything either, and he knew that she too, knew something he might want to know. He wasn't exactly sure what was it that he might need to know, but he was sure that something was going to happen, and he didn't know what or why. He gets those kinds of feelings, sometimes for no reason.

Thoug he wouldn't show his ever-growing worry to his dear cousin Zan. Zan was very young, and very happy. As well as highly optimistic for someone his age. He was a very friendly child, and there was no reason for him to be sad because of his cousin's small worries that might not even be real. Lu Kang has assured himself that if there was anything he was good at aside from reaching pickles, it was protecting his cousin's smile from anything and everything...even if he was not strong enough to back up his determination. And this was something that his grandfather has been trying to teach him as desparately as he possibly could. What good is determination if you didn't have the power and strength to enforce it? Lu Kang never allowed himself to answer. His grandfather would then sigh, and leave the conversation alone for another day.

They have been continuing this cycle ever since he turned eighteen. He was now twenty-two, and he still has not provided an answer for his grandfather. At the very least, not a straight one. This immense hesitance and his grandfather's constant pressuring has caused them to distance themselves from each other. Fortunately it's not enough for them to start hating one another, but it still leaves things very tense between them.

Lu Kang has been having a difficult time relaxing due to this very subject always interrupting his focus. He was really glad that he had his aunt and cousin to help him through periods of time like those. He was really unsure if he would be able to endure this as strongly as he was able to if he didn't have those two by his side. He really didn't have the spirit to become Emperor. Maybe he did have it, and he just didn't know how to make it emerge. Nor did he know how long it would take.

Zan cheerfully bounced upon his head, bringing those negative thoughts out of foucs for the time being. Right. He couldn't be sad with Zan in his presence, he'll be able to sense it the moment it appears. So he had to keep himself in a good mood so that he wouldn't worry the young goose so much.

I really don't want to worry him so much. He's the last person I want to worry.

Lu Kang was going down the path so that he could get some flour for the Royal Cook to use to cook later. And he wasn't going to use his status as Emperor's grandson just to get them for free. They tended to do this out of the kindness of their hearts, but his kindness far surpasses theirs. Never has he taken his family status for granted, nor has he ever taken advaantage of it. He's paid for whatever he had to go out and buy, just like everyone else tended to do. Though he would sometime's allow his clumsiness to really screw things up, and a few shops would end p with large messes due to the aftermath. No one has ever held it against him, he's been a very clumsy guy for the longest of times, even when he was a child. The people love him regardless of this flaw.

That's what has him the most likely candidate for the position of Emperor. after many years of having strict rulers, it would be a nice thought to have someone who's at least slightly more lenient. But they know that isn't likely to happen, not with the way China was now. It was just a nice thought to have a nicer Emperor, more willing to give second chances to the ones who most likely deserves it. Which is why they would like to have Lu Kang grow stronger. A strong and kind leader is what China deserves, and the current Emperor feels like he can no longer effectively fulfull that role.

The pressure was too much for him to bear, sometimes.

"Lu Kang...are you sad...?" Zan asked suddenlt, looking into his eyes as he lowered himself to face level. Lu Kang gasped slightly out of suprise, and he nearly dropped the flour he was supposed to be getting back home.

"No, Zan. I'm fine. There's nothing for you to worry about." Lu Kang gently shook his head as he kept the goose balanced on his head. "I was lucky you managed to snap me out of it when you did, I nearly dropped the flour on the ground, and we know how much that would have been terrible for me. Heheh~" He chuckled lightly as he rubbed his neck with his free hand. Zang scanned him in a manner that didn't seem to match the face of an innocent child. His curiosity and concern was very immense, and not always easy to calm. Though once he was sure that Lu Kang was being perfectly honest, his worries lessened and he was able to smile a bit more calmly. "Yeah...I'm fine. There's no need for you to worry about me too. I have enough of that in the palace."

"I'm sowwy..."

"No, don't be sorry! That was my own bad." He lifted his hand again and lightly patted Zan on the head. He couldn't expect Zan to fully understand the implications of what's going on, but he seems to have some sort of inherent sense of when something was bothering any of his loved ones. He would then try his very best to make it better, even though he wouldn't have any idea of how to fix certain problems. Everyone would be moved by his efforts to try and keep everyone happy, and won't tolerate anyone causing pain to anyone either. He would have been a pretty amazing Emperor if he were at the appropriate age. However, Lu Kang wouldn't want him to accept that kind of burden, even if it would make his own life easier. It was getting more and more complex the deeper he thought about it. He didn't want to accept the burden so readily, but he also didn't want to deny the position and risk letting everyone down.

His mind has been in a very difficult place ever since the subject has persistently revived itself. Especially with the most recent development surrounding the subject...

"Grandfather...you're going to what...?!" Lu Kang asked, his face somewhat twisted into shock as his grandfather relayed what the future eventws would be. After hearing it up to three times for precise and effective understanding, it was incredibly clear tht he had extraordinarily high confusions about the matter, and the extremes that his grandfather was willing to go to in order to have his way. "Grandfather...is this what you're seriously trying to do in order to get me to become Emperor...?"

"It has become painfully clear, Lu Kang. No matter what we've tried and no matter how hard, we just cannot get you to take the mantle seriously. We can also tell that you're genuinely trying to your best to make the effort. But there's nothing we can say or do to pursue this with all of your heart and soul. No one else can become my successor, but every time we've tried to motivate you, we've been met with failure. So I've made some considerations, and we've decided that this was the best course of action."

"Is...is it really...?"

"...it isn't that I don't acknowledge your effort to understand, Lu Kang. That's more than enough for me to be proud of you. But I can tell than nothing we've done has been reaching you. So we're having this tournament for that one reason. To find the one person who CAN reach out to you and help you reach the inner strength required to become Emperor. Your heart is kind, and I will not consider that a weakness by any means. However...should anything happen and you cannot protect yourself or protect our people...do you see where I'm going with this, Lu Kang...?"

Lu Kang sighed as he lowered his head before his grandfather. "Well...if that is what you truly think is best for me...then I'll have to accept it as it is. I don't have a choice..."

The Emperor sighed as he walked up to Lu Kang and placed his hand upon his head. "I really wish it didn't have to come to this, Lu Kang. But the time we have is very low, as well as options that will benefit us in a meaningful way. But since I know that you're truly trying, I cannot fault you."

"...I'm sorry that I let you down, grandfather. You shouldn't have to resort to something like this just to shape me up as your successor."

The Emperor immediately pulled the younger water buffalo into a hug, closing his eyes. "Lu Kang...I cannot stress this enough. You are many special things. Not all of them are good things. But I absolutely cannot abide to you calling yourself a failure. You are far from that, you will NEVER be that. I didn't mean to give you that kind of implication. I apologize greatly for this. You know I love you and our family more than anything else, which is why I'm trying whatever I can to make you that you can take care of them and protect them, as much as I can. I know you have the desire to get stronger, but for some reason it isn't powerful enough to get the desired results. Someone from this event will be the one to bring out that untapped potential, because I've accepted that it's not going to be me."

Lu Kang sighed as he returned the hug. "Again...I'm sorry, grandfather."

"Once again, you didn't let me down, Lu Kang. It's more like...I've let YOU down..."

"It really is a difficult thing, dealing with all of this. Grandfather is having this freakishly huge tournament just to find someone who can help me find my inner strength...I'll be causing trouble for a lot of people just because I don't have the drive needed to become Emperor...nor do I have the strength to even maintain that drive even if I had it..." Lu Kang mumbled as he continued making his way home, his shadows covering his eyes. "I can't keep looking down on myself...but I just can't hekp but think how everyone is going to have a big fuss over me becoming Emperor, and giving me the strength to keep it...Kung Fu Masters...how will any of them be able to help me, even if one of them did win?" Once again, Zan sensed that Lu Kang was having troubled thoughts, and was working on helping him feel better once again. Lu kang shook his head as he gazed at the skies and wondered.

An even better question...what kind of person would be able to help someone like me...?

(Simultaneously...)

"ACHOO!" Po sneezed as he wiped his nose and readjusted his hat to keep it balanced.

"Panda? I hope you're not coming down with something." Fenghuang asked, turning her head towards him as the rest of the group moved behind the both of them.

Po shook his head and sniffled a bit. "Nah, it's nothing. I just got a strange feeling all of a sudden..."

"How strange of a feeling we talking here? Is it gonna get us into even more trouble than before? Because I don't think that my heart will be able to take it, you know!" Crane said hurriedly, flapping his wings. Mei Ling gently calmed him down by patting his wings, laughing uneasily.

"No, of course not. It isn't anything like that. I just...got a feeling that something super important is gonna happen...aside from this whole tournament thing." Po said with a relaxed sigh. "I mean...it's just my curiosity runnin' wild and all that...wonder what all of the other Kung Fu Masters that will come to this thing will be like. How strong they'll be...how strong I'll be to them...I do think I'm pretty strong, though. Just sayin'."

"I think it's a bit too early to be wondering about things like that, Po." Shifu said as he kept his hood over his head. "Until Fenghuang and i make direct contact with the Emperor, we shouldn't allow our faces to be seen. However, I really hope that all of you can be much more careful than me or Fenghuang. The risk the two of us are taking are much more than the rest of you young ones. So I'll have to ask all of you to be very careful regardless of what might happen to us. So Po...be careful."

"Okay!"

"I mean it Po. I'm asking you to be. Careful."

"Sure!"

"...You're just saying that, aren't you?" Shifu deadpanned as Po continued to walk cheerfuly ahead.

Fung sighed as rubbed his forehead. "Po. I'm being super serious right now, dude. Don't do anything too stupid. Do NOT do anything stupid, to the extent that hell will rain down upon us like hellfire. I swear, you're going to be the death of us if you keep going on with that! Gahri isn't ready for your kind of chaos."

"You got it pal!~"

Po was now stuck in a choke-hold after saying that line too cheerfully, and he tried to pry him off as best as he could. Fung grinded his teeth together in irritation. "GET SERIOUS, DAMN YOU!"

"...Yep. Like I said before. We're all going to die." Ox deadpanned while facepalming. He, Rhino, and Croc were taking big enough risks just by leaving Gongmen City to attend this event. But now with the unpredictability of this group that they've temporarily aligned themselves with, they're bound to be running into a lot of trouble. It didn't help that Rhino wasn't bothered by it at all. Instead he seemed to be enjoying himself, calling it a change of pace from the company he usually has. Croc only found this slightly offensive. He usually thought he was pretty good company to have...

Fenghuang huffed as she kept her hood over her head as well. "Hmph. You underestimate these brats, Ox. You've sen what they can do. In fact, they're grown pretty powerful from getting themselves in tight situations. They're gonna be in for quite a surprise once they see them in action. I'll rub it in their faces with how much of a good job we've done with them. Their jaws will strike the floor like they've never seen before! I've prove to them that I didn't need to give a damn about their statuses in order to keep being one of the strongest Kung Fu Masters ever!"

Po grinned as he gazed back at Fenghuang cheerfully. "You're really fired up about this, Master. That's good, so am I!"

"That's right. I'm excited about how much ass we're gonna kick!" She said as she clenched her wing tightly. "This is gonna be one of your greatest times to shine, Panda. Letting me down is NOT an option! Ya hear me?!"

"I HEAR YA LOUD AND CLEAR, MA'AM!"

"THAT'S WHAT I WANTED TO HEAR!"

Tigress sighed as she watched the panda and owl energize one another, their eyes turning into menacing stars. Monkey and Mantis were getting slightly unnerved by this, while she herself found herself curious. She had thought about how Fenghuang considered herself to be coddling Po a bit too much due to her protectiveness. As a response, she wondered closely about the owl's relationship to the panda. Such a cheerful person has such a dark past. His mother was killed by Shen-someone she has an intense desire to keep an eye on, yet respects Po's wishes-and his father was nowhere to be found. Mr. Ping has been doing well enough as Po's adopted father. And Fenghuang. She's obviously his powerful mentor. But...

I wonder if she ever thought of herself as his moth-

"We're here." Shifu said suddenly as the group approached the edge of the border, seeing the large city ahead of them.

Monkey's jaw dropped immensely as he saw the large city for himself. "Wooooooah! This city is much larger than Gingmen City! Looks like it carries a lot more wealth too!"

I realize that I might find that a bit offensive... Shen groaned mentally.

Shifu closed his eyes as the wind began to blow. It's been such a long time since he's been here. And he's come here without his title. That makes him a target, and a marked enemy to the other Masters. A disgrace. An embarassment to Kung Fu Masters everywhere. No doubt others would use this to taunt him and degrade him. Some might even react with violence and try to kill him to purify the name of the Jade Palace, and Master Oogway.

...the key word is try.