Author's Note: Hey people! First story of the new year! Fingers crossed that this year is better than the last. Anyways, this chapter will be a bit more light-hearted than the last one, with some more interaction from the furious five as a whole.

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN KFP (What a waste of words)

Enjoy.

Looking Past the Fear

In the midst of this dark deception, the luminescent shine of the moon's delicate light beams down towards the yellow river. This evangelical spotlight is mirrored by the tranquil water, enveloping the channel in the night guardian's enchanting splendour. With dutiful care, a medium-sized sailboat glides across the water, barely causing a ripple in river's reflection of the moon. Blue sails flow through the air, almost completely blending in with the night sky and putting the modest wooden frame of the boat to shame.

In spite of its modesty however, the ship's interior manages to house not only the captain of this vessel, but it also has enough capacity to fit the Jade palace masters too. Further within the interior is the vessel's kitchen where all seven masters sit around the table, jovial banter filling the air as they eat another one of Po's scrumptious meals. Shifu and Po sit on opposite ends of the table with Crane and Viper sitting together on its right side, directly in front of Monkey and Mantis. In spite of offering the feline to take his seat, Tigress had refused her panda's offer and insisted on standing up as she ate. Even if the ceiling is just a tad too low for her size, forcing her to hunch her head down a bit.

It has been two days since they have ventured off to the forbidden city. Two days' worth of anxiousness and worry sitting deep within the Jade palace masters. Though it was never spoken or particularly obvious, Viper, Monkey and Mantis had noticed this fear surrounding them from the minute they had left. So naturally, they saw to try and calm their friends down, to hold off their worries for the time being. Judging by the joyous expressions and witty remarks passed around the table, it seems to be working.

Jade orbs shine with their usual fanboy flair as Po asks with excitement evident in his voice, "D'you think the emperor would let me try on his robes?" This earns a few subdued chortles from his comrades, with the two pranksters in particular finding it especially difficult to hold back their laughter.

An unimpressed expression lines the weathered face of the grandmaster sitting across from the dragon warrior, "No, Po. I doubt he would give you permission to do such a thing." Though he does appreciate his students managing to find some kind of joy within these turbulent times, the sheer ridiculousness of the panda's question has him fairly worried. Let's hope he can act professional in front of the emperor. Just because he has come to terms with the dragon warrior's more… unconventional way of presenting himself doesn't mean the emperor will.

"Besides," Monkey stops himself for a split second, almost bursting into laughter before he can even deliver his joke, "I don't think he'd have anything in your size anyway." Right after saying this, him and Mantis explode into a giggling fit whilst the panda master lightly scoffs and rolls his eyes with a small smile on his face. A joke about his weight isn't particularly original but the panda easily brushes that aside, the image of him stuffed in a tight-fitting regal robe certainly having its funny side.

Sky blue eyes, however, look to the duo in annoyance, "Now that was just rude, Monkey." This hiss doesn't deter the best friends laughing across from her, causing the snake to humph in further irritation.

"I mean, they're not entirely wrong." A meek response exits the beak of her avian confidant, making the serpent snap her head over to him. Noticing her miffed expression, yellow orbs can only respond with a confused look, "What?"

In the middle of all this, Tigress merely shakes her head with her signature small smile littered on her face as she eats her spicy dumplings. She had barely uttered a word throughout their entire conversation. Not because she felt left out or anything, she just prefers to listen. Whether it be part of an important meeting or simple, friendly banter, she has always found more value in listening closely rather than speaking constantly.

Mantis clears his throat, the insect finally managing to compose himself from his laughing fit. He gazes into his almost empty bowl of noodles as his mind thinks back to a passing thought that he had the day before. The phoenix warrior. A mystery that had almost completely faded from his mind thanks to the ever-building concerns of master Oogway and the emperor. Just the fact that this mission is so important, that it holds the fate of the whole if China in their hands made him remember something from almost a week ago. Well… Maybe… Maybe Oogway wanted us to find it right now. Y'know? Like maybe the universe told him that this scroll was meant to be found by us after we found the Zhanshi clan.

Perhaps, they need the phoenix warrior's help now. Maybe this elusive figure is integral to saving the whole of China. After all, the prophecy had said just this. Hazel orbs finally take themselves away from the remaining noodle broth as Mantis announces, "Y'know guys, I've been thinking-

"Wow, first time for everything." A sly remark exits Tigress' maw, making the entire room erupt in laughter, with even master Shifu gaining a tiny grin on his face as Mantis gives a deadpan look to the culprit. She responds to him with a mischievous smile as the feline nonchalantly places another dumpling in her mouth.

"Um, ouch." He comments as his comrades' mirth begins to die down a bit, "Anyways, I've been thinking… What if Po is right about the phoenix warrior?" After posing this question, the room fills with a contemplative silence as Tigress thinks back to the amber scroll packed in her travel bag. With recent events, this mystery had practically become a footnote in her memory, but she has to admit, he does raise a good point.

Jade orbs, however, look to the insect master in befuddlement, "Wait, right about what?"

Noting the genuine confusion in his panda friend's tone, Mantis immediately jogs his memory, "Y'know, when you said that we were like meant to find this scroll now… Maybe, we actually need the phoenix warrior to help us." Soon the dragon warrior's eyes gain a spark of wonder, the panda's previous speculation about this warrior popping back into his head.

"Okay, but what makes you think we'll find this warrior in the forbidden city?" A speculative inquiry comes from master Crane, his countenance maintaining a disbelieving distinction.

Throwing his pincers up in the air with a dumbfounded expression, Mantis can only answer with, "I dunno, maybe they'll… pop up in front us?" Crane and Monkey give the insect a questioning glance, not at all surprised by his lack of an answer to this question.

A thoughtful hum exits the reserved tiger master as places her chopsticks in her empty bowl, "It's not too big of a stretch." Yellow orbs widen as the avian master looks to his feline comrade, baffled by how that can be true, "Let's not forget that the dragon warrior appeared in front of us in a 'ball of fire', as it were." Amber orbs look to the panda sitting at the head of the table, gaining a loving glint as he looks back to her. "And ever since then, China has been indebted to him." A bashful smile surges onto Po's face from this compliment whilst his tiger continues, "So, I think it's fair to say that anything can happen." This banishes the bird and langur warriors' speculative looks, leading Mantis to nod in thanks to his tiger sister-in-arms.

With this new discussion of the phoenix warrior, Po's spark of excitement grows into a lightning storm of glee, so many possibilities of who they could be or what they could do. So awesome! Tigress notices her panda's joyful rumination immediately, her smile widening at his childish yet endearing tendencies. "Do you guys think that the phoenix warrior can breathe fire, or heal people with their tears? Ooh, ooh, what if they can come back from the dead? *gasp* That would be the coolest thing ever!"

Seeing her panda brother's inner fanboy brimming within his eyes, Viper flashes him a bright smile. Even though he has managed to go against the odds so many times, somehow the panda keeps his humility. Somehow, he doesn't let his pride get the better of him. "Well, if they're anything like you, Po, then I think China is in good hands." Her sweet comment forces a meek chuckle from the panda, making him hunch his shoulders a bit out of embarrassment.

Revelling at her love's adorable response to this praise, Tigress puts her bowl down on the table and approaches Po. "Now, now, Viper. I doubt anyone is capable of matching the power of the dragon warrior." Her soft, affectionate timbre tingles the panda's ears as she hugs him from behind and rests her head on top of his.

"C'mon, Tigress." A bashful whine exits the dragon warrior's mouth, still not finding it within himself to be able to accept such high praise so easily. Somehow, Viper's smile grows even wider at the sight of the cute couple, adoring how sweet the two are together whilst Crane and Mantis let out quiet chuckles at their embarrassed friend. A miniscule smile finds its way onto Shifu's face, happy that his daughter could finally let herself loose for once. He goes to finish his final bean bun until…

"Oh, better head out before they start doing it on the table."

Monkey's quip forces all eyes to widen, leaving the room in complete silence for a brief second. That is until Mantis explodes into a hysterical fit of laughter, the insect rolling on the table in the process of his uncontrollable mirth. "Monkey!" The serpent master immediately reprimands her langur comrade, who simply gives her cheeky chuckle and heads out of the kitchen. She tuts at the mischievous primate before turning to her avian confidant, his yellow orbs staring at his food with a glimmer of disgust within.

"I don't feel like eating anymore." Crane mutters, not at all appreciating his comrade's lewd innuendo in the middle of dinner out of all times.

Tink.

Pathetically dropping his chopsticks into his bowl, still containing a single bean bun, Shifu murmurs back in his usual gruff tone, "I second that." Granted, he expected those suggestive comments to come from either Monkey or Mantis at some point. Still makes him sick to his stomach though. Just imagining his daughter doing… that never ceases to make the grandmaster shudder.

Before this chilling image can linger in his head for any longer, the red panda's steely eyes look back towards the head of the table, noting the extreme embarrassment littered on his daughter's face as the dragon warrior still in her grasp gazes at her with equally embarrassed but mirthful eyes. In an attempt to snap her out of this, Po lightly caresses her paw and kisses it. Amber orbs shift towards said panda, the tiger's humiliation fading as she gazes at her love's eyes. Brimming within those jade orbs that have been so kind to her is nothing but his sweet, innocent affection. Something that never fails to make her heart soar. She responds to his loving action by hugging him tighter and rubbing her cheek onto his, eliciting an affectionate chuckle from the panda.

Seeing the two warriors enrapturing themselves in their blissful company, Viper glances at Shifu, Crane and Mantis, all of them silently agreeing to let the couple have some alone time. As they make their way out of the kitchen however, the grandmaster stops for a brief moment. Ever since Oogway had given his haunting omen to the red panda, he had been thinking deeply about something. Something important that he needed to say. Something that he wanted to speak to Tigress about the day they had received the emperor's message. But as he heard the turmoil brewing within his daughter's heart, he had to push this thought to the back of his mind. He had hoped that maybe he could speak to her today before they reached the imperial city.

Blue orbs look back to the tiger and panda, a soft smile finding its way onto the elder master's face as he identifies the pure, unfiltered joy simmering in his daughter's fiery eyes and the unparalleled admiration present in Po's goofy grin. I think it can wait. His mind concludes as he leaves the two to their own devices.

Alongside her two brothers-in-arms, Viper slithers towards down the corridor of the ship's interior until they finally reach their cramped yet cosy accommodation for the night. Four doors are on each side of the corridor, with the jade palace masters deciding beforehand to order it the same way as they would back home. A bright smile takes up the serpent master's face as she wishes her comrades, "Good night." Before heading into his room, Mantis gives his sister a quick salute as Crane stays behind for just a bit longer. Sky blue stares into yellow for a few moments before the avian warrior gives his snake confidant a cheerful smile. She reciprocates the action as the bird heads inside his bedroom, leaving the snake to do the same until something peculiar catches her eye. Down the end of the corridor leading out to the boat's stern side sits Monkey, his back facing her.

Her face scrunches up in confusion as she closes her door and slithers towards her langur comrade. Upon coming closer to the simian, the snake master's eyes fill with awe as she looks at the moon in all of its iridescent glory. Such a pretty sight to see and all they had done was sit in the interior all cooped up. She shakes off this glee however, putting her focus back on her comrade sitting by the edge of the boat.

Usually, mischievous blue eyes stare into the relatively still waters of the yellow river, the langur's despondent expression reflecting in the flowing mirror. His downcast expression soon lightens as he hears his serpent friend sliding across the floor behind him. Of course, she would try to see if he's okay. When has she ever not done that? Monkey's lip quirks up as his cheeky disposition returns, albeit only slightly. "I'm guessing you came out here to say how disgusting my joke was, huh?" He jokes as he shifts his gaze over to the dark blue horizon, feeling a deep sense of calm at the enchanting skies.

"No…" Viper trails off, only to find it impossible not to reprimand her simian brother, "I mean, it was very crude." A chuckle escapes Monkey's mouth as his snake sister sits down beside him, her face welling with concern. Though his usual fun-loving demeanour remains in him, she is able to notice a speck of worry hiding in his blue eyes. "But, no… I was just wondering why you aren't heading to bed."

In response to this inquiry, the langur master gives a half-hearted shrug before jokingly replying, "The water looks nice…?"

"Monkey, please." Her gentle, motherly tone makes the simian turn to face her. A sea of empathy fills her blue eyes, wordlessly delivering a message of comfort and safety to him. Those eyes snake their way into the very depths of his soul, kindly requesting to brighten whatever darkness lies within. At seeing his sister's endlessly caring orbs, the primate's face drops from its mirth, unveiling the fear that had seeped its way into him.

Waves of confusion take up his countenance as he shifts his focus back onto the perpetual horizon, those dark skies having practically no end. "I don't know, I…" A sombre tone finds its way into the simian as he searches for the best way to vocalise his haze of confused worry. "I feel like this mission… I feel like something isn't right about it, y'know? Like something bad is going to happen and I don't even know what it could be."

Viper furrows her eyebrows as she looks within herself, having felt this familiar anxiety the second Tigress had experienced her nightmare, "I know what you mean. I'm worried too, but why didn't you say anything?"

"Why didn't you?" This question catches the serpent off-guard as her primate brother looks to her. They gaze at each other in silence, their eyes exchanging wordless messages of understanding. After a few seconds of this silence, Monkey explains, "Everyone else feels the same, so what's the point in making it worse?" His voice adopts a morose tone as Viper's expression takes on his despondence.

In their efforts to keep their friends happy, they've been ignoring their own fears. Something that may help for a while but will never eradicate that fear completely. Attempting to make light of their anxiety, the serpent master playfully mutters "Laughter is the best medicine, right?"

Monkey lets out a practically empty chuckle, nodding at her sentiment. Deep down however, is a different story. "Usually it is." His snake sister's smile vanishes at this comment as the langur looks deep down within his soul, realising just how little his joking has helped in soothing his worry. Once he had heard of Tigress' nightmare, the idea of them losing everything had burrowed its way into his mind for nearly a week. It had almost become a reality when they fought Nuba. "You guys… are the only family I have left…" Viper looks at her brother with an insurmountable amount of pity and empathy as his voice shrivels down to a whisper, "I can't lose you… I can't…"

Sky blue eyes wither in their empathy, melting into despair as the snake delicately wraps her tail around the langur's paw. Feeling this, Monkey carefully grips her paw, trying to burn out their terror with a flame of empathy. If only it were that easy. "It's hard to be in the present when the future looks so bleak." A distraught whisper seeps out of Viper's mouth as she stares into the calming river.

Desperately wanting to eliminate their overwhelming anxiety, a mischievous glint finds its way into the langur master's eyes as he slyly dunks his free paw in the river. "Yeah, especially when it looks so wet."

Her countenance morphs from its sad state to one of pure befuddlement, "What?"

Splash!

Before she can even comprehend what is happening, Monkey tosses a handful of river water straight into his serpent sister's face. After blinking several times, Viper slowly turns to her langur friend, seeing him holding his paws over his face to try and reign himself in. As soon as they make eye contact however, he bursts into a giggling fit. Realising this is meant to be his way of cheering her up, a bright smile slowly snakes its way onto her face as she playfully warns him, "Monkey."

Within a split second of her warning, Monkey runs away to the other side of the ship. She lets out a small chuckle before going after him. They banish their fear as they chase each other around the exterior of the ship, their laughter echoing into the night as the moon smiles upon them with glee.

About time we have a tension breaker don't we? Next chapter things will start to get moving and believe me, it will not get any easier for the furious five and Po. Let me tell you that. I hope you've enjoyed this one, until next time :)