"Turning Points, Not Turned Points, Not to be Turned Points"


"You were unconscious."

"Where?"

"Palace Courtyard."

"Hmph."

To his great joy, Alf realized that as soon as Shifu had thrown him out of the dormitories and onto the Palace steps - the shock collar had gone off again, although it wasn't as effective given that Alf was unconscious. Yu, who had been watching carefully behind a pillar, noted that Shifu disabled some mechanism within the collar. Promptly afterwards, he ably threw Alf down the steps of the Palace and into the Valley - or he thought he did, as Yu managed to sneak her way in between and catch Alf before he accumulated too many bruises. Still, there was no prevention of the inevitable - and thus, Alf now had two white bandages wrapped around his head and face, sporting a wide grin with zero subtlety.

"He had to shock me to finally turn off the collar's location thingy," Alf noted, still smiling. "Hilarious…"

"It's still on you though," Yu emphasized, touching the collar. "I'm just guessing that he turned off the part that zaps you when you get too far from the Palace. That'd be so useful for other things… "

"Hah!" Alf retorted heartily. "Shifu wanted to throw me out so bad, that he actually switched a part of it off…"

They had arrived at the building. Alf stopped smiling as he looked at the structure, white walls offset by a small entrance with tables and empty chairs inside - which was appropriate, given that it was still past midnight. The building itself was nestled in the heart of the Valley, with a simple sign dressed with bold, black letters.

Mr. Ping's.

"Alf, I'm telling you," Yu began. "It's worth a shot."

Alf chuckled. "Watch how quickly this conversation ends."

Alf walked underneath the entryway, pushing past the crowd of chairs and tables to see a small goose just laying casually on a cot. He was sleeping behind a wooden counter, height appropriately low so that very few people could possibly squeeze in and take a look at the kitchen.

As soon as Alf rested his arms on the counter, Mr. Ping awoke.

"Get out," came the silent command.

"Mr. Ping," Alf began, having already predicted this. "I just need a cot, a haybale, anything to sleep on for the rest of the - "

"Get. Out."

Alf shrugged his shoulders, turning away from the counter to make his way out of the shop. Even though every part of that conversation went exactly as predicted, Alf couldn't let go of a sense of surprise - to be frank, Mr. Ping didn't even let him finish his request.

"Any luck?" Yu immediately fired, fur just beginning to shiver underneath cold night air. "Jeez it's cold - I can't imagine how it must be for you, yanno - without any fur and all."

"Went exactly like I said," Alf noted simply. "Good thing I have my favorite coat on…"

Yu examined the "coat" more closely. She hesitated to even call it clothing at all - it seemed more akin to a rough burlap sack, or perhaps a potato bag - stretched into a thin fabric and woven around Alf's frame. It was harshly double-weaved and too large for the boy, but she guessed that helped immensely with preventing any cold air from seeping in.

"Come on, I know someplace warm we can spend the night," Yu recognized, dragging Alf along with her.

"We?" Alf rebounded. "You don't have a - "

Yu rolled her eyes. "You're not the only orphan in the Valley you know…"

Alf smiled.

The long walk, which took long enough to the point where Alf lost track of time, felt reinvigorating. It felt cathartic to be finally leaving the Palace behind, even if it was just for one night - and never, in all the years that Alf had spent in the Valley - had he imagined he had someone besides Po to give him company.

He watched her walk in front of him. She had light footsteps, which tapped against hard stone cobble as they began following a path well away from the Valley, away from the sleeping villagers and small homes set with stone walls. From what Alf could see, they were going down a slightly winding path - leading up some hills. Fresh grass began appearing at Alf's feet, green blades that he had never seen before now.

"Just up ahead," she delineated softly. "See that stone thing?"

Alf squinted his eyes, seeing a large boulder standing upright, casually shifting with the night breeze. It was right in the middle of the grassfield, almost randomly placed with little activity around it.

"Look behind you." Yu requested.

Alf exhaled deeply, laughing behind him. They were so far from the Valley and the Palace, almost far enough where less moonlight was striking the ground - a point where no animals came, villagers left alone, and no one would be able to see. From this kind of distance, there were only two types of views: one had the Valley and the Palace, almost like one, dimly shining mountain - and sandwiched ahead of the boulder, were tall spires of rock and mountainous hills, extending as far as the eye could see.

"How has no one found this place?" Alf questioned, leaping atop the boulder. "They think it's haunted or something?"

"I guess," Yu deduced, kicking some wet grass. "Maybe no one's just gone beyond the Valley to see this place. Move."

Alf nudged aside on the boulder to make more space for her. "It's nice. Peaceful."

"Lonely," Yu finished, looking at Alf.

"Yeah, that too."

They sat there for a few minutes, staring at the Palace glow mildly in the cold darkness ahead. Alf never before realized how high it was compared to the Valley - those 1000 steps really felt more impressive at a distance away.

"What kinda stupid name is Alfalfa?" Yu interrupted, giggling. "Isn't that - food or something?"

"A crop, I think," Alf nodded. "Well - I didn't choose it, so - "

"That's not even your name?" Yu emphasized, taken aback.

"No it is!" Alf returned back, trying to restructure the conversation. "I - well, the villagers and Po - have used that name forever, and I guess I really never cared about it."

Yu didn't seem satisfied.

"I'm sure there's some stupid story though," Alf went on. "Like how it was written outside a metal pod that I crashed down to the ground in."

Yu cackled. "Yep, that definitely sounds like something only the villagers could make up…"

"My first memories were playing tag with Po," Alf noted, trying to recall details. "I've never really remembered behind that."

Yu seemed more satisfied. Another pause came - a bit longer, and more fulfilling as the idle swish of grass blades permeated the emptiness.

"So you cater, huh?" Alf broke in. "How'd you land that?"

"I didn't," Yu emphasized. "Oogway sort of found me and took me in. I was sort of a drifter back then…"

"Wait what?" Alf wondered out loud. "Drifter? How old are you?"

"Going to turn fifteen in a month or two," Yu answered. "You?"

"Fourteen," Alf let out, fending off a snicker from Yu. "Po's sixteen. He's sort of forced himself into being the older brother I wish I never had…"

Yu laughed. "You don't really mean that!"

"Yeah, I don't," Alf agreed. "Love the big guy - but don't change the subject. Why were you a drifter?"

"Shifu's in his fifties or sixties," Yu guessed. "The Five told me. Most of them are seventeen - I think Tigress is eighteen."

"Yu. Why were you a drifter?"

A pause. Yu turned her head down at her lap, opening it to see the boulder again.

"Look, I just wanna keep some stuff private, okay?" Yu stated bluntly. "And like you said yourself - it doesn't matter."

Alf felt confused. "When did I say that?"

"When I asked you about the Seekers a few days ago, remember?" Yu reiterated. "On the steps? After Shifu finished shocking the soy sauce outta you?"

"Oh, right…"

Another awkward pause. Neither of them made an effort to break it this time.

"Listen, sleep here as much as you like, alright? It's fairly warm." Yu forced. "I have to go back to the Palace - make sure all the food's well - you know…"

He didn't know. Yu hopped off the rock gently, making her way back down the path leading to the Valley - leaving a slightly confused yet guilt-ridden Alf behind.

. . .

The Sacred Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom was - in Oogway's modest opinion - such a arduously long name to pronounce, that the old grandmaster had resorted in recent years to simply calling it "The Peach Tree". It was one of the few peach trees still left in the Valley, of course - and thus there would be little chance of mistaking it for anything else. It was also appropriately well-hidden, even to most residents of the Jade Palace - one had to traverse a tricky mountain path, deftly eluding nimble crags and inclined slopes - then finally hike up a nearly vertical series of steps to reach the tree.

It surprised Oogway then, when he saw a large panda devouring peaches at the peak of the cliff.

"I see you have found the Sacred Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom!"

Po startled, immediately turning around and dropping several peaches from his paws.

"Is that what this is? I am so sorry I just thought this was just a regular - " he paused to swallow another fruit. " - peach… tree."

Oogway smiled kindly at Po, moving forward with a small pattering of feet. "I understand. You eat, when you are upset."

Po grimaced, seeing his body jiggle under the unforgiving moonlight. "Upset? Whaddya - what - what makes you think I'm upset?"

Oogway paused, looking at the panda more deeply. "So why are you upset?"

Po sighed. "I probably - "

"Because he doesn't deserve to be here."

Po turned away immediately, knowing the voice instantly. Oogway smiled more gently, seeing Master Shifu's small frame enter the area.

"Master, that flabby panda wasn't even meant to be here!" Shifu addressed Oogway, pointing a harsh finger at Po. "It was just an accident!"

"There are, no accidents."

Shifu groaned, turning away from Oogway. "Yes I know, you've said that already. Twice."

Oogway chuckled. "Well, that was no accident either!"

"Thrice."

"Heh."

Shifu whisked around, trying to determine the source of the noise. Po's mouth was stretched into an involuntary grin, peach still stuffed into his mouth.

"Spit that out, panda," Shifu demanded, furry eyebrows twitching. "Do not - "

"Peaches are delicious my old friend," Oogway noted, knocking the peach further into Po's mouth. "Why don't you try one?"

The old turtle extended a peach to Shifu, who grumbled incoherently before disappearing down the mountain path and into the darkness of night.

A long pause. Po stared at Oogway with confusion, wondering what the newfound silence was for.

"He's been like that for the past few weeks," Po emphasized. "And - I don't think he's gonna change tomorrow, or the week after, or maybe forever…"

"Been, tomorrow, " Oogway smoothly mimicked. "Maybe, forever, after… Po, do you know what today is?"

Po felt even more confused. "Wh - What?"

"A gift," Oogway finished. "The present. It's your peach, Po. To use as you see fit."

The old master tapped the tree gently, perfectly placing a falling peach into Po's paw. And for some reason - everything felt different now.

It was today.

And today felt beautiful.

Master Oogway strode away.

. . .


A/N (srry for the ohmygod did he really write this much - note)

Done! Very fun to write this chapter.

I do enjoy mixing up the timeline of scenes a bit and playing with different orderings. I don't know why, but in the context of this story it just feels right and more organic to use some different timelines/scene structure.

Secondly - thanks all for the feedback/concerns over Alf's importance in the plot - I understand, totally! But no one need worry - this is a re-telling of KFP 1-3, and by nature, injecting a human character (who's the protagonist) into it means that - yes, Alf's gonna be the main journey we follow. I think it was my fault for making our poor Seeker look like he was some "extra in the background". :D Don't worry - he's definitely the "focus" in this fic, the "main story", and I should just shut up before I end up revealing too much. ;)

Keep speculations up, reading them are a joy to this giddy author, hehe…

~TW

P.S: I should really pay it back and start checking out some of your guys' fics! I'll start today… the amt of viewership that this fic has been getting is insane...