Happy holiday, pandoms! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to my constant reader(s)!

(This chapter has completed editing on 12/20/2021.)

GrayZeppelin


Episode One: The Prince of Darkness ( 1 - 5 )


Chapter II

Training Hall

Seven Hundred and Ten Years Later / Present Day

Year: 1210, Late Spring

A star of spring gleamed with pale orange and yellow from the cobalt heaven.

A river beyond green meadows trickled with foaming waters across Guilin mountains on the ridges near the horizon. One of the peaks laid an enormous palace of red columns with golden slither dragons and three jade upward roof tiles. In Jade Palace, originated by the Magnificent Oogway, the creator of Kung Fu, China's essential heroes lived — they called themselves Masters of Jade Palace: the Dragon Warrior and Furious Five and their red panda mentor, Master Shifu. The left side of Jade Palace had been repaired; the cause of this destruction was a warrior of dark chi from the raging emerald sky.

A Supreme Warlord, once known to himself as Beast of Vengeance. The yak who once skirmished with his tortoise brother during the Great War. The beast who was once banished by his former ally, the Collector, who mostly gathered every warrior's chi, then all four of the Furious Five, including their Master.

There was a village with a famous name through the skirts of whispering trees. Many people, including the Hero of China, occupied their farmland home, the Valley of Peace. The only known community where the famous Mr. Ping's Dragon Warrior Noodles and Tofu restaurant thrived. On the other store, the most exquisite Tea House on the north side, all living villagers adored sipping hot green teas every morning and night. Then the fashionable clothing silk store two blocks away from Mr. Ping's restaurant and large vessels rides on streams to lead any direction in all of China.

The sound of a morning bell represented a wake-up call for masters. To begin their awake to guzzle and prepare the kung fu training within the next thirty minutes after breakfast. By then, the gongs from the bell echoed for a short time. Two villagers sprinted the walking path on Valley of Peace. They giggled as both villagers of bunny and goose realized the time of the Furious Five masters, including the Dragon Warrior, awakened in the morning once they reached the tallest stairway above.

The rabbit wore her pink robe with a peach sash upon her belly. She came from next door to the Dragon Warrior Noodles restaurant, where a bunny, including her mother, enjoyed the smell of pasta ingredients daily. The goose dressed in his brown cloth robe, carrying the action figures of the Furious Five in the goose's bag. The goose lived with his father between the Valley of Peace rivers. The boatman who traveled east and west picked many travelers to venture into this prosperous village.

The rabbit and goose arrived at the Jade Palace in nearly a half-hour. They both reached the front door without disturbing loudly as the masters went training immediately. Again, the bell gonged once more.

"Those masters are beginning their training right now!" the rabbit beamed while sprinting with the goose.

"Cool!" the goose surprised, so stubborn and encouraging. Meeting the Dragon Warrior and Furious Five was seemingly the best suggestion to fill their hearts. He reminded his bunny companion. "My father will be arriving at my house around midday. Are you sure we can peek inside the room where the Dragon Warrior trains the Furious Five?"

"Of course," she nodded. Both children hurried to a side of the Palace where multiple trees and many blooms perched across. They found the Training Hall building a few yards away. "Just for twenty minutes, and then we'll return home. Let's play some action figures, Neo."

"Okay," Neo genuinely smiled as he dropped his bag after they arrived outside beside the Training Hall. "I do not know if we'll get into trouble for trespassing."

Next, the rabbit snatched both Tigress and Viper from Neo's bag. The goose grabbed Monkey and the Dragon Warrior before the two could begin their acting. "This is where the Dragon Warrior met me here three days ago," the rabbit reflected. "And do not worry, Neo. I offered him for us to be outside for a playground at any time except the Training Hall inside."

"Really?" Neo questioned her in surprise. "That's good to know!"

"Can you believe it?" Kathy went excited, carrying action figures of Tigress and Viper. "He promised me to meet us outside, and we will be able to talk to him and the Furious Five for a while!"

"Wonderful!" Neo smiled.

"Remember our pig friend from the clothing store?" Kathy reminded him about one of their companions. "A fancy tale about the Dragon Warrior, he told most people and us. Po can wipe out the entire bandits in his way with the Five! And then at the Tea House, he confronted hundreds of bandits who demanded villagers some money, and then the Dragon Warrior warned them all, then said, 'Enough talk, let's fight!'"

"That story never gets old," Neo thrilled. "Let's play!"

Both Kathy and Neo drew their action packs of Masters of Jade Palace. They giggled to themselves as the wind breezed from the flowers, overhearing sounds of strikes and weapons swinging from the Training Hall. The rabbit thrived her aqua eyes and reminded her of her best friend to peek at the hole in the large wooden door. For one at a time to take a turn, they glanced at the highest kung fu masters training inside the Training Hall.

Monkey swung into circle iron spikes, practicing his agility maneuvers to evade any such attacks from enemies carrying swords and daggers on the ground. He sprang through windows as part of his survival instincts.

Crane balanced his movement to his slender legs on the Jade Tortoise bowl. He used both wings to swirl most volley of red arrows and one with flames at the tip of it. Crane soared upward and supported Monkey by diving into the spike hole first. The avian grappled Monkey, letting his partner swing and throw him through a dummy person in the wooden ceiling.

Viper slithered her body through the upcoming torch below her near Crane's Jade Tortoise. She quickly withdrew the scorching flames and increased her agility and maneuverability. She sprung her body upward twice from the incoming torches and struck her tail into one of the crocodile dummies beside her. Mantis. A green insect master where Neo and Kathy could not see him from rapid movements on the crocodile dummy hordes area near Viper's torching spot. Mantis advanced his thingies, pounding into crocodiles, surrounding him with spinning arms and tails, opposing the bug directly. On each spin, Mantis deflected and pounced the dummies back in simultaneously. Viper united with the insect to combat several models before finishing three opponents with a single team blow.

"Cool!" Neo tapped his feet on the other. He turned to the rabbit. "Kathy! Viper and Mantis destroyed three dummies in there!" Next, a pounding roar lingered in a battle. "Look! Tigress is attacking those swinging woods with lances on right now!" the goose pointed excitedly.

Last but not least, Tigress. She leaped to the spinning curl logs, attacking wooden spike boards that swung around as Tigress used her most robust kung fu stance. She now robed her new outfit — a long gray sleeve tunic with green leaves and navy blue trousers. With deflection from her paws, she disciplined her veracity (part of honesty and power) for decades as she unleashed blows to her fists and kicks. Crane joined the team along Tigress to support and oppose swing boards. Once spike boards were fragmenting into bits, the avian mounted Tigress in mid-air, releasing a drop to his Jade Tortoise at another level of balance.

Crane and Tigress engaged as the striped feline spun her kicks, and the avian deflected fast blows with his wings before he flew. Monkey dove on the edge of Crane's Tortoise from the spike rings above them as Tigress maintained her stability. The giant bowl weighted toward their companion and the other briefly. Monkey thrashed three palms while his fourth towered on its emerald arm. Tigress parried two hands and one foot; Crane locked his talons on thin edges before interfering with the two.

Viper slithered on Tigress's body through her left arm before the streak of green stormed into the air and dropped down on Monkey's shoulder. All members of the Furious Five remained on all limb sides of the bowl, concentrating on their balance before engaging one another.

"Have you finished sightseeing?" a silver voice asked the children behind.

Both Neo and Kathy quivered. They glanced at a red panda mentor in a white tunic with the shaded gray shawl wrapped around the left side of his chest and whole leftward arm: the best and only kung fu master, as many people knew a teacher along Oogway.

"Master Shifu!" Kathy and Neo bowed to the instructor after relieving.

"I am wondering how you two arrived in Jade Palace?" Shifu determined, asking politely ahead of the children.

"Well, Master," Kathy regarded. "Three days ago, I was with my family to meet the Dragon Warrior and Furious Five. I begged Po for him to come outside with us here to see our action figures to play."

"Master Shifu," Neo respected the red panda's title as the red panda readied his ocean eyes at the young goose with charm. "Both families gave us free time to head to Jade Palace to meet Dragon Warrior and the Furious Five. My father will arrive with his new visitors around midday, and I would love my dad to tell him a pretty awesome day to see a new autograph sign. And someday, I will be a kung fu warrior like him, Master."

Shifu chuckled. "Now, young one," Shifu patted the goose's shoulder. "You will become a warrior like us one day. And—"

Shifu perceived the toys on the flowers. "You brought action figures? It's amazing."

"Thank you, Master," Kathy nodded with a smile toward her ears. "These action figures belong to my best friend here. His favorites are Tigress and Po."

Just then, an unexpected voice in the Training Hall fluttered with might and triumph behind the door. "Get ready to feel thunder!"

Neo and Kathy widened their eyes after gaping. "Po is here! Let's check him out!" Kathy pleased.

Master Shifu opened large doors as Neo and Kathy went through first. All three saw warriors scattering across the Hall and found the People's Hero. The panda stormed on the moving curve logs as Po combated with Tigress, intercepting spike boards and combining defensive punches using water flow. Tigress evaded Po's defense as she stayed focused on her instincts. Next, the Dragon Warrior swung his sparrow kick, Tigress deflected his boot, and the tiger fisted the blade beside her.

The Dragon Warrior ascended the air and landed the large bowl toward the edge with Crane. Po focused balance movements accurately while Crane soared, swinging his kicks. The panda deflected the bird's talons with his flabby arms. Po controlled his stance briefly and finally had a chance to make Crane unbalanced, delivering a double kick and a heel kick.

Po leaped from the Jade Tortoise and encountered wooden dummy hordes with Mantis, his limbs pounding model arms and tails in his way. The Dragon Warrior and his insect companion intercepted numerous models. They thrashed dummies with simultaneous forms while engaging one and the next; rapid punches and swinging kicks made the two warriors way into more separation from getting crowded. Mantis released a vibrant streak of emerald toward three crocodile models, which collapsed woods into bits, and had Po reaching for the next level ahead of him.

Torch flames.

Small pipes randomly spat blazes before letting the panda maintain the survival course. Po's reptile partner Viper reached behind him with snappy slithers, guiding Po across which metal tubes could not fire. Following the serpent, the Dragon Warrior rolled barrels through the vapor and the other without hesitation. Sensation required the two to dodge burns, part of quick consideration before risking to break through obstacles.

Viper ascended on the panda's feet, motioning through Po's arms as they bounded off flaming pipes and faced the remaining crocodile models. They maneuvered five fire arrows launching at them. The panda performed thrashes each time while leading his weight one way and the next, having Viper launch half of her body per wooden dummy. Once more than ten models around the two warriors retreated (only half fragmented to pieces), Po leveled his forearms against Viper. Her tail whipped where she targeted the panda's limbs.

Above the two students, Monkey swung his tail across circle spiles, penetrating through one hole with his kick. His speed made him focus on losing hordes of foes and capturing those enemies trying to escape near windows. The golden snub warrior landed next to Po and Viper, facing themselves as the other interfered. Crane barged into the spike circle gap and soared across wooden columns before facing the three. Tigress struck on one of the ropes that Monkey swung, and Po parried his palm bashes once Viper whipped her lengthy tail toward Crane's wings. Mantis returned into the combat after clobbering his clawthees on ruptured models, now vibrating his short wings ahead of Viper.

After a long improvision of fighting, Tigress tied on the Crane, Mantis, Viper, and Mantis as they retreated from their leader as Po imposed his panda stance before engaging her. On the safe platform with Shifu and Neo, the bunny examined one of the wooden dummies to her right, where she could not discover what the device presented.

The dummy was a free-standing cylinder column with three straight arms (two above and one below), including a whole downward leg.

Tigress and Po straightened their thrusting fists by not hitting themselves but observing the opponent's strikes. As the morning training nearly ended based on hanging torches lit by one hand across the Hall, Po and Tigress met their firm paws against where they hit. One of their arms almost reached their chests, resulting in the fight's draw.

Master Shifu tapped his wooden staff on the floor. "Well done, students! Your discoveries of discipline are now complete."

Six students bowed to their instructor after their training went successful. The Furious Five surveyed two visitors once the Dragon Warrior recognized the children of goose and rabbit next to the red panda instructor.

Po gasped and separated his full arms. "My fans! I thought it was too early to meet me."

"Kathy made a call for both of us to have our time meeting you and told us exactly the right time from yesterday," Neo reminded the Dragon Warrior. "My dad will return in a few hours from now."

"Oh," the panda realized. "Now, I understand."

"Anyway," Kathy spoke, perceiving in her head when caressing long ears on the left side. "Neo and I saw all of your moves like YEAAHHH, and HA!" she frankly punched with double blows and extended her slight kick. Showing to the masters what fans see kung fu moves. "And you have beaten every Furious Five like 'Woah!'"

For a moment, Neo and Kathy gave their share after they saw a kung-fu fight shortly; the Dragon Warrior surveyed Kathy's bag of action figures.

"I would love to do Kung Fu skills one day," Neo sought his future of himself as Master Goose.

Just then, a goose named Zeng interfered after soaring above the ceiling. He called Shifu while the Dragon Warrior joined two children beside the Five. Monkey palmed on all fours next to Tigress. "I thought Po gave away one of his action figures back in Secret Panda Village," he reflected.

"Uh, Monkey," the bug dashed on Monkey's shoulder before landing. "He gave one of his figures to Lei Lei a while back."

"Frankly," Tigress entered the conversation with the Five. "Po will always play his action figures when the Dragon Warrior is in a mood with these children."

The red panda carried a scroll from Zeng. "Attention!" Master Shifu announced. He turned to Furious Five and Dragon Warrior. "We have a message from the Emperor."

"Woah, really?" the panda craned his neck while Shifu sensed cookies from Dragon Warrior's breath. "What's the message say?"

"This message goes to every class of martial arts in all of China," Master Shifu glazed at every student's eyes. The Furious Five, including the two children, paid close attention as they stretched their necks near Shifu; the Dragon Warrior widened his green eyes as the panda intrigued. "As the Emperor of China, I will select three classes next month. For centuries, many Emperors created a duty to the makers to construct stadium tournaments. All classes desire to enhance their training to accept challenges. The competition will open in one month at Kong Bai Stadium. Stay tuned for further notice."

"WOW!" Po was stunned. "The Emperor is creating the Tournament?! Outstanding!"

"The best idea is we'll have to entertain the Emperor if he meets us anytime now," Crane regarded.

"More training, more hardcore," Viper said, sneering at Crane.

"Both Viper and Crane are right," Master Shifu accepted, then handed the scroll to Zeng next to the goose as the Master gazed at all students' eyes around him. "We must satisfy the Emperor. Show him unique training you all must practice."

"Does that mean any visitors, including Kathy and I, can go to Kong Bai Stadium?" Neo inquired with curiosity.

A sort of inquiry brought Shifu regard, fiddling his Fu Manchu beard. "Of course. The Emperor allows all visitors," the red panda chuckled.

"As the Emperor craves martial arts before picking any three classes," Tigress embarked, bonding to her paws. "Then we shall admire him and his people." She looked at the Five, including Po, who constantly beamed at her. "Let's get training."

All the Furious Five sprinted outside as the Dragon Warrior visioned the dummy beside the door inside the Training Hall. Neo and Kathy entertained themselves; they grasped their action figures, heading near the flowers to make themselves comfortable. o make themselves comfortable.

"Master Shifu," the panda named his teacher respectfully once Shifu walked behind Po. "I may have seen the rest of the dummies for the past ten years, including my beginnings," Po's giant hand pointed to the model where he had not seen it before. "But, what kind of dummy is it?"

"Hmm..." Master Shifu inspected the letter beside the left arm and thought of the wooden dummy. "This dummy is ancient, Po. I recognized this mahogany before in my youngest days."

"What is it?" Po questioned in curiosity, bending his whole face to the left and wanting to know more about this awesomeness device.

"There were many legendary masters, as they have told about all martial arts combined mutually seven centuries ago," Shifu spoke. "Kung Fu, Tai Chi, Mui Thai, and many martial arts exist in years of peace, especially… Wing Chun."

"Wing Chun?!" Po spread his eyes, seemingly impressed. "There was Wing Chun back in Qing Temple?!"

"Yes," Master Shifu nodded. "Wing Chun is one of the greatest concepts that develop a strong grapple the attack and defense to enhance within close range combat." Master Shifu touched the free-standing mahogany dummy once he described the meaning of Wing Chun. "My former partner vowed to train me before she left towards the west, and I only used some of the forms she pictured me to follow her movements."

"How long have you been keeping this dummy, Master?" Dragon Warrior asked, rotating his neck to him.

"Three days," Shifu replied. He scrutinized the dummy's leg with his palm: Firm. Expertly designed and sensed inelastic log where Shifu convinced that it considered steel, but the natural wood made it sturdier. "This dummy has been forged to new wood."

"Who gave it to you, honestly?" Po asked with his curious voice.

Master Shifu snatched the parchment letter on the dummy's left arm, handing over Po to show him. "One of the closest friends I have ever known with Oogway," Master Shifu detailed the panda.

The Dragon Warrior opened the letter and began reading.

It has been a long time, my brother. I apologize for leaving you with a broken promise because I had to head home. Trouble came near my village towards the West in Tiger Village—

"WHAT?!" Po brightened his green eyes, craning his nose close to the paper. "Tiger Village?!" Po stayed reading the letter script.

I had to protect my children, including my grandson, from the attack. I only redeemed my grandson from the tragedy — the darkness slew my son and daughter-in-law. No one could look after my grandchild. Forgive me, Masters Oogway and Shifu. Pardon me for my absence days. Ten years ago, I heard stories that Kai took your students' souls, including yours. Luckily, as I recall, this beast, which you knew, did not snatch my students and me.

I am sure you are still learning my forms, brother. Today, I am giving you Wing Chun's free-standing dummy as a gift. Hopefully, you'll invite me to Jade Palace with my students. We'll teach ourselves where my vow must be accomplished and a dinner to greet my students and yours someday. Love from your sister, as always.

Sister-In-Arms

"WOW!" Po widened his jade eyes at the red panda teacher. "You have a sister?! And a date?!"

Shifu gently downcast his long ears. Noticing how the Master truly listened to astounding words from Po impacted Shifu's heart, bristling his fur behind his back. "Yes, but—" Shifu's words cut after the panda was amazed.

"That is awesome, Master!" Po stunned. "I never know you have a girl—"

"Po. Focus," Shifu immediately shut the panda's voice down with his palm. "She is not my mate, however. My sister and I were close enough, only sticking to the part as friends. Close friends, I mean."

"Sorry, Master," Po apologized to Shifu, sweeping his forehead. "I was too excited about this all the time. But I want to see your sister! What is she like?"

"That can wait, Po. Soon," Shifu affirmed the Dragon Warrior with patience. Just then, both Shifu and Po overheard Neo and Kathy's voices ringing across the garden. "You can spend your time with your fans, Po. You have thirty minutes. After that, begin your training with the Five."

"Yes, Master," Po bowed to Shifu. His teacher roamed toward the walkway where the Furious Five practiced there.

Immediately as the Dragon Warrior sat beside his fans, he relished them in such entertainment, thriving into roleplays he could manage children in his heart. The goose browsed his action figures. "Oh, no! Tai Lung returns! Soon, he will have revenge, and the Dragon Warrior will avenge Jade Palace with the Furious Five!" Once Po was amazed, he delighted Neo and Kathy by making themselves the happiest moment of life. The pink foliage from the Sacred Peach Tree swam across the western wind and through steep mountains above misty ripples.

The sun shone the blossoms through the breeze of peace. Many leaves floated softly, listening to the waterfall drops that communed all trees guiding down through the next valley far away to the west.

The pink blossoms landed on the cobblestone road of the Valley of Peace's neighborhood townsfolk.

The Prosper Valley.


Thank you for your time to read, guys! The next chapter will introduce my original characters!