Ohayo Tokyo! Konnich wa London! Konban wa New York! CJzilla's back with another chapter. In this chapter, dinner brings Lady Layla into a back and forth struggle. Enjoy.

As I demolish this city with my fire breath, alls CJzilla has to roar is this: R&R! Flame or Fluff... I don't care.

Hometown Glory

From the shadows of the courtyard, Lady Layla watched Shifu and his warriors scramble around before finally disappearing into the Hall of Heroes. The Dragon Warrior was not among them. The vixen's yellow eyes narrowed. This was a far cry from the serenity and calm she'd known when Master Oogway was Supreme Kung Fu Master. Shifu was anxious and projected it as his energy; not becoming of a supreme master warrior. Just another reason why Lady Layla didn't believe the red panda was worthy to be in Master Oogway's place.

Another scowl rippled across her face, her yellow eyes sharpening with anger. Shifu had to be purged from this sacred place; removed from a position he didn't deserve nor earn. Lady Layla knew the rest of his lackeys would follow their master… So be it. She would cleanse Master Oogway's legacy, banishing Shifu and his devotees from the temple forever.

Po sighed as he poked at his food. He was hungry but now that he was alone, he didn't feel like eating. Why wasn't he allowed to come along on this meeting? He was just as much a warrior as the Furious Five, so why wasn't he with his master and fellow Kung Fu fighters?

Just then he heard footfalls on the floor. Perking his head up and listening, he hoped his friends were done with their meeting and back to eat with him. But out of the dark hallway and into the lit dining room was Lady Layla. Po nearly dropped his chopsticks.

As soon as her eyes came to the panda, the vixen smiled warmly.

"Hello Po." She greeted before bowing respectfully.

"Hey, Lady Layla." The panda squeaked.

Po cleared his throat and saw that the silvery vixen was studying him. Her yellow eyes came to the plate in front of him and the chopsticks between his furry fingers. But before Po could ask a question, Lady Layla bowed again.

"I'm sorry I'm late for dinner." She voiced apologetically. "Time slipped away from me while I was down in the village."

"Don't worry about it. Everyone else is late too." The panda swatted his hand like it was no big deal.

Her face softened as she glanced at him. Then the vixen's nose drew her to the various pots and pans full of food.

"Wow!" Lady Layla awed as she neared the stove. "Look at all this! It smells so good!"

Po watched in surprise as she shoveled herself a big plate of food. The vixen sat down with her food and smiled at Po. She tossed a dumpling into her mouth and chewed slowly. The taste nearly knocked her over.

"Oh!" Lady Layla voiced. "This is so good! Who cooked this?"

She saw the Dragon Warrior's face turn pink.

"I-I did." Po gave a bashful smile.

Lady Layla stared at him before she swallowed.

"The Dragon Warrior, a fantastic cook and so hansom." She gave him a sly grin. "You have it all don't you?"

Po's face turned from pink to dark red.

"I used to work with my dad at our noodle shop before Master Oogway declared me Dragon Warrior." The panda had his hand behind his head as he fought off his flush.

Lady Layla smile grew.

"I bet you doubted whether or not you were the Dragon Warrior." She said.

Po was beginning to suspect that the vixen could read thoughts.

"Yeah, I did." He cocked his head at her in wonder. "I haven't heard of any great warrior born and raised in such an unglamorous life."

Lady Layla shook her head.

"Greatness is not limited to one's background." She immediately voiced. "Lilies are born in mud and spread their roots in lake bottoms but they are so beautiful that even the most magnificent warrior admires their beauty. Do not limit yourself like that."

Po nodded, looking down at the bowl of noodles he was eating out of.

"Everyone, even Master Shifu said that I couldn't be the Dragon Warrior." The panda voiced. "Only Master Oogway trusted in me. You know, I see a lot of him in you, Lady Layla."

To his surprise, the silvery vixen bowed her head and blushed on her smile.

"That is a tremendous compliment, Po." Lady Layla returned. "Thank you."

She stuck a dumping in her mouth and Po could see tears settling in her eyelids. The panda poked at his food, unsure how to ask Lady Layla what was on his mind.

"Um… Lady Layla?" He questioned carefully. "Are you-… uh… Can you-… mm… I don't really-… know exactly how to ask this…"

The vixen looked up from her food, her expression curious.

"Po, don't be afraid to ask me anything." She replied, the panda having her undivided attention.

Po sighed and looked at Lady Layla. She was so charismatic, wise and fun that the panda thought his friends were crazy when they said she was trouble. Po wanted to set the record straight and hear it from the horse's mouth.

"Are you here to cause trouble?" He sincerely asked. "I mean, I don't know you very well and so this might sound a little crazy coming from me… But can you tell me what's goin' on?"

The panda made a puzzled face and held out his hands, hoping for an explanation. Lady Layla set her chopsticks down, rested her chin on her hands and looked at Po. Her straightforward yellow eyes glazed over with an unemotional haze. Po couldn't tell what she was thinking, what she was feeling or what she was hiding. Her gaze became unbearable.

"You know what? Forget about it." Po nervously and quickly voiced, his eyes cast down on the dumpling he was poking. "It's not my place to question the intentions of a master warrior-"

"No, no." Lady Layla held up her hand. "If you don't ask questions, how will you learn anything? And you have full right to ask what my purpose is in the Jade Temple. I am in your home and with the ones you care about."

The vixen then fell silent, her chin in her hand and staring at him. Her eyes were still covered in the unyielding cloud that Po couldn't see through.

Layla couldn't resist those innocent, honest green eyes, even though her experience screamed in objection. The panda looked back at her, his head slightly cocked to the side as he awaited her answer. Her soul cried for a release, to just gush out right there and heap all of her pain on him. It'd been years since the vixen had a heart-to-heart with someone. She trusted Po, but felt that he was still too young. Being the new Dragon Warrior was enough of stress on the younger panda.

Po noted that Lady Layla's stare grew far away. Figuring that he wouldn't get his answer, the panda shrugged and went back to his food.

"I did come here only for Master Oogway's passing." He heard the silver fox say. "He was my mentor and my beloved parental figure. I want to see to it that his legacy lives on."

She stopped seemingly prematurely. She sounded as if she had something else to say. Po grinned, suddenly felt hungry and dove into his food.

"Master Oogway left Master Shifu in charge!" The panda voiced as pieces of food flew out of his mouth. "There's no better legacy than him!"

Po had his face in his plate of fried rice and beef and so he didn't notice the scowl on Lady Layla's face.

"No one can replace Master Oogway." She returned, trying to keep her anger from surfacing in her voice.

"Yeah." Po agreed rice all over his mouth. "Master Shifu's no Master Oogway but Master Oogway felt he was ready to be Supreme Kung Fu Master."

The panda slurped up his soup.

"I for one would never question Master Oogway's wishes." Po grinned proudly, using his wrist to wipe off his mouth.

Lady Layla tapped her chopsticks on her plate, clearly not sharing Po's view of Shifu.

"But h-how can you trust Shifu?" The vixen blurted out. "He is arrogant and power hungry."

Po cocked his head at her, blinking like he'd heard something crazy. Then he laughed.

"Master Shifu's not power hungry or arrogant." He returned. "He may be a bit too serious and a little unpleasant but that's only when he's got gas."

The vixen's eyes narrowed.

"Then he's done a fine job of tricking you." She stated. "Shifu has always been arrogant and power hungry. Have you heard what happened with Tai Lung?"

Po's eyes dropped to his lap, remembering the pain Master Shifu went through. The panda slowly nodded. Lady Layla opened her mouth to recount the story but Po beat her to it.

"Master Shifu thought Tai Lung was the Dragon Warrior." The panda voiced. "When it didn't happen, Tai Lung didn't take it very well. He went on a rampage and when he stormed the temple, Master Shifu couldn't stop him because he loved Tai Lung like a son. Master Oogway defeated Tai Lung and he was locked up. Since then Master Shifu feels guilty and responsible for the way Tai Lung turned out."

Po sighed, remembering the sad look on Master Shifu's face when Tai Lung was beating him to a pulp. Lady Layla was silent. Then the panda sat straight and gave a guilty grin without taking his eyes off of his food.

"And how do I know?" It was more of a rhetorical question. "I'm the Dragon Warrior and I defeated Tai Lung. I heard all about Master Shifu's mistakes."

"And still you trust him?" Quieted Lady Layla spoke.

Po looked up at her.

"Oh yeah." He answered without hesitating. "We've all goofed up before. Master Shifu just goofed up bigger than most people."

"You don't think Shifu's corruption runs deeper?" The vixen was getting tense. "People don't change, Po."

The panda gave her a funny look.

"Yes they do." Po returned. "Master Shifu's never lied to me or steered me wrong."

Po smirked at himself remembering what Master Shifu had told him earlier that day.

"That, Master Shifu taught me earlier today." He beamed.

Lady Layla didn't believe what she was hearing. The panda was like a bug in a spider's web. All Shifu had to do was plant some corruption in his heart to finally-

"Well, why don't you talk to Master Shifu about it?" Po shrugged. "He'll tell you himself."

The gray vixen blinked as she was once again staring at him. Just when she thought Po was squeezed into Shifu's mold, he'd show his purity and incorruptibility. The panda's flashes of genuineness and intelligence would make Lady Layla question her doubts and her reasons for her anger. Even though she hated to admit it, the younger panda was absolutely right. Layla needed to talk to Shifu. Master Oogway would want it so.

Po was getting confused. Why did she keep staring at him like he was out of his tree? Po then heard Lady Layla giggle.

"You show wisdom beyond your years, Master Po." She voiced. "You are very clearly the Dragon Warrior."

The panda let out a goofy laugh.

"Well, I hate to go through all of this without NOT being the Dragon Warrior." Po grinned.

He shoveled more food in his mouth as Lady Layla began to eat as well.

"Hey, I heard you were friends with Tai Lung." The panda said as pieces of food flying out of his mouth.

Lady Layla suddenly coughed on her food. The vixen coughed and coughed. Po wasn't sure if she was red from lack of oxygen or she just had a massive blush.

"You need some water?" He asked, concerned.

The silvery fox shook her head and cleared her throat.

"Yes." Lady Layla nervously tucked an invisible strand of hair behind her ear. "I was best friends with that cocky snow leopard."

She noted that Po gulped.

"It's been over twenty years since I saw him last." She gazed up at the ceiling. "I've changed a lot. I wonder if he has."

"If he's always been a vengeful powerhouse, then no, he hasn't changed at all." The panda returned.

Lady Layla looked Po firmly in the eye.

"Tai Lung never was vengeful." She returned. "He was as cocky as a badger and proud as a peacock but I guess that was all Shifu's fault. He filled Tai Lung's head with visions of being the Dragon Warrior. When I left, he was still aiming for the stars."

Po sensed a sad tone in her voice. Then she giggled.

"You know; you've spoiled this place." The vixen snapped her chopsticks at the panda.

He cocked his head.

"How?" Po asked, confused.

The silver fox smiled and shook her head.

"By your food." Lady Layla answered. "When I was Master Oogway's pupil and Tai Lung was Shifu's, WE had to do the cooking. Master Oogway assigned Tai Lung and I dinner every night; he said it'd cultivate patience and focus."

Then she gave a loud laugh.

"But the night would usually end with the food burnt, Tai Lung and I getting into a food fight and our masters having to eat whatever was in the pantry." The vixen added between her giggles. "Shifu's probably very grateful that the Dragon Warrior is a good cook since I don't think he's had a good meal in decades."

Po held his mouth to keep his laughing from spewing food everywhere. Lady Layla laughed herself breathless.

"But that's nothing." She continued. "One time I pulled a prank on Tai Lung. When I was younger, my fur would some times grow in blotchy and I looked like a baby bird that was growing in its feathers."

The panda guffawed, envisioning her story. Lady Layla laughed as well.

"Anyway, Tai Lung would tease me nonstop about it so one day I decided to teach him a lesson." She got a naughty smile on her face. "I filled a bucket full of black berry jam andwaited to catch him alone and out in the open. He never knew what hit him. The berry juice never washes out. Tai Lung was blue for a whole month before it finally faded!"

Po fell out of his chair and onto the floor, laughing hysterically. The silvery vixen reeled with laughter. They laughed and laughed. Finally both sat back up and wiped their eyes.

"But then I got on Shifu's bad side." Lady Layla voiced. "Dying the professed "Dragon Warrior" blue wasn't honorable. Master Oogway thought it was funny though."

She giggled again. Po's laughter was having a hard time dying down. He wiped his eyes for the fifth time.

"That's hilarious." The panda sighed. "It's good to have someone here that has a funny bone."

The vixen cocked her head at Po.

"That can't be true, Po." She asked.

The panda shrugged.

"Well, Monkey and Mantis get a little crazy once in a while, but then Master Shifu straightens them out." Po looked to the ceiling in a thoughtful stare. "Crane, Viper and Tigress will smile, but that's about it."

A flash of dark amusement came to Lady Layla's face.

R&R! LONG LIVE ROCK!