chapter two

It was just a few minutes past sunrise and the residents of the Jade Palace were rising from their beds. Master Shifu, a red panda of short stature, was making his rounds and knocking on the doors of rooms belonging to the Furious Five and the Dragon Warrior. It was time for morning exercises and as the leader of the Jade Palace it was Shifu who held the sacred duty of training the Five and Dragon warrior in all the secret arts of Kung Fu.

As each master exited their rooms they, Monkey, Crane, Viper, Mantis and Tigress, bowed to their master and proceeded to the hall of warriors that sat at the heart of the palace. Shifu stopped last at Po's room. Rapping on the door harshly, he called out in his smooth and steady tone, "Po, It's time for morning meditation!"

Po, the Dragon Warrior, opened his eyes slowly and turned his large head toward the door. "I'm coming Master Shifu," he said quickly. "Give me just a sec!" kick-flipping out of bed, Po rubbed his eyes and heaved patchwork pants while staggering from one foot paw to the other as he maintained his balance. After slipping on his simple cloth shoes, he leapt from one side of the room to the other and pulled the door open with a mighty jerk, his large paws and massive arms making the speed at which the motion was made seem impossible! As he exited the room he began down the hallway leading to both kitchen and the hall of warriors. He could see up ahead, Shifu and Crane rounding the corner. Raising a paw and smiling he called out "Master Shifu! We can still have something to eat befo… uuhhhh.."

A wave of exhaustion struck the panda and he threw a paw out to catch himself on the wall. It was like something had sapped his strength. He wobbled on quivering legs and held his other arm out in front of himself. "shi..f….." unable to stand any longer, Po pitched forward and lying face down on the bare wood-plank floor began to sieze!

When Po opened his emerald eyes again, he was on his back in bed and looking up into the very concerned faces of the Five. "Wha.. Ow..," Squinting his eyes in pain, he brought a tired, heavy paw to his head and rubbed it gingerly. It felt as though he had his head beaten again on by the Tigress after taking a bean bun off her plate at the diner table. Mantis stepped on to Po's gigantic belly and looked at him with tilted head, worry on his face just like the others.

"Po," He was obviously shaken about something. "You okay, buddy? We thought we had lost you for a second there. Well, everyone but Monkey. He thought it was a good prank up until he flicked you hard in the head and you didn't even flinch."

"Sorry Po," confessed Monkey.

Tigress sat next to the Dragon warrior and, to everyone's surprise, spoke with a slight tremble. "Master Shifu has gone to fetch a scroll from the Hall of Warriors. What happened to you Po? What do you remember before you blacked out?"

"Tigress," cried Viper! "Lay off of him a bit. He has just been through something terrible!" Turning to Po, she then flashed him a warm smile and placed her tail tip gently on his paw and patted it. "You rest, Po. We will figure out what to do about this after Master Shifu comes back with that scroll."

"Thanks Viper," Said Po, with heavy breaths. He sat up and tried to shake of the drained feeling hovering over him. "Thanks guys, im not sure what that was or how serious that was, but one thing I'm definitely sure is that… I'm STARVING!" Laughing and patting their friend on the back, the Furious Five helped Po to his paws and they crossed the room. As Tigress opened the door, the laughing quickly subsided and smiles turned to looks of fear, and for Po, the look of horror. There stood Shifu, his face heavy and grim, with a scroll in one paw and Mr. Pings bloody hat in the other.