Please r&r. That is all.
Everyone turned to stare at Master Shifu. Inexplicably, he was quaking, his fists gripping the staff so tightly they could hear the wood creaking slightly.
"H-Haoxin is coming here?" He stammered. "You can't be serious!"
"Dead serious." Xian replied, perplexed by the red panda's reaction. "She has been a close friend of my family's for over half a century. Also, she was very eager to come."
"Oh gods no!"
"Master Shifu, what's the matter with you?" Po asked, but the red panda was already sprinting towards the doors.
"Zeng!" He yelled. "Zeng, get your feathery tail in here!"
The palace goose flapped in at once.
"Yes, Grandmas-"
"Find the farthest inn in the Valley of Peace, and reserve a room for me!" Shifu shouted, his face a mask of panic. "I must be out of the palace within the hour, do you understand me?!"
"Y-yes, Grandmaster Shifu!" A slightly stunned Zeng flapped back out the doors. Shifu whirled round on his students.
"When she comes, tell her I've gone to JinzhouCity to sort out a family feud and won't be back for months!" He ordered furiously. "If any of you tell her where I am, so help me I will throw you off the top of this mountain, is that clear?!" They quickly nodded their heads. "Right, I will need to pack…"
As Shifu zipped from the building, Po turned with wide eyes to his friends.
"What the heck?" He breathed. "What was that all about?"
"Princess Haoxin and Master Shifu don't really get along." Viper said, looking oddly unsurprised by what had just occurred.
"How do you mean?" Po asked.
"Mr. Ping, why don't we take this time to go and get all the ingredients ready for tomorrow's feast?" Di Tan asked.
"How in the world could I say no to that?" Mr. Ping beamed.
"After that we can pick an assistant chef. The Dragon Warrior seems to have enough on his plate already, what with the emperor himself here."
"A good idea! I think the golden ladle is in the storage room…" The two geese departed the hall of warriors.
"Don't get us wrong, she's a really nice lady." Crane said in the meantime. "But Shifu can't stand her."
"Whenever she visits the palace, there's so such thing as inner peace for him." Monkey added with a small grin. "On each visit, he comes this close to having a stroke!" He raised a hand and brought his index finger and thumb together to demonstrate. Meanwhile, Princess Zu Chunhua began smoothing Zan's slightly ruffled feathers.
"Oh come on!" Po exclaimed. "What could she possibly do to annoy him that much?"
"Well, the best way we can explain is that she always seems to push the wrong buttons for him." Mantis said. "That, and she never gets his name right."
"The last time she visited was about five years ago…" Tigress said. "When Shifu greeted her she called him Master Shih-tzu."
"We've known each other forty five years!" Shifu poked his head through the door at that moment. "Shih-tzu? Really?!" He disappeared again.
"Dang…" Po stared after him. "We'd better stay on our toes while she's here."
"It's not all that bad." Viper spoke up. "Even though she drives Shifu up the wall, she treats Tigress like a princess."
"Don't be daft!" Tigress's pinks turned slightly pink. "She's just a nice woman."
"Says the girl who received silk bed-sheets as a gift the last time Princess Haoxin visited." Mantis chortled. "And was given a new vest for her first winter feast."
"And gets a kiss on both cheeks for every single visit." Monkey added.
"Oh shut up!" Tigress snapped.
"Easy there, Master Tigress." Xian said with a smile. "There's no reason to be embarrassed. Whenever Haoxin takes a liking to someone, she goes out of her way to show it."
"She always gets me a new plushy toy." Lu Kang added. "I've got about six hundred and seventy two so far."
"Heh, I'm definitely looking forward to meeting this woman." Po grinned.
At that moment, Shifu burst back into the room."
"Is she here yet?! Please tell me she's not here yet!"
"We just got the message five minutes ago." Xian rolled his eyes. "It's not even late afternoon."
"Oh right!" Shifu turned to leave, and nearly collided with Zeng.
"Watch where you're going!" He snapped.
"Sorry, Grandmaster Shifu. I received another message while I was traveling to the inn."
"Well, what is it?" Shifu demanded.
Zeng opened the scroll he was holding, cleared his throat, and began to read.
"Dearest Master Sushi. Most sincere apologies, but we are unable to come tomorrow morning."
"What?!" Shifu cried. For a moment his students thought that he was going to knock the goose's lights out. Instead, his frown literally turned upside down as relief filled him. "Oh joy! Oh thank you god! Isn't this wonderful?!" He was practically heaving with happiness as students and royal family alike stared at him.
"So you know, your reservation at the inn has been made…"
"Whatever! Forget about it! I won't be leaving the JadePalace today!" Shifu exclaimed. "And now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to meditate." He began heading for the door again.
"But Grandmaster Shifu, I haven't finished reading the scroll yet…"
"No matter, just read it to my students!"
"But-"
"Go on!" Shifu was centimeters from the door and about to pull it open.
"What does the rest of the message say, Zeng?" Lu Kang asked.
"In a moment, Prince Lu Kang…" Zeng lifted the scroll to his eyes again as Shifu disappeared through the door. "In fact, we've come earlier than we had expected. We will be seeing you this afternoon. Please give my regards to your darling Tigress. Princess Haoxin de Nushi."
"Oh boy…" Po sighed, as they heard a feminine cry of delight come from the other side of the doors.
"Master See-through!" Cried the voice of an elderly woman who in her youth had countless elocution lessons. "It has been too long!"
They heard a muffled grunt as Princess Haoxin threw her arms around the red panda and squeezed hard enough to crack his spine.
"Your highness…" Shifu somehow managed to keep his tone from sounding too shocked as he addressed the elderly woman. "It's an honor to have you here. But I thought you wouldn't be here until tomorrow afternoon."
"Oh, you must have not received our new message yet." Haoxin replied. "Do not get me wrong… I do not place any blame on your messenger goose. We were half way up the stairs when we crossed paths with him. Oh why so long?"
"Yes, it has been a few years since…"
"I mean your mustache. In your line of work, it is bound to get caught on something."
"Right…" Shifu replied with a slight growl. "This is King Meng's family, I presume?"
"Indeed." Said a deep male voice.
"We are honored to have you here as well. The rest of the royal family is inside. Would you like to come in?"
"We would, Grandmaster."
The door creaked open as Shifu led the newly arrived guests into the hall of warriors. Now his students could see the thinly disguised fury in the red panda's expression. His ears were flattened, his eyes were narrowed and he was biting his bottom lip. Entering the room after Shifu was a family of very well dressed pigs. Po didn't recognize the male dressed in a large crown and dark green robes, or the female dressed in purple, but he definitely recognized the little piglet standing between them, wearing a dark colored tiara and a dress colored baby skin pink.
"Princess Mei Li!" He cried out in joy.
"Master Po!" Mei Li squealed in delight and leapt into Po's arms.
"How've you been, princess?" Po asked as he hugged the child. "You're not still whacking servants with that puppet I made you, are you?"
"Nope, I've kinda grown out of that." Mei Li replied. She giggled sheepishly as she remembered her past as a spoiled abusive brat. As he set her back down, Po noticed that she was holding the crudely made panda puppet he had made her during their last meeting.
"I take it these are your parents." He looked up towards to the two adult pigs. "Hey, how's it going?"
"You must be the Dragon Warrior." The male pig, who Po guessed must be King Meng, spoke. "Our daughter has told us all about you."
"Now that we have met you in person, we can finally express our gratitude to you for restoring true peace to our kingdom." His wife smiled warmly.
"Nah, think nothin' of it, I-"
"Darling!"
Po was suddenly interrupted by the cry of the elderly female goose rushing towards Zan and his mother.
She was the oldest goose he had ever seen, her feathers even whiter than Di Tan's. Her dress was a glistening silver decorated with purple lily patterns. Her eyes however, were so deep brown that Po had the impression of a child trapped in an old person's body.
"Grandmamma!" Zan cried out in happiness and ran towards Haoxin. The elder goose scooped him up in her wings and gave him a big hug and a kiss.
"Oh it is so good to see you, my little man!" Haoxin beamed. "And where is your dear mother?"
"I'm right here, mother." Zu Chunhua said with a smile.
"Darling! Come here, you!" Zu Chunhua and her mother embraced. "I am so sorry I have been away so long."
"It's alright, mother." Zu Chunhua said as they separated. "It's good to see you too. If you'll excuse me, I need to put Zan to bed. It's time for his nap."
"Of course, my dear girl." Haoxin replied. "Off you go, and I will see you tonight."
"See you then. Come on, Zan."
"Okay, mama." Zan said as his mother took his wing. "Can I say goodnight to grandmamma and Tigress first?"
"Of course."
"Goodnight, grandmamma." Zan said to Haoxin. Then he turned his head to look at Master Tigress. "Goodnight, Tigress."
"Let's go, Zan." His mother led him past the still seething Shifu and out the building
"Wait, I'll come with you!" Lu Kang called. "I've been travelling all day and I want a rest!" He tripped over the fallen armor as he followed them out.
"Well, good day to you all. I think we will retire as well." Meng said and led his family away. Mei Li waved to Po as they left.
"It is good to see you as well, Lu Kang!" Haoxin watched them go with a sweet smile, and then her brown eyes fell on Tigress. Her smile widened.
"Goodness me, is that you, Tigress?"
Tigress blinked as she realized that the aged goose was addressing her.
"Y-yes, your highness." She said.
"Here we go." Po heard Mantis chortle from Monkey's shoulder.
Haoxin cried out in pure pleasure as she rushed over to the striped feline.
"Hello, my dearest little kitten!" the goose wrapped her wings around Tigress's neck as the feline bent over to bow. "How have you been my little lotus flower?"
Po raised his eyebrows.
"Er… I…" Tigress hesitated.
"No matter, no matter, I am so happy to see you as well! It has been so long! Oh my, your vest looks gorgeous!"
"Th-thank you."
"I got it for her!" Po called out. "Just so you know."
Haoxin turned to look at the panda.
"You must be the Dragon Warrior. Oh you look so adorable in those little pants!"
"R-right." Po blushed in embarrassment.
"And these must be your little friends." Haoxin turned her head again to look as Crane, Monkey, Mantis and Viper. "They all look so darling."
"It's good to see you too, Aunt Haoxin." Xian chuckled.
"Oh, Xian! I am so sorry, I did not notice you over there in the corner!" Haoxin laughed.
"Hey, don't worry about it. Are you ready to hand out the gifts?"
"Gifts?" Po looked up sharply.
"Oh yes, the gifts!" Haoxin exclaimed. "I think that can wait until tomorrow. These boys and girls have a big day tomorrow, and they deserve some rest."
"Boys and girls?" Crane tilted his head indignantly.
"Don't take it personally, she never intentionally insults anyone." Viper whispered to him.
"You deserve some rest too." Shifu spoke up. "Emperor Xian, Princess Haoxin, would you like to retire to the barracks while I speak with my students?"
"Thank you, Grandmaster. We've had a long journey." Xian replied. "Eagle Jr., could you go and make sure the imperial palace servants also have accommodation?"
"Yes, your highness." Eagle Jr. flapped his wings and took off.
"I had better make sure the other Jade Palace servants know that the royal family is here." Zeng said and also departed.
"We will see you tomorrow, my dear Tigress. And you too, Master Tofu." Haoxin smiled as she and Xian also left, leaving only Shifu and his students in the Hall of Warriors.
"The name is Shifu." He snarled under his breath before turning to his students. "Now, before you too retire for the day, there are a few things I need to discuss with you all concerning this latest turn of events."
Po and the Five listened raptly.
"Firstly, since we now have far more guests than we would have expected several of them royalty, we will need to adjust the table arrangements. Crane, I want you and Mantis to take care of this."
"Yes, Master." Crane and Mantis said at once.
"Wait, I thought I was hosting the feast!" Po pouted.
"You are." Shifu replied. "But with the emperor here, it is now more imperative than ever that nothing goes wrong. That is why I want the tasks spread out evenly, both before and during the feast. Anyway… Monkey you can chisel the ice dragon and gather all the dishes for tomorrow night."
"Yes, Master."
"As for you, Po, you can assist with the cooking once you've presented the golden ladle to your chosen chef."
"Yes, Master." Po grinned at the prospect of spending all day with his father.
"And no Hun Shu Waves of Dismissal this time."
"Yes, Master."
"What about me and Viper, Master?" Tigress asked.
"You can put up the lanterns and decorations." Shifu said. "Once you have done so, I want you both to go down to the tailor in the village."
"Why?" Viper asked in surprise. "What's wrong with the tailor up here?"
"I will explain in a moment…" Shifu cleared his throat. "I know I am stating the obvious, but the emperor himself will be attending this feast."
"And?" Po asked.
"And it is for this reason that you will all require a change in clothing for this feast."
The six warriors stared.
"By that, I mean that you all are to be fully clothed for this feast. And by that, I mean that Po, Crane and Monkey, you are to wear shirts. And Viper and Mantis, you are to wear actual clothing. And Tigress, you are to wear a dress."
Tigress froze.
"A-a dress?" Her mouth fell open slightly. "But Master…"
"No buts, Tigress." Shifu cut her off. "From now on, this feast is no longer a gathering of kung fu masters, but a proper formal party. And I expect it to be treated that way. Is that clear?"
"Yes, Master." His students bowed.
"Good. Now return to your quarters, and I will inform you on your tasks for during the feast tomorrow."
Po and the Five departed the hall of warriors. The sun was setting, the sky tinted with red and orange. In the distance, they saw Mei Li's family disappearing into the barracks.
"Oh my goodness, I get to dress up!" Viper was beaming with delight. "I have been waiting for an opportunity like this since I came to the Jade Palace! Right, once I go to the tailor, I will tell him that I need…"
"Oh brother." Monkey and Mantis rolled their eyes.
Crane, on the other hand, didn't seem as willing to mock her.
"I didn't think that snakes wore clothes, Viper." He said. "No offense."
"None taken." Viper replied. "Some snakes do wear clothes, but often only in cold climates. We have special coats for those situations."
"The same goes with us bugs." Mantis spoke up. "Hey, Tigress! How do you feel at the prospect of dressing up? Bet you'd look good with a white face… red lips… blue cheeks…" He smirked.
"Zip it, peanut head." Tigress retorted and increased her walking speed, moving farther ahead than the others.
"Jeez, no need to bite." Mantis muttered.
"Don't tease her, Mantis." Viper scolded.
"I'd better make sure she doesn't go to bed in a bad mood." Po said and hurried off to catch up with Tigress.
"Hey, Tigress, are you alright?" He asked once he'd succeeded. Tigress didn't reply. "Hey, don't listen to what Mantis said. You know he's only joking."
"I'm fine, Po." Tigress looked at him, and Po was surprised to see that she was smiling slightly. He was less surprised when he noticed that her eyes weren't smiling as much. "What he said just brought back memories of my brush with River Fever."
"Really? How come?"
"I'd rather not talk about it." Tigress said quickly. "Let's get to bed. We'll need all the stamina we can get for tomorrow."
"Huh… fine."