Chapter 15

Po hit the floor after he was tipped out of the broken palanquin, by this time the pig servants were almost struggling to hold him up any longer. "Wait a second!" Po called as he got back up on his feet. Cheers of the crowd of villagers that followed him up still sounded off behind him as the staff quickly bowed out of the room, shutting the door behind him, "you got the wrong-" SLAM! "Guy..." he glanced beside him, to find Azure, who was by his side on the way up- now gone. "Hello?" Po knocked on the door when trying to pull them open failed him. "Uh... lady? I think there's been a slight mistake. Everybody seems to think that I'm, uh..."

He slowly turned, and his eyes widen in realization, moaning in pure amazement. "The Sacred Hall of Warriors! No way!" He observed the green glowed that laced itself long every pillar, and faded into the marble floors. Candles loitered the room on different places, with many stands that held weapons and armry. "Look at this place!"

"Amazing isn't it?" Po looked to the right, and saw Jian leaning against the door, paws behind his back, while his tail swished about as his left leg crossed over the other. "You haven't seen anything like it before..."

"Jian! Where did you-"

"That's not important." Po noticed him frowning a little as he straightened himself up.

"What's important is that I made it... right?" Po muttered awkwardly, before Jian focused on him. At first nothing was said in response... before Jian laughed, much to Po's confusion.

"That's one way to make an entrance... Dragon Warrior." Jian shook his head, still smiling as Po started observing the room.

"Can I?" He dipped his head in the direction where all the displays were, and Jian waved a paw dismissively.

"I'm not stopping you," he replied, "just don't touch anything," and watched Po sprint towards a suit of armor, fingers waving in the air above it, afraid to touch off of it, after Jian told him not to.

"Master Flying Rhino's armor. With authentic battle damage!" His head moved to another direction, and he saw another one! A magnificat sword with green engravings of a dragon. "Whoa... the Sword of Heroes!" His reflection blurred along the grey steel, but his eyes remained heavily focused on the dragon design. "Said to be so sharp you can cut yourself just by looking— OW!" His finger shook quickly in the air before he sucked on it, but before he could check for the damage, he ran to an 'empty' display. "The Invisible Trident of Destiny!" A painting hung near-by, and his jaw nearly hit the floor. "I've only seen paintings of that painting..."

He continued to joyfully bounce about and examine more artifacts, crying out in pure delight, while Jian strolled down the aisle between the pillars, watching the panda gawping at everything around them... before his eyes fell to an urn. He gasped so dramatically, he nearly stopped breathing completely. "Nooo! Ohhhh!" He grinded to a rapid halt in front of object, studying it with brief head twitches from one side to the next. Jian watched on with a soft chuckle passing his teeth; he had seen Po excitedly talk about Kung Fu before, but now he was like a child waking up to a pile of birthday presents he was anticipating on receiving for weeks. "The Legendary Urn of Whispering Warriors... said to contain the souls of the entire Tenshu Army!" A moment of hesitation led on to him leaning in, almost wanting to pick it up, but he restrained himself, and just whispered, "hello?"

"Have you finished sight-seeing?" THE URN WAS TALKING TO HIM?! HOW AWESOME WAS THAT!

Jian, however, turned to where the voice was coming from, and paused where he stood. "Uh, Po-"

"Sorry! I should have come to see you first!"

A sigh. "My patience is wearing thin."

Po frowned, unsure of how to react. "Oh."

"Po that's not the-"

"Well, I mean, it's not like you were going anywhere." He scoffed before glancing at Jian, pointing at the urn. "Get a load of this..."

"Do turn around." The 'urn' said again.

"Sure." Turning his head, and saw Master Shifu stood far from him. "Hey, how's it going?" He said, before looking back at the urn. "Now how do you get five hund- Master Shifu!" Startled, his arm flailed out to stop himself from stumbling, and in his clumsiness, the urn was knocked off the display, a ghostly wail rising from the pieces of pottery as it shattered. Wincing, he made broken eye contact with the red Panda. "Someone... broke that." They were the only ones in the room, and Shifu just stared at him in silence, while Po tried to brush the pieces into his paws. "But I'm going to fix it. Do you have some glue?..." the urn's display fell over, and hit his head. "Ow! Ooh. Splinter." Jian's paw pinched the bridge of his nose, shaking his head.

"So," Shifu glared at Jian, who just sent back with a 'what gives?' Kind of expression as his paw drew away from his face. "This... friend of yours, is the legendary Dragon Warrior?"

"Uh..." A voice interrupted their eye contact, and the red panda's ears twitched in annoyance, and he looked back at Po. "I guess so?" Po was still balanced on his knee when popped in with shrugged shoulders, before Jian could speak.

"Wrong!" Shifu's abruptness caused him to stand up, backing away slightly in alarm. "You are not the Dragon Warrior. You will never be the Dragon Warrior until you have learned the secret of the Dragon Scroll." He used his staff to point up at the ceiling, and there Po saw the scroll in the dragon's mouth.

"Whoa... So how does this work? You have a ladder or trampoline or..."

Shifu chuckled coldly. "You think it's that easy? That I'm just going to hand you the secret to limitless power?" His glare sent a sensation of stiffness sticking along Po's shoulders.

"No, I-" Jian paws curled into neat, hard fists as he watched his Master approach the large panda.

"One must first master the highest level of kung fu." Shifu stated firmly, as he went down the steps , "and that is clearly impossible if that one is someone like you." He started circling him, studying him critically up and down.

"Someone like me?" Po darted his eyes over to Jian quickly.

"Yes. Look at you!" He disappeared behind Po, before whacking and prodding him on various parts of his body with the staff, each time making Po cry out. "This fat butt. Flabby arms!"

"Ouch! Those flabby parts are sensitive-"

"And this ridiculous belly, and utter disregard for personal hygiene..."

"Hey, that's a little uncalled for-"

Shifu leaned back in disgust, his head twisted away from him. "Don't stand that close, I can smell your breath..."

Jian moved in, gritting his teeth. "I believe these comments are unnecessary, Master Shifu."

"Yeah!" Po joined, but the old Master didn't turn to face his student, and kept staring the Panda down. "Master Oogway said that I was the-" Po had a finger outstretched while speaking, and Shifu suddenly had hold of it, lifting his pinky. Jian stared in shock, while Po gasped and sank to his knees in horror. "The Wuxi Finger Hold! Not the Wuxi Finger Hold!"

"So you know this hold?" Shifu spoke stealthily.

"Developed by Master Wuxi in the third dynasty. Yes!"

"Then you must know what happens when I flex my pinky..."

"You wouldn't!" Jian growled.

Shifu paid him no attention, and tightened his grip. "You know the hardest part of this? The hardest part... is cleaning up afterwards." Po was about to start shrieking, sinking back down to his knees, and another cold chuckle came out, but Jian was stopped before he could step in.

"That's enough Master Shifu," Jian turned around, making the other two turn to also find Azure walking towards them. Her paws linked with one another as she walked closer, stopping beside her brother. "Master Oogway wants the panda to feel welcome..." Jian looked back at Shifu, looking quite smug with his sister's intervention; she wasn't under his teachings anymore, so he had no control over her. Shifu was letting her words sink in, before he noticed the male leopards tactics. "The Furious Five are in the Training Hall awaiting for your arrival, Dragon Warrior," she bowed respectfully with a smile, before she motioned them all to follow her.

Shifu looked back up at Po when Azure started walking out with Jian. "Now listen closely, panda." He whispered. "Oogway may have picked you, but when I'm through with you, I promise you: You're going to wish he hadn't! Are we clear?"

"We're clear! We're clear! We are so clear."

"Good," he let go of Po's finger, smirking as he watched him cradle his paw. Strolling off, with his own paws behind his back, another evil smile stretched across his face. "I can't wait to get started..."


A door was pushed open, and Shifu led Azure, Jian, and Po into the Training Hall. Nothing too exciting for the twins; this was part of Jian's daily routine his entire life, while only play a small part of Azure's, but Po was totally speechless as they observed the Furious Five combating the various deadly stages of the course.

Crane was deflecting arrows while balancing on half of a jade-colored turtle shell without breaking a sweat, before Tigress leaps onto the shell and briefly sparred with him, adapting to the duration of sudden one on one combat very quickly. Meanwhile, Mantis wove his way through an army of wooden crocodile warriors without a single flaw, while Viper evaded fire spurts on the Field of Fiery Death, diving, slithering, and jumping effortlessly. Monkey swung across across the seven-talon rings, kicking and punching the air, before flying through the final ring.

Tigress was suddenly on the first part of the course right in front of the gawping panda; a section of swinging spiked clubs that she punched, swiped, dodged, while jumping and keeping her balance on spinning logs beneath her feet, designed as serpents.

If there was one thing Azure missed about the Valley of Peace- apart from her brother and the five- it was the Training Hall. When she was little, she would be up at the crack of dawn to watch Tigress- before the eventual union of the five, train before her lessons with Shifu- Jian would join her, because Master Shifu wanted them to see what they could do with plenty of practice and hard work in years to come. There was that sense of familiarity whenever she was here; despite Gongmen City being her calling, nothing would beat being back in the first home she ever knew, and her heart still flutters with anticipation and excitement to see what the Five would do next, the same it had always done... and looking at Po she knew he was feeling the same, just from a first timers perspective.

"Watch it-" she and Jian moved out of the way just in time; Tigress had smashed one of the clubs into smithereens with her bare fists, and a piece of the club was coming her way. Unfortunately, Po didn't get the memo, and was struck in the head.

"Ow!" His rubbed the spot tentatively in a brief frame of distraction, before Shifu spoke up confidently.

"Let's begin."

"Wait wait wait! What?" A string of fire hissed from the Field of Firey Death, and Po stared on fearfully. "Now?" He whispered timidly.

"Yes, now." Shifu looked up at him, his paws collected under his draping sleeves. "Unless you think that the great Oogway was wrong, and you are not the Dragon Warrior?..."

Jian sensed sarcasm, and frowned. "Oh, okay." Po said, the tips of both index fingers bouncing off of one another. "Well... I don't know if I can do all of those moves..." He motioned towards the course sheepishly, while Shifu laughed.

"Well, if we don't try, we'll never know, will we?" He began walking along the sidelines, and Jian motioned Po to follow him encouragingly.

"Uh, yeah. It's just—" Po was close behind Shifu, while he and Azure fell behind. "Maybe we can find something more suited to my level..."

"And what level is that?" Shifu kept going, not turning his head to look at him.

"Well, ya know... I'm not a master, but uh," Shifu's frown was shielded by his back facing Po the entire time. "Let's just start at zero. Level Zero."

Shifu laughed, this time it wasn't unwelcoming, but actually sincere- amused. "There is no such thing as Level Zero," he replied, twisting his upper body to face them. Jian scoped out the room, trying to figure out where Po could begin- however, he was outrun by Po pointing and heading over to a friend-looking bandit dummy.

"Hey! Maybe I can start with that!"

"That?" Shifu said. "We use that for training children, and propping the door open when it's hot."

Azure smiled. "It would be good for a start, I don't see why he can't..." In that moment, the Furious Five gathered up around them, and Po was trying to cover his excitement, which was seeping through his words.

"Whoa. The Furious Five," he said dreamily. "You're so much bigger than your action figures — except for you, Mantis. You're about the same..." Master Mantis just glared at him, as his antennae twitched, before glancing up at Jian, who just didn't meet his gaze.

"Go ahead, panda." Shifu stood in front of the Five, while Azure and Jian remained behind Po. "Show us what you can do." Us?

Po hesitated, realizing that the five weren't moving from where they stood, and Jian and Azure took a step back to give him space. Twitching his eyes from them, to the course, back to them, and then at Jian, he spoke softly. "Um, are they going to watch, or should I just wait until they get back to work or something?..."

"They will stay put. Proceed." Shifu ordered firmly.

"Okay. I mean I just ate, so I'm still digesting." He patted his round belly. "So my kung fu might not be as good as... later on..."

No one was buying it, and Jian could feel his cheeks burning as his arms crossed behind his back. "Just hit it Po..." he whispered.

"Alright..." Po muttered, before turning to the dummy, glaring at it. "Whatcha got? You got nothin' 'cause I got it right here. You picking on my friends?" Pointing at the five, he started dancing on the spot. Jian pinched the bridge of his nose again, praying for the ground to open up and swallow him whole.

This.

Minute.

"Get ready to feel the thunder." He kept going. "I'm comin' at ya with the crazy feet. Whatcha gonna do about my crazy feet?" The dummy remained still. "I'm a blur. I'm a blur. You never seen bear style, you only seen praying Mantis! OR... I could come at you Monkey style." Monkey raised his eyebrows when he started making primate sounds.

"Would you hit it!?" Shifu spat impatiently, which Po stopped his dancing immediately. Taking a deep, but steady breath, he hit the dummy- ever so lightly, that it rocked about gently before grinding to a halt.

"Try again Po." Azure said encouragingly. "Just... a little more... oof."

Okay, Po thought. What damage could it cause? It doesn't have any feelings, right? Nodding confidently, Po bopped the dummy square in the face, knocking it backwards.

"How's tha— OOF!" The dummy bounced off the wall, and whacked Po, and he went flying backwards and into the training course. A tooth tapped along the ground in front of Jian's feet, but before he, or Azure even tried to move a muscle, Shifu held out both arms to stop them, or any of the Five to help him instinctively. They all exchanged confused glances, while Shifu watched on with a wicked smile as Po struggled to balance himself on the serpent logs that Tigress made it out to be so easy to do. Yelling out complete gibberish and he moved this way and that, they all watched as spiky clubs started swinging around him. Each time he dodged them, until he slipped and caught himself in a painful split. "Ow! Oh, that hurts!"

Before he tried to move himself, he saw a club- the non-spiky side clobbering him in the face, and sending him flying across the room, and into the turtle bowl, where he rattled around aimlessly like a pinball. Each impact against the surface sent out an 'ouch', or an 'ooh', while the five winced.

"This'll be easier than I thought..." Shifu said softly to Monkey, whose face just twisted into an blank expression, unsure how to respond. Jian didn't hear what Shifu said, but glared at him all the same.

"That isn't what I meant..." Azure muttered, as Jian held his head in panic.

"Master," Tigress got his attention briefly. "He's going to get hurt-" Jian tried moving in front, but Shifu raised a paw to him so sharply, Jian jumped back like he had a weapon in hand.

"Don't even try me." He said warningly. Azure's eyes widened a little, while Tigress was a little taken aback. The rest of the five were briefly distracted by his tone, before moving their attention back to Po, who was still calling out in pain. "He will learn the hard way."

"What way is that? Death?!" Jian said sarcastically, but Azure got a grip of his arm to stop him trying to move again. As much as she didn't want to, she pulled him back and shook her head when he glared at her. "What're you doing?!"

"I wouldn't," Jian's face just fell into a look of discombobulation, "trust me..."

The bowl spat Po out, and right into the path of the wooden warriors Mantis exercised with earlier, whacking every part of his body- his head, his arms, his back, legs, stomach- "Ow, those are hard! Ooh! I think I—" One sends a fatal blow to his crotch, and he hit the ground. "Oooohoohoo... my tenders." He whimpered. All the males, baring Shifu, visibly winced- Jian and Monkey taking one step further by crossing their legs a little, sucking air through the gaps of their teeth as they watch him struggle to get up... and get pummeled all over again, pushing and shoving him along until he eventually got out... and into the Field of Fiery Death. "Uh oh."

Reflections of fire illuminated the walls as Po got singed. Yelling at each fiery deliverance, the Master's winced, cringed and looked away, until he finally came crawling towards them, dazed, burnt, and a little tuft of fur on his head remained aflame. "How did I do?" He gasped for breath. Tigress just shook her head almost piteously, while Azure brought a paw to her face to shield her eyes. Monkey, Crane, and Mantis were gobsmacked at the fact he was still alive and talking, while Viper frowned sadly.

This time, he allowed Jian to run to him, and help him up, looping one arm over his shoulder while Shifu watched on, not impressed. "There is now... a Level Zero," he said, while Jian stubbed out the flame with his fingers.


Later that night...

The Furious Five walked ahead towards the Bunkhouse in little group that was led by one of the palace geese that lit the way with a lantern. The bunkhouse, where they all spent their spare time after training, sat high on a hill far behind the Jade Palace, hidden by trees and shrubs, with a long winding stone stairway paving a path. The training session with the panda was scheduled around sunset, so by this moment in time, it had grown dark. Shifu swiftly dismissed The five, while Jian and Azure brought Po to the medical wing to make sure he was okay.

"How long has Jian known that guy?" Monkey asked as they moved up the steps. They all immediately eyed Tigress, who hung behind the group, for an answer.

Tigress showed no sign of annoyance to his inquiry, and answered. "They've known each other for a while now. Jian would see him down in the village in his spare time."

"And you know about it?" Mantis asked without thinking. Everyone stopped briefly, and glanced at him- even the palace geese.

"Of course I do," Tigress didn't dwell on it, "but that doesn't mean I know the panda."

"But why does he hang out with him?" The primate added on. No one wanted to ask Jian; in case they upset him, which was the last thing they wanted. "You can tell us, right? Neither of them are here, what they don't know what hurt them. They're so... different?" They all leaned in, waiting for her to respond.

Tigress just shrugged, signalling she had no idea why; but she did. "I don't know." Of course she knew, Jian told her- but a promise she made to Jian that she wouldn't say anything they spoke about privately to anyone else, remained sincere throughout time- rooted down back to when he was a kid, and Tigress could recall one time, when she was a teenager, just after the Five were formed...

Sying was running errands with Azure, while Shifu was with Oogway in the Hall of Heroes, and she was in the bunkhouse. The other Masters were out of town; Viper was getting her belongings from home to move out, Crane was going to his old job and giving in his notice, while Monkey and Mantis tagged along for the fun of it.

Tigress was meditating in her room, when she heard a crashing sound coming from the kitchen. Like lightening, she was up off the floor, and racing down the hall, almost skidding by the doorway. Catching herself on the frame, she pulled herself in, and found a jar in pieces on the floor... and Jian- covered in crumbs, reaching into one of the cupboards.

"What are you doing?" He didn't notice her presence in the room until she spoke, and it scared the daylights out of him, and he wobbled on the counter, reaching to grab hold of something to save himself, but he out a bag with him as he fell. Luckily he landed on his feet, but there was a thud, and a POOF! Flour was all over the table, the floor, the counter... and him, who had more then a light sprinkling, was buried in it, coughing and spluttering.

Tigress had splotches on her tunic and arms, while mostly protected from the distance she stood at, and started laughing at the state of him; his fur and clothes were a beautiful shade of white. "You look like a ghost!"

He laughed with her, before he realized the mess, and held his head in fear. "I'm in so much trouble!" He cried, but before he could freak out, Tigress told him to relax, and tell her what he was trying to do. "I was looking for something to eat... Monkey said I could have his last almond cookie in the jar before they left. I put it back the jar back on the top shelve, but it fell and broke!"

Tigress tried dusting the flour off of her the best she could, looking around. The cookie lay half eaten on the opposite counter, but it was the least of their problems. "Hey, its okay." She said. "We will worry about that later. But we need to clean this mess up before Master Shifu sees it. Okay?"

Jian nodded quickly, and Tigress got to work- swiping the flour off of the counter, she started sweeping while Jian went to get washed in the bathhouse out back. When he came back, clean and dry, she had the kitchen immaculate. Not a speck of flour in sight. "I'm sorry..." he said. "You won't tell Mama, will you?"

Tigress smiled at him. "It's okay... and I don't think she needs to know..."

"Really?" Jian said excitedly.

"Really." She replied...

They had continued moving up the steps towards the bunkhouse while she was deep in thought, and caught on to what the others were talking about straight away. "I don't understand what Master Oogway was thinking." Viper voiced her opinion with a worrisome look on her face. "The poor guy's just going to get himself killed!"

"He is so mighty! The Dragon Warrior..." Crane's response was mocking the panda in his absence, and the avian opened his wings, slightly leaping off of the ground, "fell out of the sky on a ball of fire!"

Everyone turned their gazes to Mantis as he leapt up on a near by rock, and bowed gracefully. "When he walks, the very ground shakes!" That made everyone, barring Tigress, laugh- but she wasn't stopping them. Jian wasn't wrong, and like Monkey said, what he didn't know wouldn't hurt them...

"One would think that Master Oogway would choose someone who actually knew kung fu." She added, walking ahead of them.

"Yeah," Crane said, following her, "or could at least touch his toes."

Monkey waited for him to move ahead, before making his move. "Or even see his toes."

They made their way inside, laughing at Monkey's comment... while Po's emerged from behind the rocks. He was walking behind them the whole time, and heard everything they said. Jian had to hang back with Azure, and told Po to go ahead and get some rest. With the aches and pain still quaking in his bones, he didn't need to be told twice, but he didn't want to walk along with the Five- there was no invite, so he didn't want to intervene. But the comments made? They kinda hurt.

"Of course I can see my toes." He said in a soft whisper, looking down... to see nothing but gut. Lifting up his stomach, he leaned forwards in an attempt... and fell over.


Meanwhile, outside the Hall of Heroes...

"Leaving so soon?" Azure turned to Jian's question as she looked down beyond the thousand steps.

"Have to, sorry." She clasped the cloak in place before dusting off her shoulders. "I have a client down in the Valley, and then another one some way out on the way to Gongmen. I'll make it in the next day or two."

"Surely you'll stay the night?" Oogway had offered his room to her, but smiled understandably when she politely declined. "You've been here nearly a day..." That, and he hadn't seen her in so long...

"No, and why? Simple," Azure turned back to him. "The only reason you want me to stay is to find out why your friend has become the Dragon Warrior."

"That.. may play a part in it." He spoke some truth, glaring softly when they made eye contact. "You haven't been clear as to why he rocked up here, and Oogway won't give the title to someone who deserves it."

Azure's paws sat on her hips slowly, a smile flashed across her face. "So Po doesn't deserve it?"

"Well... he doesn't know twig from stick, when it comes to Kung Fu, if that explains my point?" Jian frowned a little, glancing over his shoulder to see Shifu lighting candles far inside the hall. His ears twitched unevenly, like he could sense his eyes on him, and then he twisted his head to caught his eye. Glaring briefly, he resumed lighting the candles as the door closed itself over with a thud. "He just isn't... right, for the position."

"You're... not wrong," Azure's words roped his gaze back to her. "He doesn't know what he's doing, that's all."

Jian motioned towards her with a roll of his wrist, inclining his upper body forward in a mocked bow. "Exactly."

"However," there was always a 'however', and he almost gritted his teeth. "Does that mean he never will?" As he straightened himself, she placed a firm paw on Jian's shoulder before he could register her words, and nodded firmly. "You just need to make sure Po doesn't get himself killed." They both chuckled stiffly as they shared a quick hug. "I told you before, he needs before... but now more then ever."

"What about you?" Adjusting her cloak again, she elevated her gaze up to the night sky, where the stars hung over them like millions of little lights. "Just this morning you told us that our father will escape prison after twenty years, and now you're leaving like its nothing to worry about. Po will surely need help if he is the Dragon Warrior we've been waiting for. Even if he was to learn Kung Fu in whatever span of time we have, Tai Lung will have the upper hand somewhere along the line. You just meeting with Oogway, and realizing you shared a vision... is that all you have to do in this?"

Azure closed her eyes, and took a steady breath, before answering him strategically. "No." Her arms folded across her chest, "I have more to do... just not here."

"And what would that be?"

Azure's smile returned, but this time it was closer to a flat line. "I'll find out when it comes to me."


Candles from each of their rooms blew out, the last one going out at the end if the hall as Po peeked around the corner. He breathed out softly. "Okay..." He started tip-toeing down the hall- SQUEAK. He froze. The floorboards were straining beneath him. "Great." Mentally counting to three, he held his breath as he dared to take another step, a very gentle one. Nothing; okay, this is good. He took another one- and again nothing happened. A third step- CHUNK!

Luck wasn't coming in threes, and Po learned that went his foot went through the floor. "Oop!" He crawled back out, and slapped the broken boards over the hole clumsily, before attempting to tip toe down the hall again.

SQUEAK-SQUEAK-SQUEAK!

Somewhere along the way he lost his balance, and rolled onto his ankle, which sent him stumbling through a door close to his right. By the time he steadied himself, he was too late;

Master Crane stood in front of him, in the middle of grooming his feathers, before staring up at him uneasily. "Oh hey... you're up."

Crane frowned slightly, "am now." He replied bluntly. "Can I help you?"

"No thank you, uh..." Po smiled brightly, to which Crane didn't return the gesture. "Jian said that my room is here somewhere... still looking for it... sorry." Not sure how to cut the conversation off, he just kept talking, and Crane flashed a somewhat awkward smile. "Some day, huh? All that kung fu stuff is hard work, right? Your biceps sore?"

"Um..." the avian inspected one of his wings. "Its been a long and rather, disappointing day, so uh...yeah, I should probably get some sleep."

"Oh yeah yeah, of course." Po gave a brief thumbs up before turning to leave. "It's just... I'm such a big fan." Crane kept the smile stitched on his face, not sure what to say. "You guys were totally amazing at the Battle of Weeping River. Outnumbered a thousand to one, but you didn't stop, and then you just..." He sprang into a spastic series of made up kung fu moves; a swing of an arm, a slice through the air, a kick or two- "WA-YA-HA-HA HI-YAH!"

RIP...

Crane grimaced slightly when Po pulled his foot out from the freshly made hole in the paper wall. "Ooh, sorry about that..." Po inspected it closely, and saw Master Monkey meditating, to which was obviously interrupted, and Po received a glare in return to his timid wave.

"Don't worry about it... maybe you should go."

Po's eyes hit the ground, a little stung. I know. I know. You're right." Crane looked a little confused; tilting his head while attempting to fit the words together. "I just— my whole life, I've dreamed of—"

"Oh nonono." Po was interrupted as Crane waved a wing in dismissal. "I meant as in go find your room. This is my room. Property of Crane." He chuckled stiffly as his feet patted the mat beneath them, and Po, who was obviously mortified, laughed off his embarrassment.

"Oh, okay. Right right... Yeah, you want to get to sleep." He was backing out of the room again. "We both do... and I'm keeping you up... sorry again." He pushed himself out and shut the door.

"Thank the gods..." Crane muttered, but the door opened again, making him jump. Po was back in view with an eager smile.

"What was that?"

Crane pretended to be unsure what he meant. "I didn't say anything..."

"Oh, okay. sorry. Goodnight!" He closed the again, and backed away. Seemed a little bit awkward... he thought, before glancing up and down the hall to figure out where his room was. assuming it was the one of the rooms as the end of the hall, he made his move- the floors still creaking loudly. This time though, he kept his paws along the walls, and held onto the hooks on the doors, like he was feeling his way through a room he had become night blind.

Another door opened in front of him, and before he could speak, the words were caught in his mouth. Tigress stood in front of him, eyes drawn to him before he could run away. Po hadn't been this close to her since the day she came to the Noodle Shop to find Jian. Her eyes glowed a heavenly light in the darkness, and he felt frozen, like a criminal caught red handed in the light of the law.

OK, Po told himself, don't mess this up! "Hello Master Tigress! I didn't mean to wake you-"

Her eyes narrowed. "Why are you here?"

"Uh, yeah, I'm a little lost, can't find my-" He stopped talking when she approached him, her glare only hardening, and he couldn't look away.

"Why are you here, wasting our time?" Po's mouth open slowly, but closed again as her paws found the handles on the door would her having to break eye contact. "You may be a friend of Jian, but you're not the Dragon Warrior. You don't belong in the Jade Palace; you're a disgrace to kung fu, and if you have any respect for who we are and what we do, you will be gone by morning."

Drawing herself away, the door was shut. He couldn't see if she was standing on the other side... "Big fan, " He whispered, his voice trailing off before looking up the hallway.

But she didn't hear him, that or she chose to ignore him; walking to her bed, she was about to sit, before she heard a knock. Her tail flicked behind her in annoyance, thinking it was the Panda was still there, waiting to pester her more. So, she marched to the door quickly. However, upon opening it, Jian stood there instead, a sullen expression clear on his face.

"How dare you." His voice came out gravelly.

Tigress' eyebrows knitted together softly. "What-"

"You will not speak to him like that, not while I'm around. It's not his fault..." he took a step back, before checking the hallway, as did Tigress, to see that Po was nowhere to be found, "if this is how you treat the people you swear to protect, I wouldn't want you to be the Dragon Warrior."

Her expression didn't change, not even when he turned on his heels and walked back up the corridor.


Finally back with another chapter!

Sorry I've been absent; I got offered a college place in my dream college, and it's been crazy trying to get ready for that! I have a few weeks left of work before I leave for college, and I had a week off to relax, while getting back to writing!

Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter!

I would've written more, but without this message, the word count for this chapter is over 6k! I've never written a chapter this long before!

Please leave a review, and I'll see you for chapter 16!