A/N: Oogway finally gets some screen time! Yay!

Chapter 3: Too Many Cooks Spoil the Broth

The Jade Palace was home to magnificent architecture, statuary that impressed with both great size and minute detail, skillfully carved reliefs depicting everything from a quiet moment of meditation to the crowded frenzy of battle. All of this was accentuated by the careful application of saturated color, garnished with gold and jade. None of the man-made beauty of the Jade Palace, however, could be fully appreciated in the dark.

That was why Lin found herself paying closer attention to the natural beauty of the place. She was heading for one peach tree in particular, growing on an elevated piece of land that overlooked the entire valley. The tree itself was laden with pink blossoms and large, ripe peaches, the sight of which made her mouth water even after a large dinner. Well, she had never seen anything wrong with dessert, so she climbed the stairs to the tree with renewed energy at the thought of harvesting the fruit.

However, once she reached the top of the stairs, she had doubts about whether it would be appropriate to harvest some dessert. Master Oogway was practicing some form of kung fu she wouldn't have been able to name if her life had depended on it; it was slow, deliberate, and looked more like a form of relaxation than anything meant for combat. She would have turned around and left right there, but he paused in his practice and called out to her.

"Ah, Lin, what brings you to the Sacred Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom tonight?" He smiled warmly at her, a gesture she was sure was supposed to put her at ease. It wasn't something she was used to, though, and it had the opposite affect on her.

"I, um..." Not to mention that this peach tree was apparently both sacred and heavenly, something she hadn't known when she'd picked its fruit for breakfast. "Well, you know... The view." She gestured lamely to the Valley of Peace, laid out before them like an ink painting.

"It is indeed a beautiful sight," he agreed, nodding his head.

"So..." She grasped for a subject to discuss. "You, uh, like peach trees?"

"I do," he replied. "And peaches, as well." He winked at her, picking up his staff and tapping the trunk of the tree with it.

The significance of the motion was lost on her until a peach dropped into her hands and she felt herself blush, embarrassed. "I, uh, didn't know the tree was sacred..."

"It is quite alright, my friend!" He let out a throaty chuckle, which did put her more at ease. "What better way to appreciate the circle of life than to take part in it?"

"Agreed." She bit into the peach, relishing every moment; the tree produced hands down the best peaches she had ever tasted in her life. "So, uh, Master Oogway-"

"You do not need to address me as 'Master' if it makes you uncomfortable."

"Okay, thanks. So, uh, Oogway... You made up kung fu?"

"I did. I wished for a way to protect those who could not protect themselves."

"That's, uh, cool..." She wiped some peach juice away from her mouth, bouncing on the balls of her feet.

"I built the Jade Palace here not only as a school of kung fu," he continued, "but also as a sanctuary for those with nowhere else to turn."

She blushed again, picking up on the meaning of his statement immediately. "You didn't really need a cook," she sighed. She had known that before she'd even shown up at their doors.

Oogway chuckled. "I think that while you are here you will find that this is much more than even a sanctuary."

"Eh?"

"You have a good night, and enjoy the view," he concluded, grinning at her once more as he walked past her and down the steps.

"Right. G'night." She stared after him, her eyebrows raised. She'd known already that Oogway was the mystical, cryptically wise type, but it was still pretty off-putting.

Still, she liked riddles, and she sat down on the edge of the outlook, chewing thoughtfully on her peach. Maybe he was talking about Tai Lung and Shifu. They were a family, technically, and they called the Jade Palace home. She still couldn't see how Shifu in any way even resembled a father, but perhaps there was something there that she wasn't seeing. If that was the case, it was probably because of Shifu's unreasonable hatred toward her.

Or maybe she was just biased toward her own traditions. It had definitely surprised her that everyone in the Jade Palace ate alone, but then again Shifu trained Tai Lung all day. Still, kung fu training hardly sounded to her like a relaxed atmosphere in which a father and son bonded. She had heard stories of people bonding most during hardship, but she doubted that was the case.

She decided to meddle. It wasn't normally a habit of hers, but she really liked the kid, and he seemed kind of lonely to her. It was strange, actually. She normally avoided kids at all cost, and the last time she'd tried her hand at babysitting the children had banded together to beat the pulp out of her. She was getting to the age when women usually started having children, so it was probably hormones. In any case, the kid had helped her get a job at the Jade Palace to begin with, so she owed it to him to meddle.

And meddle she would.

Tai Lung shuffled into the kitchen with a loud yawn, grabbing the back of his chair. His breakfast was ready and waiting for him, but as he looked around the room, he didn't see Lin anywhere. A creak of the floorboards, however, revealed that she was behind him.

"Good morning!" she practically shouted, slapping him on the back.

"What is it?" he watched her heap rice porridge and sliced peaches into a bowl; he didn't know very much about Lin, but it was easy to see that she had something up her sleeve.

"I have an idea," Lin told Tai Lung as soon as he sat down at the table.

"Oh no," he groaned, knowing that whatever she suggested was bound to end badly.

"Oh yes." She set another bowl down next to him, setting the place. "Here's how it's gonna go down: I leave the kitchen, right?"

"I don't even know what you're planning," he replied.

"Right," she answered for him. "Then Shifu's gonna come in to grab his breakfast, see?"

"I have a bad feeling about this."

"And then you ask him to eat breakfast with you!" She slammed her hands down on the table. "It's fool-proof!"

"In what way is that fool-proof, or even a plan?" He pushed his chair back, ready to bolt from the room.

"Wait, wait, I promise it'll work!" She grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him a little. "You can do it! You got a weapon the power of which is unrivaled by even the mightiest sword!"

"I do?" He was a little curious about that part, he had to admit.

"You do! You have the cute little kitten look! Just shoot one straight at Shifu, and he'll crumble like a shitty old building. Or something. Don't tell Shifu I said 'shit' in front of you. Twice."

"First of all, I'm not going to give him a 'cute little kitten' look." He held out his hand so he could tick off his points as he spoke. "Second, even if I did it wouldn't work. Third, what gave you the idea that I even wanted to eat breakfast with Master Shifu in the first place?"

"So you two can share the beautiful and mystical bond between a father and a son," she replied casually. "Good luck!" She ran out of the kitchen, and before Tai Lung could follow her, he heard her say, "Oh, uh, g'morning, I was just, um, leaving. For a while. A long while." And he had one guess as to whom she was saying it.

"Good morning, Tai Lung," Master Shifu gave his usual formal greeting as he entered the kitchen.

"Good morning, Master." Tai Lung jumped out of his chair to bow. And then, for reasons unfathomable to him, he went ahead with Lin's stupid plan. "Will you be joining me for breakfast, Master Shifu?" He remained standing, in case he needed to block the door.

He paused, his hand outstretched toward the bowl Lin had left for him.

Tai Lung did his best to look adorable. "It's alright if you can't-"

"Of course I will," Master Shifu huffed, taking a seat. He drummed his fingers on the table, staring at his porridge.

Tai Lung sat down, wondering whether or not it was okay to take the first bite. He settled on sipping some tea, watching carefully for a negative reaction.

"So!"

He jumped at his master's sudden exclamation.

"It's... Morning."

"Uh... Yes?" He was getting kind of hungry.

"Right." Master Shifu finally picked up his chopsticks and dug in, which was simultaneously a relief and an unbelievable sight to behold. He ate even faster than Lin did, and twice as neatly.

Tai Lung dug in as well, worried that he would be expected to finish his meal at the same time.

"How, um, did you sleep last night?"

The attempt at small talk caught him off guard. "Good," he replied simply.

"Good," Master Shifu replied awkwardly. He tapped his fingers on the table.

Tai Lung continued to eat.

"I'll see you in the training hall." Master Shifu got up from the table, nodding to him.

"Yes, Master," he replied, relaxing the moment his master had left the room. If eating together became a regular thing, he was going to have to start skipping meals.

Shifu stepped out into the courtyard, suppressing a groan when he caught sight of Lin, shuffling toward the barracks kitchen, hunched over with two baskets overflowing with groceries. He knew immediately that he would have to help her with the groceries, but there was something about her he just didn't like. Perhaps it was that she was a vagrant off the street, most likely just looking for some quick money. Still, she was obviously struggling and he couldn't ignore her. He approached as she set the baskets down on the ground, grimacing, and massaged her fingers.

"Hi," she greeted as he approached, visibly shrinking in his presence.

He rolled his eyes. "What did you buy?"

"Eh?" She looked down into the baskets. "Uh... Potatoes. And, um, oil... Vinegar... Stuff like that."

No wonder she was struggling. "Here, I'll get it." He glanced up at her as he reached for the baskets; she was staring at him, dumbfounded. "What?"

"I- uh- th-thanks. Thanks." She smiled nervously at him.

He would have replied, but at the sound of flapping wings he let go of the groceries and straightened up.

"Agh!" Lin jumped back, her arms raised to shield her head as the Jade Palace's messenger, Yu, landed right in front of her. "What the balls?"

Shifu shot a glare in her direction, and she snapped her mouth shut, looking sheepish.

The goose brushed himself off and bowed, a few feathers falling out as he did so. "Master Shifu, good afternoon," he greeted briskly.

Shifu nodded at him. "Yu, what has happened?"

"Actually, Master Shifu, I wanted to ask you for the weekend off."

"What could you possibly need the whole weekend for?"

"My wife and I- well- our eggs are hatching."

Shifu's mouth fell open as Lin gave Yu a hearty pat on the back. "Uh, yes, of course," he sputtered. "Congratulations."

"Mosseltov!" Lin shouted, for some reason.

"Thank you, Master Shifu!" Yu bowed gratefully, backing away a few steps before flying off.

Shifu waved weakly after him, realizing belatedly that Lin was giving him a very strange look; her eyebrows were raised, and one side of her mouth was twitching. "What?" he demanded, straightening up.

"Nothing," she replied quickly. "I-I didn't say anything."

He let his suspicion show, but instead of pursuing the subject picked up her grocery baskets and headed for the kitchen.

"Thanks," she squeaked out again, following after him. "You, uh... You're pretty strong for a... Uh..." She paused for a long time as they walked, and Shifu resisted the urge to put the baskets down and just walk away. "Uh... A lemur?"

"Red panda," he grumbled.

"Sorry, I um... Sorry." She glanced over at him, her eyes narrowed. "...Panda?"

"Red pandas are different from regular pandas," he ground out, picking up speed. The sooner he could drop the groceries off in the kitchen, the better.

"Oh, okay." She reached up and scratched behind her ear. "Yeah." She trotted ahead of him as they reached the barracks, and to his surprise, held the door for him. "Thanks, again, for helping."

"How did you get up the stairs?" The thought had just struck him.

"Very slowly," she replied, opening the door to the kitchen for him as well.

He almost grinned at the comment. Almost. When he set the baskets down on the table, he wondered if it would be alright to leave, or if he should stay to help her put the groceries away.

She made the decision for him when she started grabbing things from the basket and shooed him away. "You can go on, I got this."

"You're sure?"

"Yeah." She scratched the back of her neck, smiling again.

"Okay." He glanced back at her as he walked out; it was the first time she'd ever spoken to him without stuttering or pausing awkwardly.

A/N: That's it for now. I'll be returning to school this semester (hooray, a 6 hour drive tomorrow), so expect the frequency of updates to drop. However, one of my goals this semester is to keep writing. Along with an insane number of other tasks. I'll be aiming for a biweekly schedule; wish me luck!