Kung Fu Ninja Turtles: Holiday Special

by Calmoose415

It's the Holiday season as Master Shifu appoints Po to be the host of the upcoming Winter Feast with the Ninja Turtles as his advisors! But when they realize that their friends and families cannot attend, will they stick with tradition or do something drastically different? Either way, they're going to make this the most awesomest Christmas Party ever! (Set between KFNT 2 & KFNT 3)

Hello everyone and welcome back! To kick off this year's Christmas season, I've decided to give you the Kung Fu Ninja Turtles Holiday Special!

To set up context, this story takes place between Kung Fu Ninja Turtles 2 and Kung Fu Ninja Turtles 3. I know, I know, the original holiday special took place after kfp 1 and before kfp 2, but this is an au crossover series, so don't think about it too much. Anyway, let's get into it!

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles belongs to Nickelodeon and Kung Fu Panda belongs to Dreamworks.

I own nothing.

Holiday Special

The golden rays of the sun shone over the horizon as Po the Dragon Warrior stood in the great battlefield, the sun to his back, almost as if the intense light was emanating from him.

"Steel yourself against my steel, villain!" Po declared challengingly to his opponent, who stood just across from him, unmoving.

Taking his opponent's silence as acceptance of his challenge, Po threw off the cloak and hat he was wearing and pulled out a long katana.

Po then took a mighty leap into the air, his katana raised high above his head as he came down and sliced his opponent completely in half down the middle.

"Your reign of tears is over!" Po said dramatically as it was revealed that his opponent was not a person, but in fact a large onion.

"I got the onion, dad!" Po called over, dropping his dramatic act as the environment around him morphed into the kitchen of his home.

"I'll get the bok choy!" Mr. Ping said, jumping and slicing said vegetable with his knife.

"I'll get the radish!" Po grinned, expertly flipping into air, slicing up several floating vegetables along the way before chopping the radish in half with one fell swoop.

"Chop it fine, son! Chop it fine!" Mr. Ping laughed, mincing some vegetables and putting them in the boiling water of the cooking pot before placing the pot over the stove.

"Carrots!" Po said, dumping in said vegetables.

"Mushrooms!" Mr. Ping said, slicing some up with his knife and putting it in the soup.

"Ginger!"

"Leeks!"

"Garlic!"

"Soy sauce!"

"Beets!"

Mr. Ping slapped Po's paw away. "No beets." He said sternly.

"But I like beets." Po pouted, rubbing his paw.

"Shh! One final ingredient…" Mr. Ping quickly shushed him, his eyes lighting up. "... noodles!"

Mr. Ping then rose into the air in a golden divine aura, noodles swirling all around him while Po watched with wide eyes in awe.

With a quick swish of his wing, Mr. Ping wondrously gathered the mass of noodles and sent it into the pot, causing the soup to glow a bright gold.

"One noodle soup!" A small rabbit customer spoke up from the counter.

With a smile, Mr. Ping poured some of the soup into a bowl and handed it to the rabbit, though not before adding one last parsley.

The rabbit picked up the bowl and took a sip, his eyes immediately widening ecstatically as his head exploded with fireworks. "SOOOOO DELICIOOOOUS!" He cried happily, his whole body glowing in a golden hue as he floated off into the air.

"Dad, this dream is awesome!" Po said excitedly.

"It's the noodle dream." Mr. Ping smiled.

However, this pleasant dream was not to last as suddenly something slashed through the walls of the noodle shop, causing it to collapse into a dismal and gray valley, much to Po and Mr. Ping's surprise.

And in a flash of lightning, both of them were horrified to see the dreaded snow leopard himself, the former student and son of Master Shifu, Tai Lung himself standing just across from them.

Within seconds, Tai Lung's body suddenly grew to the size of a mountain as he towered over them, thunder and lightning crackling in the sky.

"Tai Lung?" Po questioned in surprise. "I thought you were dea-"

The panda was suddenly cut off as Tai Lung's giant paw slammed down on him and picked him up, the snow leopard dangling Po over his open mouth.

"Wait! Please, don't eat my son!" Mr. Ping pleaded desperately. "I have some delicious noodle soup." He offered meekly, holding up a bowl of his soup.

"So delicious…" The same rabbit customer from early murmured, still floating around.

"Don't worry, dad. I got it under control!" Po said reassuringly, even as Tai Lung smirked and tossed him into the air, mouth open in preparation to eat the tiny panda.

"Noooo!" Mr. Ping cried helplessly out of fear and grief for his adopted son.

However, instead of falling right into Tai Lung's mouth, Po's body suddenly inflated until he was the same size as Tai Lung, landing on the snow leopard and squashing him under him.

Po bounced off of Tai Lung and took a readied stance in the air, Tai Lung quickly getting up and lunging at him, only for Po to grab him and throw him back to the ground.

Tai Lung stumbled around as he got up, while Po landed on the ground, sweeping him off his feet before kicking him off into the distance, shattering the dreary gray clouds and giving way to the golden bright rays of the sun like before.

"Wait, wait! Po, where are you going?" Mr. Ping questioned in confusion as Po began walking towards the light. "We're cooking together!"

"Sorry, dad," Po spoke, now dawning in his hat and cloak again, "but evil doesn't take a holiday, and neither do I." He then looked down at Mr. Ping with his face now devoid of emotion. "Goodbye, dad." He said shortly before bounding away over the horizon.

"Po, don't go! Don't go, my son!" Mr. Ping pleaded desperately, tears welling up in his eyes, unaware of the cooking stove's fire turning blue, taking on a more monstrous visage. "I need you!"

Before Mr. Ping could say anything else, the cooking stove suddenly snatched up the elderly goose with the noodles in the pot, it's mouth opening to reveal it's fiery insides.

"AHHHHHH!" Mr. Ping screamed in terror as he was dragged into the oven's mouth.

"PO!" Mr. Ping cried as he woke up.

Within seconds, Po burst through the door to his father's room, shattering it to splinters. "Hi-yah!" Po exclaimed as he took a combative kung fu stance. "Dad, where'd they go? What'd they look like?"

"Oh, I was dreaming! It was awful!" Mr. Ping said as he sat up on his bed. "We were cooking… but then you left me! Now how could you leave me!" He sobbed into his wings.

Po relaxed his stance, resisting the urge to roll his eyes as he smiled. "Dad, it was just a dream. I'm not going anywhere." He said soothingly before he exited the room and went down the stairs. "Now come on, I got all the decorations out."

"Oh, thank you, Po. You are such a good son." Mr. Ping sighed with relief before he looked at the broken door. "Hmm, you owe me seventeen yuan for a new door."

---

Leonardo yawned as he exited his room in the student barracks of the Jade Palace, stretching his arms as he went into the kitchen where Tigress, Raphael, Donatello, Viper, Crane, Monkey, Mantis, April O'neil, and Casey Jones were waiting for him at the table.

Several weeks had passed since they're adventures in Gongmen City, as once they returned to the Valley of Peace, April and Casey were given the chance to stay with them in the Jade Palace, which the two gladly accepted.

"Morning." Leo said tiredly, to which everyone else greeted him back. "Hey, where's Mikey?"

"He's in the kitchen." Donnie replied, reading a random scroll while sipping a cup of tea.

"We tried to talk him out of it, but Mikey insisted on cooking breakfast this morning." Viper added.

"Still, are we really sure it's a good idea to let Mikey do the cooking?" Crane asked in concern. "I mean, Po's usually the one who cooks breakfast."

"Hey, trust me." Raph reassured with a knowing smile. "When Mikey's cooking, you've got nothing to worry about."

"Yeah, man. Mikey may be a goofball, but the guy sure knows how to cook a meal." Casey said, licking his lips eagerly.

Inside the kitchen, Mikey checked through the cabinets of food with a rare concentration. "Now, what would make the best breakfast?" He mused before his eyes lit up. "Duh, eggs!" He said, spotting a whole bowl full of eggs.

"I love some eggs for breakfast!" Mikey sang as he cracked a few eggs over the cooking pan. "I love 'em scrambled, yes I do!" His tone then shifted to rapping as he skipped over to the fruits and vegetables drawers.

"But breakfast isn't hot without orange juice, son!" He rapped as he threw eleven oranges into the air and nailed them with a couple of shurikens, sticking the oranges to the wall and causing the juice to pour into eleven glasses without spilling a drop. "It'd just taste like a pile of sticky goo!"

"Some protein from ham. Throw in garlic and onions too." Mikey continued to rap as he threw in some diced meat and veggies into the bowl of scrambled eggs before mixing them all in. "But wait a second, fool! If you please, I'm missing the most important part, Cheese!" He then pulled a block of cheese out from one of the drawers before throwing it up into the air and slicing it into little pieces with his kusarigama.

After a few minutes, Mikey emerged from the kitchen carrying all the plates of omelets and even all glasses of orange juice on his arms and shoulders. "Breakfast is served!" He announced proudly.

Leo, Raph, Donnie, Viper, Crane, Monkey, Mantis, April, and Casey all grinned eagerly at that announcement while Tigress remained neutral.

"You need any help with those dishes, Mikey?" April asked.

"Nah, I got it." Mikey replied casually before tossing the glasses into the air. While the glasses were still air-born, Mikey tossed each plate like a frisbee onto the table in front of everyone's place. And as the glasses came down, Mikey grabbed each of them and slid them out to each of the places as well. When all was done, he jumped right into his seat. "Dig in!" He said.

The Turtles, the Five, April, and Casey wasted no time in starting their breakfast, eating their omelets with gusto.

"Oh wow, this sure is delicious, Mikey." Monkey said as he ate his omelet.

"Say what you will about Mikey, but the guy knows how to scramble an egg." Raph smirked slightly.

"Booyakasha." Mikey winked before he continued eating his own omelet. "Hey, have any of you guys seen Po?" He then asked.

"He went down to his father's restaurant to prepare for the holidays." Tigress answered, calmly eating her omelet. "Which we should probably get ready for as well."

"You know, it kind of just occurred to me that this'll be our first holiday in this world." Donnie remarked amusedly. "It's actually kind of amazing."

"Well, we'll be sure to help you all get adjusted." Viper smiled reassuringly. "Especially with the Winter Feast coming up!"

"Oooh! Sounds delicious!" Mikey grinned, smacking his lips. "So what's it about?"

Before any of the Five could explain, the group heard the sounds of ringing bells coming from outside in the Valley below.

"Bandits!" Tigress exclaimed as she and the others recognized the meaning of the bells. "Down in the Valley!"

"C'mon, team, let's go!" Leo ordered as he, along with Tigress, Raph, Donnie, Mikey, Viper, Crane, Monkey, Mantis, April, and Casey rushed out of the bunkhouse and down past the courtyard before heading down the one-thousand steps.

---

"Whoa, right on top!" Po said, picking up a small orange lantern that sat atop the other decorations in the box. "It's the sun lantern I made when I was a cub." He then opened it up slightly, revealing some childish drawings of himself and Mr. Ping.

"You know why it was on top, Po?" Mr. Ping chuckled. "Because I opened the box this summer just to look at it! I love the Winter Festival so much, I just can't wait."

"Me too, the decorations…" Po listed.

"The party games…" Mr. Ping added.

"The dancing… huh, dad? The dancing!" Po smirked teasingly, playfully nudging his father before grabbing his arms and spinning him around, much to Mr. Ping's delight.

Mr. Ping laughed as Po finally released him, stumbling around dizzily while Po went over to eat his breakfast noodles, picking up the whole pot and devouring it right there.

"Morning, Dragon Warrior."

Po stiffened as he stopped eating, turning around to see none other than Master Shifu standing at the doorway with his arms folded behind his back and a patient look on his face.

"Oh, Master Shifu." Instantly, Po dropped the pot and slurped down the remaining noodles. "I was just practicing my… empty belly defense." He rubbed his large belly for emphasize.

"Mr. Ping," Shifu spoke, turning to the elderly goose. "May I borrow Po for a moment?"

Mr. Ping laughed, pulling out some more decorations from the box. "Oh, well, we're very busy decorating for the… holidays…" His words trailed off as he noticed Po and Shifu walking outside the kitchen and into the restaurant courtyard.

"Po, I've come to talk to you about the Winter Feast at the Jade Palace." Shifu told the panda, much to Po's delight. "You will be–"

"Be coming?!" Po interrupted excitedly. "The Winter Feast? With the kung fu masters from all the provinces?!"

"No, Po. You will not be invited." Shifu shook his head, to which Po's face fell with disappointment. "You will be hosting."

To say Po was astonished was an understatement. "Me? Ho-ho-hosting?" He stammered in amazement.

"Wonderful news, is it not?" Shifu asked. "As the Dragon Warrior, this is one of your most critical duties."

"Wow…" Po gasped. "Thank you, Shifu."

"Po, this is a big opportunity for you. Your first time with all the kung fu masters." Shifu told him while Mr. Ping listened in with a concerned expression.

"The Winter Feast is legendary!" Po exclaimed. "I'll bet you got the best, biggest, brightest sun lanterns, and dancing–"

"Po, stop, stop." Shifu raised his hand. "This is the Winter Feast we're talking about. It is perfection. Always elegant, always formal."

"Awesome, awesome. I'm all about elegant. Fancy stuff, and fine dinin'..." Po said, rubbing his belly wistfully.

Shifu stared at him slightly. "You have some noodle in your neck fat." He pointed out.

"Hmm? Oh." Po noticed the noodle too as he quickly slurped it up.

"What I'm saying, Po, is that dancing and sun lanterns… those are common traditions." Shifu said, getting back to the point.

"So common." Po brushed off with a light snort. "I mean, dancing? Come on. Sun lanterns? Psssh! Heh! Weak!" He then turned to Mr. Ping, who was looking less than thrilled upon hearing this. "Dad, isn't this great?"

Mr. Ping laughed weakly, opening his beak to reply when a pig villager suddenly ran up to them.

"Dragon Warrior! Please, come quick! There are bandits in the village!" The pig villager exclaimed.

"What?" Po said in surprise before his expression turned serious. "I'm on it." He said, readying his fists before running off towards the commotion. "See ya, dad! Thanks again, Master Shifu!"

Mr. Ping reached out to him, stuttering slightly as he tried to say something, only for nothing to come out.

Shifu, rather oblivious to Mr. Ping's distress, simply smiled. "Mr. Ping." He said, bowing in farewell before turning to leave.

Mr. Ping let out a sigh as he stood at the entrance of his noodle shop, which now felt a lot more empty without his panda son's presence.

---

Po raced through town, through the snow-filled streets, as fast as his legs could carry him before reaching the bridge that went across the river.

On the other side, he spotted his friends; the Ninja Turtles, the Furious Five, April, and Casey, were already there and fighting off a large group of boar bandits.

"Hiyah!" Po yelled as he rushed into the battle smacking two boar bandits aside. "Hey, guys! You excited about the Winter Feast?" Po asked rather casually as they continued to fight off the bandits, with him punching a bandit away while Tigress split-kicked two others. "Guess what? Master Shifu just told me I'll be joining you this year."

"You know, he already told us we were going to be there too." Donnie replied, referring to himself and his brothers as he bashed one of the bandits in the head with his bo-staff. "Which makes sense, considering we're supposed to be your guardians."

"The feast is intense!" Crane said as he swept two bandits off their feet with his wings before grabbing one of the downed bandits and chucking him into a wall. "All the Masters at one table!"

"One perfect feast!" Viper added as she snapped her tail at a bandit like an uppercut before she slithered over to another bandit and tossed him into the air.

"It's an honor to be invited!" Mantis said as he kicked one of the bandit's in the snout, sending him flying back.

Po split his legs as he ducked under a bandit before springing to his feet and kicking another. "Actually, I'm not just invited." He said before he uppercutted another bandit into the air. "I'm hosting!"

Almost as soon as those words left his mouth, everyone stopped fighting as Leo, Tigress, Raph, Donnie, Mikey, Viper, Crane, Monkey, and Mantis all stared at Po with wide eyes while the bandits simply looked at him in confusion.

"WHAT?!" Everyone yelled.

"Wouldn't be my choice." One of the bandits remarked before he was headbutted by Po.

"What?" Po asked.

"The feast at the Palace is very…" Monkey started before he kicked another bandit across the face.

"Elegant." Viper continued as she snapped her tail at the exact same bandit.

"It's a very, uh, sophisticated event." Mantis added, kicking the bandit in the snout.

"Not to mention that it's gotta be a huge responsibility being the host of the feast." Leo pointed out as he blocked the bandit's hammer with his katana before kneeing the bandit in the gut.

"Yeah, dude. The pressures on!" Mikey said as he smacked the bandit to the ground with his nunchuck.

Po jumped onto the bandit's face with a grumble. "Why does everyone think I can't do sophisticated?!" He questioned before twisting his legs into somewhat of a sleeper hold and knocking the bandit out.

"You want the list alphabetically or descending order of grossness?" Raph remarked sarcastically.

"Yeah, no offense, dude, but you're not exactly the sophisticated type, yo." Casey added.

"What we're all trying to say is, we're thinking maybe you could use a little help." Tigress said, offering Po a rare smile.

"Tigress, guys, I got this. It's a dinner, eating, entertainment." Po said reassuringly before punching the last of the bandits down. "How much do you have to know?"

"Well, alright. If you think you can handle it." April said with a light shrug as they all began to head back towards the Jade Palace and going up the steps, leaving just Po and Tigress.

Tigress gave Po a pointed look, causing the panda to shrink back slightly. "Just call us if you need any help." She told him.

Po huffed slightly. "C'mon, Ti, you know me." He replied.

"Po, being the host of the Winter Feast is no easy task. One that you can't exactly do all by yourself." Tigress said, placing her paws on her hips. "Believe me, I even needed help from my friends when I had to host the feast."

Po looked surprised. "You hosted the feast?" He asked.

Tigress nodded. "Being the leader of the Furious Five, as well as being Shifu's daughter, I had to host the feast for a few years myself. Trust me, it's not as easy as it sounds."

Po chuckled. "Hey, I'm the Dragon Warrior. I'm pretty sure I can handle it."

Tigress sighed and shook her head, though her honest smile still remained. "Fine. But don't say I didn't warn you." She told him as they began to walk up the steps towards the Jade Palace.

---

"There are eighteen gestures each of you must memorize for your right hand, and nineteen for the left." Shifu explained as he led Po, Leo, Raph, Donnie, and Mikey into the Hall of Heroes while several of the Palace servants were shuffling around making preparations for the Feast, including a large round table for all the masters.

"Eighteen for the left and nineteen for the right…" Leo mused as he and Donnie unrolled their scrolls and looked at the hand gestures on the paper. "Sounds simple enough."

"Dude, that's anything but simple!" Mikey whined as he looked at his own scroll. "I'm supposed to memorize all this?!"

Raph lightly swatted him in the back of the head with his scroll. "Suck it up and deal, bro."

"Say, um, Master Shifu? Why exactly do we have to learn these hand gestures?" Donnie asked, gesturing to himself and his brothers. "Isn't Po the host?"

"He is, Donatello." Shifu answered. "However, as the Dragon Warrior's guardians, you are to share some of his responsibilities too."

"So, wait, are they gonna be hosting the Feast with me?" Po asked, confused.

"No." Shifu replied. "They may share some of your duties to this feast, but ultimately, it is you who makes the final decisions. They will simply be your main advisors."

"Okay…" Po said in somewhat understanding while Leo, Raph, Donnie, and Mikey simply nodded.

"This is Feng, the Palace artist." Shifu stated, approaching a small pig who held a brush and canvas. "He will do your official portrait."

Immediately, Feng began to paint on the canvas at rapid speeds, finishing the portrait in seconds.

"Pleased to mee– oh! What?" Po said as he looked at the now finished painting. The picture itself was of him in a rather awkward pose. "Okay, I'm gonna need a do-over. I think I was blinking."

Raph and Mikey peeked over Po's shoulders to look at the painting, both immediately bursting into hysterics as they covered their mouths to hide their laughter.

"I don't know, Po. That's pretty accurate." Raph snickered, earning a deadpanned look from the panda.

"Yeah, a regular Picasso, this guy is." Mikey added, pointing his thumb at Feng.

"This is where you will seat all of the kung fu masters." Shifu said, gesturing to the large round table while Po, Leo, Raph, Donnie, and Mikey followed him, Leo and Donnie still reading the scrolls on the hand-gestures.

"My dad is gonna love this feast! You know, he's never ever been to the Palace." Po said excitedly.

"April and Casey are sure gonna love this too." Raph added with a small smile.

Shifu stopped with a surprised expression before it turned solemn. "I am sorry, but there are no guests allowed." He said.

Po and the Turtles were startled and surprised, Leo and Donnie even halting reading the scrolls.

"What?!" Mikey exclaimed in shock. "But-but… April and Casey have been staying with us here for like… forever now! They're our friends!"

"Yeah, and me and dad always spend the holidays together!" Po added.

"While it is true that April and Casey are residents of the Jade Palace, they are not kung fu masters, meaning that they cannot attend the Feast, nor can your father, Po." Shifu explained with a slightly saddened look.

"I'm sorry and I understand how you all feel. I still remember the day I departed my family and committed myself entirely to the duties of kung fu." Shifu said, his expression turning neutral. "You are the Dragon Warrior, Po, and you four are his guardians. And therefore, this is your duty above all other bonds."

Po, Leo, Raph, Donnie, and Mikey all looked down solemnly for a moment before continuing to follow Shifu.

"Now, in your quest for perfection, these instructions must be executed to the letter." Shifu explained, now speaking directly to Po. "Guard these scrolls containing…"

"... the ancient recipes… flaked jasmine, never ground… learn to chant the traditional… greeting the Masters… magnificent…"

As he spoke, servants began to come in from all around, stuffing several bowls, scrolls, and boxes into Po's arms all while Shifu continued to exposit about the various items, the panda himself becoming quite overwhelmed.

"... the Golden Ladle." Shifu said, handing Po a small wooden box.

"Wha…?" Po asked, struggling to carry all of the items in his arms.

"Po, hire a chef, present them with the Golden Ladle." Shifu instructed him, giving him the box. "Do you have any questions?"

"Nuh-uh!" Po shook his head as much as he could.

Shifu nodded. "Po, do not let me down." He then turned to Leo, Raph, Donnie, and Mikey. "And you four," He spoke, getting their attention, "keep watch over him, and prepare for the Feast yourselves."

"Yes, Master Shifu." Leo, Raph, Donnie, and Mikey all collectively said, bowing respectfully, albeit reluctantly.

"Don't worry, Shifu, I got everything under controool…!" Po tried to say, only to spill all of the items around on the ground, causing Leo, Raph, Donnie, and Mikey to all collectively wince.

Po twiddled his thumbs nervously before he began to pick up the items. It seemed being the host of this feast was going to be harder than he thought.

And to make things worse for him, Feng immediately set up a new canvas and painted a picture of Po's rear-end in less than five seconds.

---

April and Casey were in the Training Hall, hoping to get some exercise as they went through the Training Course, April herself balancing on the Spinning Serpent Logs and dodging the Seven Swinging Clubs of Instant Oblivion, while Casey was struggling to balance himself on the Jade Tortoise of Wisdom and deflect several arrows with his baseball bat.

As they were training, Donnie and Raph came in through the doors to the Training Hall with solemn looks on their faces.

"Oh, hey, guys." April greeted them warmly as she gracefully leapt off of the Spinning Serpent logs and landed on her feet in front of them, giving Donnie a brief hug.

"Yo, yo, yo, dudes." Casey said as he tried to jump down from the Jade Tortoise, only to slip and crash to the ground, earning a few snickers from the others.

"So what's going on?" April asked as Casey came up to join them. "Are you guys getting ready for the Winter Feast?"

"Can't wait to see what kind of food they got there." Casey said eagerly, smacking his lips hungrily.

Raph and Donnie looked at each other with saddened expressions. "Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, guys, but only kung fu masters are allowed to the Feast." Donnie explained apologetically. "No guests are allowed."

April and Casey looked shocked. "What?" April said in surprise. "Why?"

"I guess it's got something to do with their traditions." Raph guessed.

"That's totally unfair!" Casey scowled. "They can't just leave us out of this."

April took a deep breath as she lightly placed a paw on Casey's shoulder to get him to settle down. "It's okay, Casey." She said calmly. "We can just spend the holidays at Mr. Ping's. I'm sure he'll be open to us."

Raph and Donnie both looked down solemnly, their expressions filled with regret, something that April and Casey both noticed.

"Hey, don't blame yourselves for us not being able to be there." April said reassuringly, placing her paw on Donnie's shoulder and forcing him to look at her. "It's not your fault."

Donnie sighed. "Still, I wish there was something we could do." He lamented.

"Hey, man, we get it. You guys got responsibilities now." Casey said with a slight shrug. "I get that."

Raph let out a hollow laugh. "Well that's a surprise." He said solemnly, to which Casey gave a nudge. "But really, it sucks we're not gonna have you guys at the Feast."

"Hey, like I said, we'll just spend the night at Mr. Ping's." April replied. "This feast is way too important for you to miss."

Noticing that they were still looking down, April gave Raph a quick hug before kissing Donnie on the cheek. "Good luck, you guys." She said, smiling sadly.

With that, she and Casey left the Training Hall, with Casey giving Raph a clasp on the shoulder and a solemn grin before heading out, leaving Donnie and Raph standing alone in the Hall, with a forlorn look on each of their faces.

---

Down in the Palace arena, Po sat behind a table at the bottom of the stairs to the arena with three large red banners hanging behind him.

Leo, Mikey, Feng, and Zeng stood by his side as several chefs stood in a single file line in front of Po.

"Ahem!" Zeng cleared his throat. "Master Po, we have brought you the finest chefs in China. You'll sample their dishes and make your choice." He explained to the panda. "Your guardians, Masters Leonardo and Michelangelo, will also be here to advise you in your choice."

Leo quickly stood up straight, folding his arms behind his back in an attempt to be sophisticated while Mikey shuffled his feet and scratched his arm awkwardly.

"Okay, yeah." Po said with a nod in understanding.

"The chef you select will receive the Golden Ladle." Zeng said as one of the servants opened a small box, revealing a small silver ladle spoon covered in tiny gems and a golden dragon running along the handle. "Let's begin."

"All righty!" Po said as he adjusted himself in his seat.

"Master Po, I present Chef Wo Hop of the Heilongjiang Province." Zeng introduced a small rabbit, carrying a basket of what looked like an intricately made salad.

"That's a mouthful." Mikey whispered, only to be shushed by Leo.

Wu Hop grunted as he lifted the heavy basket onto the table. "Sir! It is a privilege for me and the citizens of my village to be considered for this great…"

As he continued talking Po noticed Monkey walking in through the front doors to the Palace courtyard.

"Hi, Po!" Monkey yelled, waving his hand.

Leo looked at Po, and his eyes widened in a panic as Po smiled and raised his hand. "Wait, Po, don't-!" He exclaimed, but by then it was too late.

"Hey!" Po waved his hand out to Monkey.

Almost immediately, two of the Palace servants grabbed Wo Hop and viciously dragged him away, much to both Po and Mikey's shock as Wo Hop cried out.

"Wha…?! Dudes, what the heck?!" Mikey exclaimed in surprise.

"What just happened?!" Po cried.

Leo groaned as he slapped his forehead, dragging his hand down his face in exasperation. "Po, did you read that scroll about all the hand gestures you were supposed to memorize?" He asked, giving the panda an irritated glare.

Po twiddled his fingers nervously under the blue clad turtle's look. "... no?" He replied meekly.

"Well then, you should know that as the host of the Winter Feast, every gesture you make has meaning." Leo explained. "And do you know what you just did?"

"No." Po replied, looking like a child being scolded by their parent.

"You just gave him the ancient Hun Shu Wave of Dismissal." Leo stated.

"The what?!" Po exclaimed, sounding horrified. "Is that a thing?! It doesn't even sound like a thing!"

"And by giving him that wave, you basically just told him that he has brought great dishonor on himself and his village, and that they will be shamed for all eternity." Leo added, causing Po's imagination to stir.

---

In Po's imagination, Wo Hop was taken by the Palace servants back to his village where they took down a section of the Great Wall of China and then rebuilt it around Wo Hop's village, leaving them exposed to an army of barbarians that came to attack and destroy the village.

---

"Man, that is so messed up." Mikey remarked in shock.

"No, no, I was just waving to Monkey!" Po said, now very clearly panicking. He then turned to Zeng. "Can't we just get the rabbit back?"

"Aha, ha, ha, ha, ha!" Zeng laughed as if he were joking before noticing the fearful look on the panda's face. "Oh… you're serious? No." He then cleared his throat. "I'll, uh, get the other chefs."

"Wow, this Feast is intense, right?" Po murmured, nudging Feng, who was standing right next to him. "And I just found out that I can't be with my dad…" Suddenly, an idea popped into his head. "... wait a minute, of course! You're absolutely right! I'll choose my dad! Then I'll get to spend the holiday with him! Brilliant!" He then hugged Feng.

"Okay, gotta get rid of these guys." Po muttered to himself as he released Feng and stood up from his chair. "Hate the food, hate food…" He chanted to himself.

Po quickly began to walk down the line of chefs, reminding himself to hate the food no matter how good it tasted.

"Oh, this… isn't really what we're looking for. Ah. No. No. No. Mmm, no. No. This really isn't your year. No. Nope. Nuh-huh. Nah. No. Ah. Eh. Mm-mm." Po said as he tasted each of the bowls, still mentally chanting to himself to hate the food (even though it was indeed all very delicious). "Ew, sorry. That one really is bad. No. No, none of these will do."

Once Po was close enough to the gates, he snatched the box containing the Golden Ladle from one of the Palace servants. "I'll take that, thank you." He said, holding the box under his armpit. "Nice try, everyone, see you next year!" Po said before stopping to try some of the food made by the last chef at the end of the line. "Mmm. Awful."

"Wha-? Po, where are you going?!" Leo called out as Po ran out the gates and down the steps.

"Yeah, dude! You still haven't chosen a chef!" Mikey added.

Just then one of the pig servants of the Palace approached the two turtles. "Masters Leonardo and Michelangelo, it's time to get your fittings." She told them.

Mikey raised a brow while Leo sighed in exasperation, the two turtles following the pig servant into the Student Barracks and leaving Zeng and the rejected chefs completely befuddled.

---

Mr. Ping gasped with wide eyes as he stared at the sacred spoon in his wings. "The Golden Ladle…" He breathed in awe.

"Yeah!" Po nodded excitedly.

"I'm holding it!" Mr. Ping murmured in amazement.

"Yeah." Po nodded with a smile.

"To be asked to prepare a meal for all the great kung fu masters. What an extraordinary honor." Mr. Ping gushed happily. "Heh, when is it?"

"Tomorrow night." Po answered.

Mr. Ping instantly frowned, all excitement gone. "Oh, that won't work." He shook his head, handing the Ladle back to Po, much to his surprise.

"What? Why?" Po questioned, clearly caught off guard by his dad's refusal.

"Po, that's the holiday!" Mr. Ping reminded him.

"Exactly!" Po said.

"Well, I cannot leave the restaurant." Mr. Ping told the panda, taking some dirty bowls away from the customers and heading towards the kitchen.

"Why not?" Po asked.

"Well, what about our friends? What about those lonely people who have no place else to go? We give them a place to call home." Mr. Ping explained. "There's always room for one more at Mr. Ping's!"

Po sighed in exasperation. "Okay, dad, I appreciate that you care for all the lonely people-"

"And lonely people pay extra!" Mr. Ping added, going into the kitchen.

"But, dad, I need you." Po pleaded, getting back to the point as he entered the kitchen as well. "The Feast is tomorrow, and I just fired all the best chefs in the land!"

Mr. Ping huffed. "The best chefs in the land, huh? You think your fancy palace ladle is better than mine?" He questioned, holding up his own ladle from the pot, which snapped in half almost instantly. "... This is not my 'A' ladle."

Po sighed again. "Dad, look, I didn't mean that. It's just that I thought this was a way for us to be together on the holiday."

"I want us to be together." Mr. Ping stated.

"I can't be here!" Po reminded him. "I have responsibilities to Shifu!"

"So be there with Shifu." Mr. Ping replied, smiling as wide as he could. "Don't you see my big smiling face?" He giggled slightly, his smile cracking slightly, betraying the look of joy on his face.

Po shook his head. "No, no, no, come on, dad. Don't make me feel guilty about this!" He said. "What, uh, what do you expect me to do?!"

"I expect you to do the right thing, Po." Mr. Ping replied, approaching a small shelf and picking up the paper lantern he had made with Po so long ago.

"Here, son." Mr. Ping said, with a tinge of sadness in his voice as he handed Po the lamp. "You should have this on the holiday."

Po hesitantly took the lamp, gazing at the childish drawings of himself and Mr. Ping on it, letting out a heavy sigh before reluctantly going out of the kitchen and into the courtyard.

As he walked out, he was surprised to see April and Casey entering the courtyard of the restaurant with slightly solemn looks on their faces.

"April? Casey?" Po asked in surprise. "What are you guys doing here?"

"Oh, hey, Po." April greeted back, the young lioness giving a wave of her paw. "We were just coming to stay here for the holidays."

"Wait, really? Why?" Po questioned.

"Well, we can't go to the Feast because 'we're not masters' apparently." Casey grumbled, using air quotes. "Totally weak, yo."

"Oh, I'm so sorry, guys." Po sighed sadly, something April and Casey both noticed.

"What's wrong, Po?" April asked.

"Oh, I found out my dad can't come to the Palace during the Feast." Po explained. "So I tried to hire him as a chef to help cook the food for the Feast, but he refused! And now, I don't have a chef at all and I can't be with my dad on the holiday! I just-!" He groaned as he dragged his paw down his face. "I just don't know what to do."

April and Casey both gazed at the panda sympathetically. "Man, that sucks, dude." Casey said. "I'm sure the guys feel the same way about us."

April gently placed a paw on Po's shoulder, forcing him to look at her. "Hey, I'm sure your dad has his reasons for being here for the holidays. Besides, you could always spend the day after with him."

Po took in April's advice before slowly walking out of the courtyard and into the streets, heading back towards the Jade Palace and leaving April and Casey behind at the restaurant.

---

Raph grunted irritably as he tugged on the silver hanfu he was being forced to try on. The hanfu he was being forced to wear was all silver, with streaks of red outlining it to match his mask along with traces of gold around the wrists and the waist.

"Do I have to wear this to the feast?" Raph questioned, tugging the collar slightly. "It's just so… tacky."

"Well, we are masters at the Jade Palace now, Raph." Leo pointed out, adjusting his own hanfu, his having blue and gold streaks outlining it. "The least we can do is respect their traditions."

"Even if it means leaving April and Casey out of it?" Donnie asked as one of the pig servants helped him put on his hanfu with purple and gold streaks.

There was a brief silence in the room as all four turtles contemplated this.

"We'll… cross that bridge when we get to it." Leo said, though even he sounded unsure himself. "Let's just focus on the fittings right now, okay?"

Mikey winced as he scratched his sides under his hanfu with orange and gold streaks. "Still, these outfits are itchy!"

---

"How could my dad say no?" Po grumbled upon reaching the top of the steps towards the Palace, pushing open the gates as he entered the arena. "'I'd rather you stay here, do my holiday thing with me!'" Po said, doing a mocking impression of Mr. Ping. "Yeah, fine, whatever! Well, what about me, dad?! Now I gotta cook all alone!"

"Po?"

The panda jumped at the sudden voice, spinning around to find Shifu standing in the far corner of the Palace arena.

"Whoa! Shifu, hey!" Po exclaimed with a sheepish grin, quickly hiding the box containing the Golden Ladle behind his back.

"All alone? You do not have a chef yet?" Shifu asked with a raised brow.

"No, no, of course I have a chef, heh-heh, you kidding? That would be a disaster." Po laughed nervously as he quickly began to shuffle away towards the kitchen, leaving Shifu confused and rather suspicious of the panda's behavior.

Once he was out of sight, Po let out a groan as he entered the kitchen.

"Agh! I gotta get a chef." Po said to himself. "Maybe I could Mikey to-Aagh!" He cried out as he felt his foot catch on something, causing him to trip and fall over onto his face.

"Pardon me." A small voice said, causing Po to sit up and look behind him, seeing none other than Wo Hop standing in the doorway.

"Bunny! Oh, awesome, a real chef!" Po exclaimed in joyful relief as he got up. "Listen, I know we got off to a rocky start, what with me shaming you and your village for all eternity, which I did not mean to do and I'm really really sorry about that, but if you could start dicing those carrots…"

"I am not here to dice carrots." Wo Hop stated. "I am here to fight you."

Po blinked. "... Huh?" He said, raising a brow in confusion. This had to be some kind of joke.

"The only way I can lift the veil of shame cast upon me and my village is to fight the Dragon Warrior." Wo Hop said firmly. "Surely I will die, but it will restore my honor." He then bowed to Po before whipping out a small wooden ladle.

Before Po could even protest, Wo Hop dashed forward, swinging his ladle at the panda several times and hitting as hard as he could, though of course it did nothing as Po easily towered over him.

"Come on, I don't want to hurt you." Po said as Wo Hop continued 'attacking' him. "Look, bunny, I get this whole honor thing, but this isn't kung fu."

Seeing as his ladle wasn't doing anything, Wo Hop resorted to getting down on the ground and nibbling on Po's toes as hard as he could.

"You're biting me." Po deadpanned at Wo Hop before the small rabbit began crawling all over his body like a spider, tickling Po slightly and causing him to laugh. "Ah! Look, bu-bunny, I have enough on my plate between cooking and my dad guilting me." He said, trying to reach Wo Hop to pull him off. "Get off… What is it with parents and holidays?"

Wo Hop temporarily halted his assault as he jumped down. "Sometimes they love us too much." He said rather philosophically. "But it is not my place to say. It is my place to die!" He then immediately resumed his attack as he punched Po's belly several times to no effect.

Po rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Oh, you've gotta be kidding me." He muttered before grabbing Wu Hop by the collar of his robe and easily pulling him off of him.

"How dare you!" Wo Hop yelled as he kicked and squirmed in his grip before Po dumped him into an empty jar. "Let me out of here!"

"Okay, there you go." Po said, putting the lid over the jar before placing a whole bag of flour on it.

"Po," The panda turned to the doorway to the kitchen to see Monkey and Crane standing there, "the table is not set. Have you started cooking?" Monkey asked.

"We've all had our fittings." Crane added. "Are you ready?"

"I'm working on it!" Po quickly replied as the two of them left.

As Po began the process of preparing the ingredients, he failed to notice Tigress entering the room.

As he began cooking, Po hummed a little diddy to himself. "Hmm mmm… I never hosted a feast before, but that won't stop me from frying some boar… Fried boar! On-the-side-boar!" He sang to himself.

Tigress stopped midway into the room, staring at Po with a surprised expression as the panda continued singing.

Should she laugh? Because this was… actually rather amusing. She placed her paw over her mouth to muffle her giggles as her shoulder shook.

"Po…" Tigress spoke up, regaining her composure.

Po jumped with a yelp, spilling some ingredients into a batch of soup he was making. "Oh, Tigress!" He exclaimed, holding his chest. "H-How long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough." Tigress smiled as she walked over to him. "Enough to know you have a nice singing voice."

Po's cheeks lit up in a light blush as he turned away.

Tigress chuckled. "It's nothing to be ashamed of, Po." She told him.

"Thanks, Ti." Po replied meekly.

"By the way, you might want to turn down the heat on the stove." Tigress stated, pointing to the boiling pot of soup. "You're gonna make it go bitter."

Po looked down at the pot, noticing the boiling water as well. "Oh, jeez!" He exclaimed, realizing his mistake as he lowered the heat on the stove. "Well, thanks for pointing that out for me." He said.

"You're welcome." Tigress said. "Do you need any help preparing the food for the feast?"

"Pfft, nah!" Po said, waving his hand in a dismissive manner. "I got this."

Tigress stared at him for a moment with a raised brow before noticing all of the spilled ingredients around the kitchen. "Alright." She shrugged before heading out of the room. "Do as you wish."

Po watched her go with a slightly wistful look before turning his attention back to the cooking pot. Deciding to give it a quick taste, Po dipped the ladle into the soup and took a small sip. But as soon as it touched his taste-buds, Po immediately felt the urge to hurl.

---

And as he did, the scenery slid out from around him, almost like a slot machine, and before he knew it, he was suddenly in the sewing room.

Instantly, Po spat out the soup, accidentally spitting into the tailor pig's face.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Po quickly apologized, only for the tailor to slap him so hard that he spun around, allowing the pig tailor to put on his ceremonial hat for the feast.

---

Before Po even knew what was happening, he suddenly found himself in the Palace courtyard in front of a big block of ice, the head of which had already been intricately carved into the head of a dragon.

"Wha…?" Po muttered in confusion before immediately setting to work, picking up a chisel and a hammer and beginning to carve the ice. "Tap, tap, tap…"

---

Suddenly, Po found himself standing in the Hall of Heroes by the table, somehow having taken the hammer and chisel with him, accidentally breaking one of the vases on the table.

Po gasped, covering his mouth with his hands as he dropped the hammer and chisel.

---

"Of course he's never here when you need him." Mr. Ping grumbled to himself about his son's absence as he continued to chop up the carrots in the kitchen while April and Casey sat at a random table in the courtyard.

---

Perspective seemed to be all wonky that day as it switched back to Po as he picked up the pieces of the vase he had just broken seconds ago, trying to stick them back together as his ceremonial hat fell off.

---

Suddenly, Po found himself standing in another part of the Hall with three dejected looking geese.

"Hey, uh, Po?" Donnie spoke up, approaching the panda and getting his attention. "The vocalist for the band just quit."

Po stared at the purple clad turtle in surprise as he dropped the broken vase pieces.

"I've been waiting for this moment my whole life!" One of the goose singers said, stepping forward before he began singing tunelessly.

Po and Donnie both winced at the goose's terrible singing. "Let's just go instrumental." Po suggested.

---

"This is an embarrassment." Shifu stated as he looked at the half-carved ice dragon that was not even close to being done.

---

"Po!" Mr. Ping cried as he was struggling to carry several boxes of vegetables all at once.

"Are you sure you don't want any help, Mr. Ping?" April asked in concern.

"It's fine, I have this under control!" Mr. Ping tried to reassure her, only to lose his balance and drop the boxes, earning a laugh from Casey.

---

"Ha ha!" Wo Hop laughed triumphantly as he finally managed to get the lid off of the jar he had been trapped in.

---

Po was once again in the kitchen, trying to cook the food for the Feast as fast as he could, only for Wo Hop to come out of seemingly nowhere and smack him on the head with a ladle.

"OW! Bunny!" Po exclaimed, rubbing his head as he glared at Wo Hop before reaching down to grab a cooking mallet.

---

As Po grabbed the mallet, he realized too late that he was once again in the sewing room as he smashed the mallet against his ceremonial hat, breaking it.

"Uh, sorry." Po winced, dropping the mallet, only for the pig tailor to spin him around and immediately slap another identical ceremonial hat on his head.

---

Suddenly, Po was in the courtyard again as his arm collided with the head of the ice dragon, causing it to break off.

"Yow!" Po cried in a panic, quickly catching the dragon head.

---

Mr. Ping blew as hard as he could on a boiling pot of noodles that threatened to overflow while April and Casey were helping to organize the boxes of vegetables.

Meanwhile, a father rabbit and his daughter stood at the counter outside. "Hi, we'd like two…" The father rabbit started.

"We're not open yet!" Mr. Ping snapped.

The daughter rabbit immediately started bawling.

---

Po desperately reattached the head of the ice dragon to the body.

---

The setting once again changed back to the table in the Hall of Heroes, Po having accidently taken the head of the ice dragon with him and causing him to drop it on a pile of plates, shattering them to bits.

Gasping, Po reached down to grab some more plates to replace them.

---

When Po stood up, he found himself in the kitchen again, the whole room now on fire.

Seeing the food was now burning, Po immediately tossed away the plates and began trying to cook again, Feng even coming into the room to paint another picture of him, only to be chased off as Po growled at him.

"Are you sure you don't need any help, Po?" Leo asked in concern as he, Tigress, Raph, Donnie, Mikey, Viper, Crane, Monkey, and Mantis all peeked in through the doorway, all of them rather alarmed that the whole place was in flames.

"No, I don't!" Po yelled in frustration, not even turning to face them.

"Really? Because it looks like you could really use it." Mantis pointed out.

"Seriously, dude, even I know this would be a good time to get some help." Mikey added.

"I'm telling you guys, I got this!" Po stated stubbornly, his ceremonial hat also catching fire.

Raph scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Yeah, sure you do." He muttered sarcastically.

"At least put out the fire first!" Viper said in motherly concern.

---

Before Po could properly respond, he was suddenly in the sewing room again, the pig tailor dumping a bucket of water on him to douse the fire on his ceremonial hat, causing Po to fall over.

---

"This is not right." Shifu stated as he examined the broken plates that had been crushed under the ice dragon's severed head.

---

Po stood up as he found himself in the sewing room, the settings beginning to shift faster and faster for him as he suddenly found himself in the kitchen, then the courtyard, then the Hall before it all suddenly merged into a blur that passed by him at lightning speed.

Po screamed as he clutched his head, images, people, words, all flying by him as if by magic as he began having somewhat of a panic attack.

---

It all finally came to an end as Po found himself again in the now burned down kitchen, Wo Hop standing by the cooking table patiently.

Po let out an exhausted breath, burying his face in his arms in defeat. It was all too much for him to handle, much more than he had expected, and he was now paying the price for his hubris.

"Oh, this is a total disaster…" Po said tiredly. "Now I'm gonna disappoint everyone. My dad, the Turtles, the Furious Five, Shifu…" He said that last part sadly.

"And me." Wo Hop pointed out with a wry grin. "I'm not dead yet."

Po rolled his eyes at his comment. "What kind of Dragon Warrior am I if I can't even pull off a dinner?" He asked himself.

"I guess kung fu can't solve everything." Wo Hop shrugged.

Po looked down before he realized Wo Hop's words. "That's it!" He exclaimed joyfully, getting an idea. "Bunny, you're brilliant!"

He then rushed out of the room, leaving Wo Hop surprised and rather confused by what had just happened.

"TIGRESS! LEO! RAPH! DONNIE! MIKEY! VIPER! CRANE! MONKEY! MANTIS!" Po shouted as he ran out into the palace courtyard.

Almost instantly, the Turtles and the Five all gathered together into the courtyard.

"What's going on, Po?" Leo asked.

"Something crazy, Leo." Po stated. "This may be our greatest challenge ever!"

"Ooh, what is it?" Mikey gasped excitedly.

"Bandits?" Monkey asked.

"Raiders?" Viper also asked with an eager grin.

"Thieves?" Raph smirked, punching his fist into his palm and cracking his knuckles.

"No…" Po said before narrowing his eyes seriously. "Place settings."

Leo, Tigress, Donnie, Mikey, Viper, Crane, Monkey, and Mantis all sighed and rolled their eyes, though smiles still remained on all their faces.

Raph's shoulders slumped as he looked down. "Aww man." He groaned in disappointment.

---

Leo, Po, Tigress, Raph, Donnie, Mikey, Viper, Crane, Monkey, and Mantis gathered themselves around the large table at the end of the Hall of Heroes, their eyes narrowed into white slits as tension filled the air.

"Everyone ready?" Tigress asked as she and Leo carried a series of lanterns.

"Oh, believe me, I was born ready." Monkey smirked confidently, holding a pile of napkins in his hands.

"Let's do this." Raph said, twirling a pair of rainbow feather dusters in his hands.

Donnie pulled several shurikens out from his belt while Mikey was armed with a small duster. Mantis carried several plates on his back easily, despite the plates being much bigger than he was.

Viper and Crane, meanwhile, positioned themselves in readied stances, their faces completely stoic in anticipation.

"Okay… go!" Po shouted. "Tigress, Leo, the Tahila Leap!"

"On it!" Both Leo and Tigress said as they both ran up two pillars opposite of each other, throwing the lanterns up as they flipped down.

"Viper, Donnie, Stars of Destiny!" Po yelled.

Donnie passed a few shurikens to Viper while keeping some for himself. The two of them then threw the shurikens at the thread of the lanterns while they were in mid-air, allowing them to hang from the ceiling.

"Yes!" Donnie and Viper both grinned, sharing a high-five.

"Raph, Mikey, Feather Dusters of Doom!" Po ordered.

"Oh, we got this, dudes!" Mikey said confidently as he strung his kusarigama chain between two of the pillars in the Hall, allowing him to hang upside down from them to dust off the lamps.

Raph meanwhile, put the two feather dusters in his hands to good use as he dove under the table, cleaning up all of the dust, dirt, and grime under it and from the floor in a manner of seconds.

"Yeah!" Po cheered. "Mantis, Pinwheel Attack!"

Mantis jumped onto the table, raising the plates up before distributing them around the table quickly with perfect precision.

"Oh, yeah! You guys are the best!" Po said excitedly before turning to Wo Hop. "And you, bunny, if you want me to think about your death with honor, you're gonna have to help me in the kitchen!"

"Ooh, ooh, ooh!" Mikey raised his hand, bouncing on the balls of his feet excitedly. "Can I help with the cooking too? Pleeeeease?" He begged, straight-up giving Po the puppy eyes.

"Okay, why not?" Po shrugged. "C'mon, let's go!"

Wo Hop sighed a shrug, deciding to just go along with it.

---

Po, Mikey, and Wo Hop all quickly set to work upon entering the kitchen, with Po and Mikey preparing the main meals and drinks with great care and effort.

Wo Hop, meanwhile, chopped up several carrots and dumped them into a boiling pot of vegetable soup before hopping into the pot himself, hoping to boil himself to death.

However, he was foiled as Po quickly grabbed him by the ears and pulled him out.

---

Meanwhile, back out in the Hall, the others continued to set the table as Crane used his wings to send a gust of wind to lift the cups above the table and allow Monkey to quickly place all of the napkins around the table.

Once that was done, Crane used his wings to manipulate the wind so that the cups all landed gently on the napkins spread around the table.

---

Back in the kitchen, Po and Mikey continued cooking, Mikey stirring the noodle soup while also checking on the beef as it cooked.

Meanwhile, Po was busy chopping up carrots in a neat fashion before reaching over and grabbing what he assumed was the next batch of carrots, only to be surprised to see that he had grabbed Wo Hop, who had his fist placed in his palm and his eyes closed in what seemed to be peace.

Wo Hop peeked his eyes open to see if he was dead yet, only to be met by Po's anamused glare.

---

Mantis held several chopsticks in his pincers before tossing them into the air, allowing for Monkey to thrust his palm forward with enough force that it sent a gust of wind to carry all of the chopsticks over to their respective napkins.

---

Wo Hop was in the middle of cleaning all the dirty dishes when he suddenly found a large sharp knife among them.

Peering around to see if anyone was looking, Wo Hop tossed the knife into the air above him and prepared himself for the end…

… only for Mikey to swoop in and nonchalantly block the knife with a cutting board, much to Wo Hop's ire.

---

"Twenty-nine place settings, forty chopsticks each, we did it!" Po exclaimed as he, the Turtles, the Five, and Wo Hop stood around the table, all of them proud of their hard work.

"We rule!" Mikey cheered as he, Donnie, and Monkey pumped their fists in triumph. "Booyakabunga!" The three of them jumped up, sharing a three-way high-five.

Leo, Tigress, Raph, and Viper simply shook their heads while smiling in amusement.

"Every detail just right." Crane added. "Even down to the ground jasmine."

Po's eyes widened as his shoulders slacked. "Ground jasmine?!" He said in disbelief. "It was supposed to be flaked! I'll be right back!"

"Hurry! The Masters are arriving!" Viper told him.

Po quickly grabbed a box containing the ground jasmine and rushed out of the Hall, heading down towards the courtyard.

"And he forgot his scarf and hat." Monkey pointed out, noting Po's lack of winter-based attire.

"On a freezing night like this, he's gonna catch a cold." Donnie added, noting the freezing winds and snowfall.

Tigress, acting quickly, grabbed a nearby beanie and scarf and quickly ran out of the Hall after Po, eventually catching up to him in the courtyard while the others weren't far behind.

Po shivered as he rubbed arms. Even with a big fur coat as thick as his, he was still pretty cold. "Ooooh, it's freezing out here." He said to himself.

"Po!" Tigress called out, causing him to turn around.

"Oh, Tigress." Po said with relief upon seeing her carrying the hat and scarf.

"Here, you're probably going to need these." Tigress said, handing him the hat and scarf.

Po happily took the hat and scarf and put them on. "Thanks, I was starting to think I was gonna freeze to death."

"Well, we don't want that now, do we?" Tigress smirked.

Po laughed. "No, we don't."

Shaking her head with a fond smile, Tigress quickly grabbed Po by his shoulders and spun him around towards the gates. "Hurry up. The Masters are going to be here any minute."

"Right." The panda nodded before he ran out the gates. "I promised Shifu it would perfe-Aah!" Po yelped as he slipped on some ice that had formed on the ground, causing him to fall over and tumble down the stairs towards the village.

Leo, Tigress, Raph, Donnie, Mikey, Viper, Monkey, Crane, and Mantis all winced as they heard the sound of bouncing followed by Po's loud cries of pain.

"... Should we go check on him?" Crane asked after a short bit.

Monkey shook his head. "Not with the Masters arriving soon." He replied.

Leo let out a quiet sigh as he grabbed a scarf and wrapped it around his neck. "C'mon," He spoke to Raph, Donnie, and Mikey, prompting them to get scarves of their own, "me and my brothers will go get him." He told the Five.

Tigress nodded. "Right. We'll make sure the Masters are seated and everything is ready by the time you get back." She said.

"Alright, guys, let's go!" Leo ordered as he, Raph, Donnie, and Mikey rushed down the steps by sliding down the side of the steps.

---

It took some time, but eventually, Leo, Raph, Donnie, and Mikey were able to catch up with Po as he finally came to the bottom of the steps, face-planting into the snow.

"You alright, big guy?" Raph asked as he and Mikey helped the panda up onto his feet.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks, guys." Po replied, brushing some snow off his face.

"Well, let's hurry and get that flaked jasmine and get back to the Palace fast!" Donnie stated.

Once Po had gathered his bearings, they quickly rushed over to the building they were supposed to pick up the flaked jasmine.

"Happy Feast." The sheep woman at the door said kindly, handing them the box of flaked jasmine.

"Yeah, you too." Po replied, holding the box of flaked jasmine close to his person.

"Merry Christmas!" Mikey called out cheerfully, waving to the sheep woman as they walked away, the sheep woman smiling and waving back.

With the flaked jasmine gathered, Po, Leo, Raph, Donnie, and Mikey began heading back towards the Palace, speed-walking through the streets covered in blankets of snow.

Donnie shivered as he rubbed his arms. "Man, it sure is cold out tonight." He remarked. "I should've brought my hat and coat."

Raph gave him a friendly slap on the shell. "Well, too late for that now, huh?" He said jokingly.

"Well, we should probably get back to the Palace before…" Leo was about to say before he suddenly noticed Po wasn't by their side. "... Po?"

Raph, Donnie, and Mikey quickly noticed the panda was missing as well, immediately stopping in their tracks as the four brothers looked around.

"How do you lose a guy as big as him?" Raph questioned with a huff, folding his arms.

"Wait, dudes! I see him!" Mikey exclaimed, pointing out the panda who was standing in the center of the town square, a soft look on his face as he gazed around.

Leo, Raph, Donnie, and Mikey quickly approached him.

"Po, come on," Donnie spoke up, lightly shaking Po's shoulders, "what are you… looking… at…"

Donnie's words trailed off as he and his brothers really took the moment to take in their surroundings.

The area they were standing in was wide and full of snow, lights from the buildings shining all around and lighting up the place in an almost majestic light, which added to the atmosphere along with the light snowfall.

Leo, Raph, Donnie, and Mikey couldn't help but gape at this beautiful sight along with their panda friend. They had seen many things in their adventures together; from their first trip to the surface in the streets of New York and seeing the starry night skies for the first time, the wondrous and majestic forest surrounding April's Farmhouse in Northampton, the many beautiful sights they had seen in their adventures in space like the Cosmic Ocean of Varuna, and even the Temple Palace of the Sky Buddha in Japan while traveling with Usagi and Kintaro when they came to this dimension for the first time.

But even after all that, there were still always things in like that took their breaths away.

All around them, Po, Leo, Raph, Donnie, and Mikey could see lights and decorations all throughout the town, children playing in snow and having fun, families meeting in their homes and laughing joyfully as they had dinner together.

One family in particular caught Po's eye, however, as he noticed a small rabbit entering a large house, and inside was a whole family of pigs and geese as well as other rabbits, all of them gathered around the table and having a delectable feast.

"You made it!" One of the geese guests said happily to the rabbit.

"Of course! I'd never missed this!" The rabbit smiled as he entered the house.

"It looks so yummy! I wanna go first!" One of the pig children at the table said excitedly as he stared at the food.

"Eat up!" The mother pig said, a bright smile on her face.

Po, Leo, Raph, Donnie, and Mikey all peered through the open window of the house, watching as the rabbit walked over to a young rabbit child, obviously the rabbit's son.

"Here you go!" The rabbit said as he lifted his son up in order to allow him to hang a small paper lantern with little drawings of himself and his son on it.

"Thanks, daddy." The rabbit child giggled as he hugged his father.

Po stared at the rabbit father and son before shifting his gaze towards the paper lamp, his eyes fixed on the drawing of the two, oddly reminding him of himself and his own father.

And immediately, a feeling of guilt began to swell up in his chest as he realized that this was probably going to be the first Winter Festival that he would spend without his dad, the eccentric noodle-obsessed elderly goose who had raised him all his life after finding him in a radish basket.

For Leo, Raph, Donnie, and Mikey, they were having similar feelings as well, only instead of guilt, they each felt a great deal of grief and sadness as they realized this would be their second Christmas without Master Splinter, without their father Hamato Yoshi, the first one being right after the Kraang Invasion where they had had a rather miserable Christmas that year as well, thinking their father had been killed by the Shredder after being thrown down a drainage pipe while Leo was in a coma upstairs in the bathroom with a broken leg. And to make it worse, they couldn't even spend it this year with some of their closest friends.

Seeing Po's solemn expression, Leo gently placed his hand on the panda's shoulder while Donnie lightly patted him on the back, giving the panda a little comfort.

Mikey shuffled closely to Raph, leaning his head on his shoulder. Though slightly surprised, Raph didn't push him away, instead opting to wrap his arm around Mikey's shoulders and pull him closer, nuzzling his chin against his baby brother's forehead.

Stepping away from the house, Po, Leo, Raph, Donnie, and Mikey turned their eyes up to the Jade Palace which sat high atop the Wu Dang Mountains, atop the thousand steps it took to get up there. A place that represented their duties and responsibilities as kung fu masters that they could not simply shirk, lest they forsake everything the late Master Oogway stood for.

For what felt like several minutes, the five of them stared up at the Palace with saddened and conflicted looks on their faces.

---

After heading back up to the steps to the Palace, Po, Leo, Raph, Donnie, and Mikey managed to deliver the flaked jasmine to the Feast and get into their ceremonial Winter Feast clothes before being seated around the table with Shifu, Tigress, Viper, Crane, Monkey, Mantis, and all the other kung fu masters.

Po was wearing a dark cape around his shoulders along with the ceremonial hat he had been forced to wear earlier, a hat that had two branches shaped like dragons.

Tigress wore a silver version of her regular kung fu vest with the golden vine patterns being replaced by red ones. She also wore a black ceremonial hat on her head, signifying her status as Shifu's daughter.

Leo, Raph, Donnie, and Mikey were wearing their ceremonial silver hanfus that they had tried on earlier, each with streaks on the outline of the hanfus matching each of their respective mask colors. On their heads, they each wore ceremonial hats similar to Tigress', only theirs had dragon symbols carved into them, signifying their status as the Dragon Warrior's Guardians.

Viper, Crane, and Monkey wore silver versions of their own clothes, like Viper's lotus flower clips, Crane's vest, and Monkey's pants. Mantis, however, didn't have to wear anything since he was too small for anything to fit him.

"Beautiful… elegant… perfect." Shifu said, wearing a silver version of his green sash. "You've made me proud. All twenty-nine kung fu schools and their masters. Excellent, excellent."

A deep silence filled the Hall as Po shifted his eyes around awkwardly. Feeling fidgety, Po lightly picked up his chopsticks and started tapping his plate with them.

Unbeknownst to him, everyone else at the table, including Leo, Tigress, Raph, Donnie, Mikey, Viper, Crane, Monkey, and Mantis, picked up their own chopsticks and began awkwardly tapping them against their plates, since according to the tradition of the Feast, they had to do everything the host would do.

The tapping grew louder and louder and became faster and faster until Shifu finally had enough. "Po!" He snapped, causing Po to look up.

Seeing everyone mimicking him, Po instinctively tossed his chopsticks behind him, the other masters at the table doing the same.

"Ahem." Shifu cleared his throat. "Dragon Warrior, would you honor us by reciting the opening words to the Creed of Masters?"

Po looked hesitant, barely listening as he gazed down at his lap where his childhood paper lantern lay, his eyes focused on the drawing of himself and Mr. Ping.

"Po…"

The panda let out a sigh. "I can't, Master Shifu." He said solemnly.

Shifu, misinterpreting what he meant, smiled a bit. "I thought you might forget the words, Po, so I took the liberty of writing them on your napkin."

Po looked down at his napkins, surprised to see that indeed, the words for the creed were written on it.

"Th-that's not it." Po said, before standing up from his chair and removing his hat.

The other masters stood up from their chairs as well and removed their hats, following the panda, much to his chagrin. "No, no, everyone, please. Okay, please, no… you don't have to…" Po tried to make the others understand that there was no need for them to stand up and take off their ceremonial hats, but ultimately failed. "Okay, well, they're off."

Silence again filled the Hall as everyone awaited what the Dragon Warrior was going to say.

"Anyway, um, let me just say something." Po said, finding his voice again. "The Creed of Masters is amazing. It's, like, the coolest creed ever. And, uh, you masters, how cool are you guys? I don't even have to tell you… Master Rhino? Not Master Thundering Rhino, I mean you, new Master Rhino. Forget about it! You're more awesomely skilled and… you know, wrinkly than I'd ever dreamed you'd be. And, uh, Master Sheep, fluffy and incredible…"

Master Sheep felt his fur with his hoof. "... it's true." He whispered, nodding in agreement.

"Uh, the Five, and even my guardians, the Turtles, it's just… such an honor to be here with all you guys: my heroes." Po smiled. "But every feast, my dad and I spend all day cooking together. And the whole neighborhood shows up. And it gets really loud and crazy, and my Uncle Yang ends up laughing so hard, noodles spurt out of his nose…"

"I'd like to see that." Crane whispered, trying not to laugh.

"Me too." Monkey agreed with a grin.

"Same here." Mikey snickered.

"So, uh, I wish I could stay and… be a good host, but… I think I need to leave, and…" Po continued, taking off his ceremonial cape and putting it down on the table before giving Shifu an apologetic look. "... be a good son."

With that, Po grabbed his childhood lantern and walked out of the Hall, leaving everyone rather surprised and confused.

"Po! Come back here!" Shifu yelled, though it was futile as the panda had already left.

Seeing their panda friend leaving, Donnie stood up from his chair. "Sorry, Master Shifu, but Po's right. As nice as this feast probably is, I think it's probably more important to be a good friend." With that, the purple clad turtle also turned to leave.

Raph watched Donnie leave the Hall before he shrugged and stood up from his chair too, walking out of the Hall as well.

Mikey stood up next with a smile as he happily walked out of the Hall with a skip in his step after his brothers.

Leo was next as he looked around at the table and all the masters gathered before he stood up from his chair. "Forgive us, Master Shifu." He said to Shifu, placing his fist in his palm before bowing apologetically. Rising from his bow, he then turned to leave, running after his brothers and their friend and out of the Hall.

"What… but… Turtles! Get back here!" Shifu sputtered incredulously.

Viper, meanwhile, sighed fondly as she turned to Tigress. "Ah, I used to love cooking with my sisters…" She said sentimentally.

Tigress smiled nostalgically. "The folk dances." She said, remembering her first dance.

"The games, the music." Crane added wistfully while Monkey nodded in agreement.

"Whoa! Wait! What about our traditions?! Who will recite the creed?!" Shifu exclaimed, now on the verge of panicking. "Somebody do something!"

Seeing this as a chance to prove himself, one of the goose singers began to sing jarringly, earning a pain-filled sigh from Shifu.

"Well, you wanted someone to do something." Mantis chuckled.

Tigress looked over her shoulder towards the open doors of the Hall, her amber eyes filled with a sense of great longing before she finally stood up from her chair and began to head for the doors, much to everyone's surprise and shock.

"Tigress, where are you going?!" Shifu questioned as he watched his daughter silently walk out of the Hall and into the snow.

Tigress stopped before turning back to face the red panda. "Father…" She spoke in a soft tone of voice. "Maybe Po is right. Maybe it is time we change our traditions a little." With that, she walked out the gates and out of sight.

Soon one by one, each of the masters began to rise from their chairs and leave the Hall until only Shifu was left with a look of conflict on his face as he looked down at the now empty table.

---

Down at Mr. Ping's Noodle Shop, April and Casey were still at their table in the courtyard of the restaurant in silence as they watched the snow fall.

"Well, some Christmas this turned out to be." Casey remarked sullenly, folding his legs over each other and leaning his elbow against the table.

"Still, at least we have each other, right?" April said, trying to sound positive.

"And you have us, too."

April and Casey looked up in surprise to see Leo, Po, Raph, Donnie, and Mikey entering the courtyard with smiles on their faces, with the Turtles having ditched their ceremonial robes.

"Guys!" April cheered as she stood up and rushed towards them, hugging Donnie and Mikey. "What are you all doing here?"

"Yeah, we thought you guys were gonna be at that big feast, yo!" Casey added, playfully clasping hands with Raph and fist-bumping with Leo.

"Well, we decided we couldn't celebrate the holidays without you." Leo said with a warm smile, which April and Casey returned.

"By the way, guys, have either of you seen my dad?" Po asked. "I need to go talk to him."

"He's in the kitchen." April said, pointing over her shoulder to the building behind her. "And I think he'll be waiting for you."

In the kitchen, Mr. Ping was having trouble cooking a new pot of noodles, not seeming to have the passion that he usually did as he stared at his reflection in the water.

Still, there was work to do and cooking to be done. People would be coming soon and he didn't want to leave them starving for the night.

So, with a heavy heart, Mr. Ping grabbed the sides of the pot, and attempted to lift it up. However, it proved to be a lot heavier than he thought, causing him to stumble back.

For a moment, it seemed like he was going to fall over when Mr. Ping suddenly felt himself being caught by a pair of familiar flabby arms.

"It got that, dad."

"Po?" Mr. Ping said in surprise, looking up to see his panda son standing above him. "Ah, you came!" He then looked rather remorseful as he averted his eyes. "Oh, Po, I'm… I'm sorry I made you feel so guilty."

Po gave him a dismissive wave of his hand. "Nah, don't be. That's what the holidays are all about." He smiled. "Now, don't we have some cooking to do?"

Mr. Ping's smile was so bright, it could've matched the sun.

Soon enough, they set to work cooking the soup, almost looking like they were dancing as they minced the meat, chopped the vegetables, heated the water, and stirred the noodles as more and more people began to arrive at the restaurant. Once the soup was finished, they tasted it before pouring it into several bowls.

With the soup loaded up onto two trays for each of them, Po and Mr. Ping both emerged from the kitchen and into the courtyard where they were met with dozens of people crowded in the restaurant, all of them cheering upon seeing them.

And amongst the crowd, Leo, Raph, Donnie, Mikey, April, and Casey smiled at them as they made their way over to them through the crowd, to which Po and Mr. Ping smiled back.

"Mmm-mm! This soup smells delicious!" Mikey said excitedly as Po handed him a bowl of noodle soup.

"Thanks for letting us stay here, Mr. Ping." Leo smiled as the elderly goose handed him a bowl.

"Yeah, it really means a lot." Donnie added.

Mr. Ping waved his wing with a chuckle. "Oh, it's no problem, boys. Any friend of Po's is a friend of mine. You should all know that by now."

"Still, thank you so much." April smiled as several other people received their bowls of soup.

"Table for five?" Viper's voice suddenly rang out.

Turning towards the entrance, everyone, even Po, Leo, Raph, Donnie, Mikey, April, Casey and Mr. Ping, were surprised to see the Tigress, Viper, Crane, Monkey, and Mantis entering the courtyard of the restaurant.

"Hey!" Po cheered while the others smiled, happy to see that they had come. All of the other people in the crowd cheered at the appearance of the Furious Five.

"Dudes, you came!" Mikey exclaimed joyfully.

"Hey, Po! Hey, guys!" Monkey waved as he and the rest of the Five approached, grabbing a bowl of soup from one of the trays.

"Happy holiday, Po." Tigress smiled at the panda as she took her bowl of soup, to which the panda smiled back.

"The more the merrier!" Mr. Ping chuckled.

"You said it." Raph agreed with a smile, already slurping on his soup like the others were.

"Thank you, Mr. Ping." Mantis said, taking a bowl of soup as well.

Mr. Ping leaned in closely to Po as he watched Mantis go. "The little one pays full price, but eats like a child!" He whispered jokingly to the panda.

Not long after, they received a further surprise as all the other masters from the Feast arrived as well, including Master Ox, Master Croc, the new Master Rhino, Master Sheep, Master Bear, Master Chicken, Master Goose, Master Pig, and many of the other masters.

"Whoa!" Po gasped while Leo, Raph, Donnie, Mikey, April, and Casey all looked shocked at their arrival.

However, as everyone in the courtyard celebrated with joy and festive cheer, there was one who did not.

Up above on the roof of the restaurant, Wo Hop glared down at Po in particular before using one of the nearby bamboo trees to slide down into the courtyard.

With determination in his eyes, Wo Hop sprinted towards the Dragon Warrior with the intent of attacking him…

… only to be shocked when Po spun around to face him, with the box containing the Golden Ladle in his hands.

"Master Wo Hop," Po said with a smile, offering him the Ladle, "I believe this belongs to you."

"The Golden Ladle?!" Wo Hop exclaimed before he smiled, taking the Ladle. "Thank you, Dragon Warrior!" He grinned as Po nodded to him with a smile. "Now I have restored my honor and the honor to my village!"

---

In his imagination, Wo Hop imagined himself back in his village outside the Wall of China as servants of the Jade Palace arrived and took down part of the wall before rebuilding it so that Wo Hop's village was reincluded inside the wall and safe from any armies outside.

---

"Glad to be of help." Po smiled as Wo Hop skipped away with joy, carrying the Golden Ladle in his hands.

Mikey, Crane, and Monkey meanwhile all sat at the same table, gleefully eating their noodle soup when they spotted an elderly pig chatting with some friends before laughing so hard that noodles spurt out of his nose.

"Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy, it's Uncle Yang!" Crane grinned as he recognized the pig while Monkey smiled and Mikey snickered.

"It is!" Mikey giggled.

Leo laughed along with everyone as they watched and enjoyed their own soup when he spotted a certain samurai rabbit emerge from around the corner, entering through the gates to the courtyard.

"No way…" Leo gasped while the others looked both shocked and surprised at the appearance of this new figure.

And that figure was none other than Miyamoto Usagi himself, with a straw and hemp coat draped around his blue kimono and his kasa hat on his head.

"Usagi!" Leo exclaimed as he, Po, Tigress, Raph, Donnie, Viper, Crane, Monkey, and Mantis rose from their seats to greet the rabbit ronin.

"It is good to see you again, my friends. And happy holidays as well." Usagi smiled, removing his hat and bowing to them slightly.

"Happy holidays to you too." Leo said as he and Usagi shook hands.

"We haven't seen you since Gongmen City." Viper added. "How are you?"

"I am doing well, Master Viper." Usagi replied. "I also bring good will from Kintaro as well."

"He couldn't come?" Donnie asked, looking slightly solemn.

Usagi nodded. "He has his duties to the monks of his temple. But he still wishes you all joy over this long winter."

"Well, it's still good to see you again, Usagi." Tigress said.

"Yeah, especially during the holidays." Po added.

Usagi then reached behind him. "That reminds me," He said, pulling out a cluster of four boxes, "I have a gift for you and your brothers, Leonardo-san."

Curious, Leo, Raph, Donnie, and Mikey each took a box. Leo and Donnie briefly inspected the boxes before opening them while Raph and Mikey immediately opened theirs without a second thought.

Inside each of the boxes were parts of samurai armor that was painted black with golden outlines and little silver dragon symbols carved into the metal that was just barely visible.

"Woah, this armor looks sick!" Mikey grinned as he pulled out both osode shoulder pads and put them on. "Thanks, Usagi-dude!"

Donnie slid the kogake sandal boots on his feet after he put on the suneate shin armor. "Hey, wait, this armor looks just like the ones we wore when we were traveling with you and Kintaro to the Sky Buddha Temple." He pointed out, noticing the design of the armor.

"I had these manufactured by a local blacksmith back in Japan. It should provide extra protection against any foes you might face." Usagi explained. "I hope it is to your liking."

Raph rolled his arm after putting on the shoulder pads, the han kote hand-gauntlets, the suneate shin-guards, and the sandal boots. "Feels pretty good actually." He commented as Leo, Donnie, and Mikey finished putting on their armor. "Thanks, Usagi."

Casey was suddenly beside Raph, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and pulling him into a half-hug. "Not gonna lie, you guys look pretty dope in samurai armor." He said, thumping Raph in the chest with his fist, to which Raph playfully shoved him off.

Leo inspected his new armor before noting his katanas strapped to his shell and how they felt kind of awkward on the back. So, Leo undid the knot holding his swords onto his shell and moved them over to his left hip, clipping them to the side of his belt in a traditional samurai fashion. "Thanks again, Usagi. It means a lot." He said, bowing his head. "Happy Holidays."

"Happy Holidays to you as well, my brother." Usagi replied, bowing his head back.

Po's eyes then lit up as he turned to Tigress. "Speaking of gifts, I got something for you, Tigress." He said, pulling out a box from behind him.

Leo, Raph, Donnie, Mikey, Viper, Crane, Monkey, Mantis, April, and Casey all looked surprised at this, though none were more astounded than Tigress herself.

"You… you got me a gift?" Tigress asked, hesitantly taking the box.

Po nodded. "Yeah, a few days ago actually. Hope you like it."

Tigress looked down at the box before slowly opening it. As soon as she saw what was inside, she let out a soft gasp.

Inside the box was a bright golden hanfu so rich that it almost glowed in the light of the lanterns above. The long flowing sleeves were patterned with black leaves and a white flower blooming on the left breast.

Leo, Raph, Donnie, Mikey, Viper, Crane, Monkey, Mantis, April, and Casey crowded around to see the hanfu as Tigress took it out of the box, all of them admiring it in awe.

"Wow…" Viper gasped.

"That's really something." Monkey added.

"It looks amazing." April breathed.

Tigress felt the sleeves of the hanfu, her amber eyes wide with surprise as she stared at the piece of clothing, feeling the fabric with her thumb.

"So… what do you think?" Po asked with a mixture of anxiety and enthusiasm.

"Po…" Tigress spoke, her voice soft and gentle. "It's beautiful."

Po eyes brightened. "Really? I got it just for you down in the market. You know, since it looked really nice and I thought maybe you could do something with sleeves. And-"

"I love it." Tigress said, looking up at the panda with a smile.

Po looked surprised. "Y-You do?" He asked.

"Yes." Tigress nodded before looking back down at the hanfu. "It's perfect."

Po smiled. "Great!" He said. "Do you… want to try it on?"

Tigress gazed at the hanfu before she silently slid her arms into the sleeves, pulling the hanfu over herself and clipping it together. She folded her arms behind her back as she herself inspected the hanfu, shifting her shoulders a bit to get more comfortable.

The hanfu fit snugly on her, like a soft blanket that lacked any itchiness. The yellow fabric glowed brightly in the light, drawing attention to the female feline, especially that of a certain panda.

Mikey, meanwhile, grinned mischievously as he snuck off to get a certain little plant.

"Wow…" Po murmured, rubbing the back of his head as he blushed a little, something the others noticed as they smirked at that. "You look great."

Tigress blushed as well, averting her eyes with a shy smile as her striped tail swished behind her.

"Yoo-hoo~!" Mikey's voice came from above them, forcing all to look up and see the orange clad turtle hanging on the top of the wall, specifically above Po and Tigress and holding a small plant with a red ribbon in his hand.

"Uh, Michelangelo? What is that?" Tigress asked as she and Po stared up at the plant in confusion.

"It's a mistletoe, Tigress. It's a holiday tradition back where me and my bros are from." Mikey explained with a grin, still dangling it over the panda and the tiger. "You see, when a guy and a girl are under one of these, they gotta kiss!"

Po and Tigress stared up at the plant with wide eyes before they looked at each other, blushing nervously while the others looked rather excited.

Po twiddled his fingers as he looked to the side. 'C'mon, Po!' He thought to himself. 'Just do it and get it over with! What's the worst that could happen? Well, okay, she'd probably sock me in the face… or she might not, right?'

Tigress, meanwhile, rubbed her arms shyly as she felt absolutely flustered. 'I guess I should probably make the first move.' She thought to herself. 'After all, it doesn't look like Po's going to anytime soon.'

And so, Tigress leaned forward and lightly kissed Po on the cheek, making the panda blush madly.

'Okay… that was worth the wait.' Po thought to himself as Tigress pulled away, her cheeks so red that it bled through her fur.

"Happy holiday, Po." Tigress smiled shyly as she and Po held hands.

"Happy holiday, Tigress." Po smiled back.

Raph, Mikey, Monkey, Mantis, Casey, and even Leo and Crane whistled in a teasing manner while Donnie and April leaned against each other, April wrapping her arm around Donnie's shoulders while Donnie wrapped his arm around her hip. Viper, meanwhile, was doing everything in her power to keep herself from squealing loudly.

And as they watched, Leo felt his gaze drift up towards the stars where he could've sworn he could see his father, Master Splinter, smiling down upon them, causing him to smile softly as well.

---

Master Shifu wandered through the cold dark streets grumbling to himself under his breath as his feet dug into the deep snow.

The Feast was practically ruined now. All the masters had left the Palace, even the Furious Five.

How could it all have gone so wrong? How could he be so foolish as to think the Dragon Warrior would be able to bear the burden of being the host of the Feast?

"Oh, Po, why did you ruin something that was perfect?" Shifu grumbled to himself. "I don't understand."

As he walked, he spotted a bright light shining out of the entrance to Mr. Ping's restaurant, along with the sounds of laughter and cheer.

Curious, Shifu walked up to the gate and looked into the restaurant…

… and what he saw was something truly beautiful.

Inside the courtyard of the restaurant were bright lanterns that hung all around, people talking, laughing, and just having a good time.

Even the other masters had joined in the festivities as they played games and told stories.

"Then the crocodile bandit pounced…!" Master Rhino spoke to a group of rabbit children, all of whom seemed very invested in his story.

"Peek-a-boo!" Mantis popped his face out a small rabbit child, causing them to laugh.

Casey laughed as he propped two little children up on his shoulders, the two kids, one a pig, and one a duck, squealed with joy as Casey carried them around piggy-back style.

"I'm gonna get you!" Tigress said in a sing-song voice as she fed a dumpling to a small pig child.

"Alright, kids! Who wants to go on an adventure?" Mikey asked to which a bunch of children cheered as he started to chase them around the courtyard as a fake monster, roaring as the kids laughed while Leo, Raph, Donnie, and April laughed watching the orange clad turtle playing with these children.

Mr. Ping stumbled around as he carried several bowls of soup. "Oh, Po!" He cried as he was about to lose his balance.

"I got you, dad!" Po said, catching the elderly goose with his foot and helping him regain his balance.

As he watched all of this, Shifu felt his hardened expression soften into one of deep contemplation.

Perhaps, tradition was not needed this year. Perhaps it did not need a great feast or the recital of a creed. Perhaps not everything was about perfection or elegance. Perhaps family and friendship was indeed of greater value.

Perhaps … he had been wrong.

And to his own surprise… he was actually happy about that.

Shifu took a deep breath before letting out a content, satisfied sigh as a smile spread across his lips. "This… is perfect." He said softly.

Reluctantly, he then turned away from the festive courtyard, about to walk back towards the Jade Palace when Po emerged from the restaurant.

"There's always room for one more at Mr. Ping's." Po told him.

"Oh, n-no! I really don't want to disturb anyone!" Shifu said, turning towards the panda. "You go and enjoy your party."

Po shook his head slightly. "I'm not gonna enjoy it without you." He said.

"Oh, no, I couldn't. These are your people, this is your family." Shifu insisted, though that sounded weak even to his own ears.

"You're my family too, Shifu." Po stated softly. "Now, come on."

Shifu was silent for a moment before he smiled up at the panda fondly. "Well, that soup does smell delicious."

Po smiled back, about to head back into the restaurant with Shifu when the red panda suddenly stopped.

"Po, wait." Shifu said, causing the panda to halt. "What really goes on in your head, I really don't understand. But what goes on in your heart will never let us down."

Po smiled at the compliment. "Thanks, Shifu." He said before he waved his arm towards the entrance. "C'mon!"

"Hey, guys! Look who's here!" Po shouted as he and Shifu walked back into the restaurant.

Immediately, all of the people in the courtyard gasped before they cheered as they all rushed forward to greet the red panda, much to Shifu's amusement.

"It's good to see you, Master Shifu." Mr. Ping greeted him.

"And it's good to be here, Mr. Ping." Shifu replied, bowing slightly.

"Sit, sit." Mr. Ping insisted as he, Po, Leo, Tigress, Raph, Donnie, Mikey, Viper, Crane, Monkey, Mantis, April, Casey, and Wo Hop gathered around and sat at one table, with Shifu quickly joining them.

As they sat, Feng set up another canvas and quickly painted a portrait of all of them together at lightning speeds.

"Thanks for coming, everyone!" Po thanked joyfully before he looked down in contemplation. "You know, guys, I can't help but think…"

"What do you mean, Po?" Tigress asked as she and the others turned to him curiously.

Po looked up at them and smiled. "Just that, no matter what craziness we attract, or formal stuff we have to do, we're all still family."

Leo, Tigress, Raph, Donnie, Mikey, Viper, Crane, Monkey, Mantis, April, Casey, Shifu, and Mr. Ping all smiled at that.

"You're our family too, Po." Leo stated, placing his hand on the panda's shoulder.

Mikey pulled all of them into a tight hug. "I love you guys!" He cheered. "Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas." They all replied as they shared the embrace before rejoining the festivities themselves.

The End.

Cast:

Jack Black as Po

Seth Green as Leonardo

Sean Astin as Raphael

Rob Paulsen as Donatello

Greg Cipes as Michelangelo

Angelina Jolie as Tigress

Lucy Liu as Viper

David Cross as Crane

Jackie Chan as Monkey

Seth Rogen as Mantis

Mae Whitman as April O'neil

Josh Peck as Casey Jones

James Hong as Mr. Ping

Dustin Hoffman as Shifu

Yuki Matsuzaki as Miyamoto Usagi

Jack McBrayer as Wo Hop

Done. Hope you all liked this because I spent all of November writing this! I decided to set this story in between the second and third story of this series because I wanted to explain how Tigress got her golden hanfu in the third movie, as well as how the Turtles got their armor in the third installment. I'm also probably going to work on my rankin/bass universe stories for the rest of the month so it might be a while before I get back to the Kung Fu Ninja Turtles series, so hope you all enjoy those. Merry Christmas to you all and to all a good night!