Chapter 1 – How to Choose Your Dragon Warrior

Disclaimer: Kung Fu Panda is the intellectual property of DreamWorks Animation LLC. I do not claim ownership over the characters or setting. I am writing this for entertainment purposes only, under fair use laws.

In the sacred hall of the Jade Palace, surrounded by relics of Kung Fu and statues of warriors, a snow leopard stands proud and tall.

A red panda and a turtle both look upon the snow greatest Kung Fu teacher and the greatest Kung Fu master in all of China are about to evaluate China's greatest Kung Fu student.

The leopard's hands are clasped behind his back. His gray fur has been groomed. His muscles have been honed to perfection. His reflexes are relaxed and ready. He is relaxed and ready.

The red panda wears a happy smile as he awaits his master's final word. His pride in the snow leopard shone proudly on his features, stronger even than the leopard's pride in itself.

Composed and confident, the leopard calmly waits for confirmation.

The turtle...

"I am sorry," Oogway offered at last.

Shifu's happiness slid from his face like shed fur, surprised confusion taking its place.

"Master Oogway?" he asked. A request for clarification.

"I am sorry, Shifu," his master repeated. Then, simply, "Your student is not the Dragon Warrior."

A single sentence should not have been so dismaying.

"Are you sure?" Shifu asked, afraid and apprehensive.

"Yes."

Nor should a single word have been capable of crippling confidence and pulverizing pride.A glance revealed Tai Lung's face to be twisting from trusting to troubled.

"Could you be-"

Then, before finishing that disrespectful statement, Shifu coughed, composed himself, and chose a better approach.

"I mean, Master Oogway, you said he is not the Dragon Warrior. Surely that means he simply has more to learn? He could still become the Dragon Warrior, yes?"

The turtle's head shook.

And with a simple gesture, Shifu's confidence was completely and utterly crushed.

Shifu looked at his master, who was turning away. He looked to Tai Lung, whose expression had morphed from troubled to truly shocked. The red panda's eyes went back and forth between master and student, stopping only when they saw something they'd never seen before. Tai Lung, his best protégé, seemed to be on the verge of panic now. There was a look of helplessness there, and pleading, and complete disbelief.

All his life, Shifu thought. I told him he could do it. I told him his training would pay off, that he was destined for great things, and that he would become the Dragon Warrior. But now...

Oogway's judgement had been final. Truly final.

Shifu stood stock still, as motionless as the statues around him. The many, many years of yielding to an older and wiser master now worked against him. Decades of discipline and deference had been hammered into his mind and body, both by his mentors and by himself. Kung Fu is the craft of control. It is a creed of mastery and masters, of submitting to those who are smarter and stronger than you. Mastery of Kung Fu is mastery of self and mind, and in practice, that meant not objecting to your master's decision.

Shifu nearly did nothing. He almost abstained from any action at all. Every teaching ever received or delivered about the sanctity of submitting oneself to one's spiritual superiors compelled him to curb his misconduct. Those lessons warred with his lesser impulses, telling his rebellious thoughts to be silent and obey. Decades of discipline demanded he demure. And Shifu would have done nothing, would have obeyed...

If not for a silent look of desperation, worn by the one whose welfare weighed more heavily on his soul than anything else in the world.

"Master Oogway, please wait!"

The ancient master halted in his hobbling. The turtle turned; looked at his student with curiosity; waited patiently.

Shifu took a moment to compose his thoughts, wanting to phrase them as politely and pertinently as possible. He thought of starting with 'I don't mean to disagree', but that would have been a lie.

"I mean no disrespect, master," he chose instead. "But I do not understand your decision. What makes Tai Lung unsuitable as Dragon Warrior?"

His master slowly closed his eyes. "Ah." The turtle slowly sighed. "It saddens me that you do not see it yourself, Shifu." Master Oogway blinked his eyes open and licked his lips. "Tell me, my friend, what qualities should the Dragon Warrior possess?"

That was an easy enough question.

"He should be a great Kung Fu warrior," Shifu responded promptly.

Oogway nodded. "What else?"

"He should-" Shifu started, then cut himself off. His mind blanked for a moment, scrambling for other noble qualities to match that noble rank. Thankfully, his present company helped him realize another mandatory mark of mastery. "The Dragon Warrior should be knowledgeable. The wisest warrior in all of China."

His knowledgeable master nodded again. "Indeed." Oogway pointed at the dragon statue on the ceiling, whose mouth contained a scroll. "The Dragon Warrior must be wise enough to understand the secret of the Dragon Scroll," Oogway specified. "But that is not all." Oogway raised a curious claw. "What else must he be?" Oogway extended his neck forward, staring more closely at Shifu. "What other quality is so important to the role that you could not have a Dragon Warrior without it?"

Shifu frowned at the question. When the answer did not come to him immediately, he closed his eyes, thinking deeply. His mind searched and searched, but came up blank, even after what felt like minutes. Shifu could think of nothing better than what he had already said.

Eventually, he could only answer, "I do not know, master."

Master Oogway sighed again. "Let me tell you a story, Shifu."

The turtle turned and walked down the hall's central path, his staff tapping along with each step. When he reached the pool in the hall's center, he looked into the surface, speaking in a tone as reflective as the water's surface.

"Long ago, I knew a great warrior – greater than any who had come before, and greater than most who have come since. He was strong, charismatic, and he lived for the thrill of fighting. He spent his days going from one battle to another, defeating any army which stood in his way. He was also wise, approaching combat with cunning and creativity. Though he existed before Kung Fu came into being, he developed many of the standard forms we use today. He invented many new styles and techniques, writing them all down so that others might follow in his footsteps."

"He sounds like an excellent master," Shifu observed into the brief pause. "Have I heard of him?"

Oogway slowly, slowly shook his head. "You have not. And for good reason." Oogway's eyes narrowed, gazing deeply into the pool, as if he could find something within the reflective surface.

"One day, this warrior altered a technique that should not have been altered. He adjusted a style that was never meant to be adjusted. On that fateful day, this warrior witnessed a powerful healing technique being performed on a fallen friend. Afterward, he made a decision I still do not understand to this day. That great warrior decided to use that healing power in other ways. He learned that with a will to dominate, he could steal the very life of another, corrupting its essence so that its spirit would submit to and strengthen his own. When I saw this, I knew I had to defeat him, and I knew that I would have to erase his terrible legacy from history."

The ancient turtle looked very sad as he said all this, especially the last part, his eyes briefly closing when he was done, as if in weariness.

"I... am sorry, master, for what you had to do," Shifu said solemnly. "But what does this have to do with the Dragon Warrior?"

After a moment, Oogway opened his eyes, and he was once again calm and collected. "Tell me, Shifu. If this great and wise warrior stood before us today, would you consider him a promising Dragon Warrior candidate?"

"Of course not!" Shifu declared at once.

"Why not?" Oogway asked curiously. "He has met your every criterion for candidacy. He was great, and he was wise. What makes him unsuitable?"

"He-" Shifu began, then paused, searching for words. "He was a menace. An evil warrior, concerned only for himself."

Oogway's expression saddened further. "There can be no room for evil in the heart of the Dragon Warrior. He must be a force for good if he is to fulfill his destiny."

"But I'm NOT evil!" a voice protested. "I am a force for good!"

The shout brought both their eyes back to Tai Lung, who seemed to be struggling to keep his composure.

Shifu knew he had taught his student better than this. To interrupt when a master – especially Oogway – was speaking was simply not done.

But in this case, Shifu actually agreed with Tai Lung. The red panda hadn't realized what his master had been implying about his student until the very moment of that outburst.

Master Oogway, now looking directly at Tai Lung, shook his head and spoke. "You are not evil," he agreed. "Not yet. But you are ferocious, and violent, and volatile. Those are the qualities that define your fighting style, and those are the qualities that define you. Your temper has only damaged training equipment so far, but I fear that it could damage something, or someone, far more valuable and precious in the future."

Tai Lung grew angrier and angrier as Oogway spoke. "I'm NOT evil," he repeated sternly.

"I said that there can be no room for evil in the heart of the dragon warrior," Oogway sighed. "And I fear there is room for it in yours."

"Master!" Shifu interjected before things could get any more out-of-paw. "Surely you are being unfair. My student may be... aggressive," he conceded, "but I have known him since he was a cub. There's plenty of good in him. I've seen it."

That last part Shifu had said with firm conviction. In his memory, he saw a young Tai Lung, no older than ten, standing up to a brutish bully of a boar on behalf of a young skunk. He may have been rougher than necessary during the battle, but afterwards he was gentle and caring with the victim, helping her pick up her dropped coin pouch and find her parents.

"If you claim that he has room for evil, then you must admit there is also room for good."

Oogway's expression, formerly grim, seemed to grow thoughtful. "Hmm," he hummed. "Perhaps you are right." Then he turned to face Shifu directly. "But the point is moot, my friend, for that is not my only objection. Even if your student is good and strong, do you think him wise enough? Remember that the Dragon Warrior must be capable of understanding the Dragon Scroll, and this, I fear, your student may never accomplish."

"But how could you know that, Master, if he never tries?"

Oogway looked at his fellow master critically for a moment, then smiled. "Let me tell you a secret, Shifu," he said, leaning in close.

Shifu's ears perked at the word 'secret'. He honed his focus until it was as sharp as the Sword of Heroes, set upon a nearby stand. Any time his master spoke a secret, it was always important.

Oogway, in the barest of whispers, softly said, "I've read the scroll myself."

Shifu's eyes widened dramatically.

"But," Oogway cautioned, raising a claw. "I did not understand it." Then, speaking above a whisper again, "Knowing this, do you think your student is wise enough to comprehend the secret of the dragon scroll?"

This new information gave Shifu some pause. If even MASTER OOGWAY couldn't understand the secret of the Dragon scroll... Shifu thought, then how could Tai Lung ever hope to do it? How could ANYONE?

Shifu looked to his student again, who was looking back with pained eyes.

And Shifu realized that this very well may be the first time he did not have complete faith in his student. Things he'd never noticed were being called into question. Tai Lung's abilities, his character, his cunning... could Shifu have been so foolish as to only train a fighter? Was Master Oogway correct about that? But despite the doubt, when he saw the pleading look in his student's eyes, Shifu knew he couldn't give up just yet. He couldn't bear for today, of all days, to be the first time he truly disappointed his surrogate son.

So Shifu thought.

Deeply.

He thought about the legend of the Dragon Warrior, about Tai Lung, and about the problem of the Dragon Scroll. The Dragon Warrior would need to be wiser than Oogway to comprehend it...

Then, a different thought occurred to him.

But how does Master Oogway intend to judge that in advance? Furthermore...

"Master," Shifu said aloud. "If what you told me is true, how could you possibly determine that the Dragon Warrior has truly comprehended the scroll?"

"Ah," his master smiled mysteriously. "I may not know the secret of the scroll myself, but I will know it when I hear it."

Shifu frowned. "So... if the Dragon Warrior reads the scroll, and understands it, explains what it means, you believe you will be able to discern if he has truly grasped the secret, even though you do not know it yourself?"

Oogway nodded. "Indeed."

"But wouldn't that make you the Dragon Warrior too, once you hear the Dragon Warrior explain it?"

"No," Oogway denied. "Only one who discovers the secret for themself, without being told the answer, shall become the Dragon Warrior. The Dragon Warrior shall then share his wisdom with China, telling everyone the secret of the scroll, so that all might become stronger and wiser under his teachings. That, too, is part of the legend."

"I see..." Shifu said slowly. "If you are told the secret, that means you won't have discovered it for yourself."

"Exactly."

"Even still," Shifu huffed in annoyance. "How are we meant to identify the Dragon Warrior in advance? We can't just show the scroll to every promising candidate..." Shifu trailed off. "Can we?"

The problem with this conversation, Oogway thought, was that he could not reveal his true reason for rejecting the student of his student.

Long ago, he had heard the words of the Soothsayer – a goat from Gongmen city – foretelling a warrior of black and white, estranged from his or her parents, abandoned to his own devices. This warrior shall unite the past and future of kung fu, bringing peace to China. (Presumably, Oogway thought grimly, by defeating Kai – by correcting the mistake he had made so long ago.)

And so, Oogway had been keeping an eye out for any aspiring Pandas.

But now, Shifu raised many good points. Even if a Panda warrior did eventually reveal himself, there would be no way to know if it was the right Panda warrior. Goodness and strength were easy enough to judge, but would he be wise enough to be worthy of beholding the Dragon Scroll? How could they know that in advance?

"We can't just show the scroll to every promising candidate..." Shifu said, bringing the turtle's attention back to the present. "Can we?"

Oogway looked at his student in some surprise.

He'd never considered that before.

He brought his staff to his chin.

Showing the scroll to every candidate...

"No," Oogway said. "I do not think it would be wise to show the scroll to any who wished to see it. What if someone abuses the opportunity and steals it?"

His student shook his head. "That shouldn't be a problem if we restrict access to those we can trust, or if we implement strict security. All of China already knows where it is, and we've not had any problems so far. Not that we couldn't handle, at least."

Oogway looked back to the snow leopard, who was again looking hopeful. "And I suppose you have a suggestion for who should be the first to look upon the scroll?"

Shifu followed his gaze. "Well, yes, frankly. Unless you had someone else in mind?"

Oogway sighed. "That is not what I meant, Shifu. Suppose other dojos learned we allowed our top student to look upon the scroll without knowing him to be the Dragon Warrior in advance. Suppose our top student was not, in fact, the Dragon Warrior. How might they react?"

Shifu's eyes narrowed.

His friend had always been shrewder at politics than Oogway, once he was in that mindset.

"They wouldn't like it," Shifu said sourly. "They would claim we were showing favoritism and demand that their top students be allowed access to the scroll as well."

Oogway nodded.

"Is it forbidden?" Shifu suddenly asked. "To show the scroll to an incorrect candidate, I mean? I always assumed it was, but after what you told me..."

Oogway chuckled. "It is not expressly forbidden," he said, smiling wryly. "But neither is it something I like to advertise. Think of the all the hopefuls we would have to turn away. And even the ones we did not turn away, think of all the failed candidates we would have to reject. All that disappointment and sorrow..."

"Not to mention the tourists," his friend mumbled. "In order to weed out the riffraff, we would need a selection process. A competition of some sort. A martial arts showcase? No, the other dojos could still accuse us of favoritism if we judge Tai Lung to be the victor. An evaluation of technical skill? An obstacle course? Our training hall? No, they might say Tai Lung has an unfair advantage. And he would. We need a purer test of skill, where one cannot question our integrity without questioning the integrity of Kung Fu itself."

Oogway waited patiently as his student suggested and shot down idea after idea. This was Shifu's forte, after all: teaching, training, and evaluation.

"A tournament!" Shifu finally exclaimed. "We could host a tournament, where only the victor is allowed to look upon the scroll. We would have no accusations of foul play, no rampant tourism, and we would be exposed to far more Dragon Warrior candidates if they all came to the Jade Palace to compete."

Oogway considered the idea for a moment. It was tempting, but...

"I do not know if that is a good idea," Oogway sighed. "We may only attract warriors seeking power and prestige."

"Not if we send missives to other dojos," Shifu argued. "We may attract that sort of warrior if word reaches the major cities, but if we alert the martial arts masters as well, we should get just as many true Kung Fu practitioners as false ones."

Oogway considered the idea further. "What if an unscrupulous candidate wins, or someone not from any dojo?"

"Do you think such a candidate could comprehend the Dragon Scroll?"

Oogway shook his head.

"Then we may simply have to accept such a winner," Shifu said with a frown. "The reward shall be the privilege to look upon the Dragon scroll, and the opportunity to solve its riddle, not the guarantee of becoming the Dragon Warrior. Besides, it would be unfair to the people of China if we did not provide this opportunity to all."

"You mean, provide it to all who can make the journey to the Jade Palace," Oogway corrected. "Few are able to travel so freely, or so far."

"We could rotate locations, assuming we need to host more than one tournament." It seemed his student was already thinking of the logistics. "In fact, we could continue the tournament even after the Dragon Warrior has been found. It could become a celebration of Kung Fu." Shifu was talking faster now, with more excitement. "If we charged admission for spectators, we could bring necessary funds to the hosting dojo. The tourism would attract wealthy patrons and bring business to local shops. The competition would provide entertainment for the masses. The spectacle would allow masters to showcase the talents of their students. We could inspire a whole new generation of Kung Fu students!"

Oogway, despite everything, had to admit to himself that he was beginning to find the idea appealing. "How often would the tournament occur?" he asked.

"Every few months would be too taxing," Shifu immediately observed. "Every few years would be too rare."

"Every year, then?"

Shifu nodded.

"And what would we name it?"

"Hmm... how about, 'The Tournament of the Dragon'?"

A/N: Please note that updates to this story will be extremely sporadic. My main focus will be on a different fic for the time being. But I don't like leaving finished chapters on my hard drive because I'm afraid my computer will crash and I'll lose the data, which is why I'm posting this now.