A New Start

Po sat nervously in his father's shop. The simian next to him rolled his eyes. "Po, don't you think you're overreacting?"

"Monkey, every time he's come, there's always some kind of battle or fight between me and him."

"Well, the first one was your fault. The second wasn't really your fault. And the third one was his. So you're technically even."

"Not helping Monkey," Po muttered. It was close to noon. Not a cloud hung in the sky on a tepid day, though Po's back shivered as his head burned and sweated.

"Po, calm down. I'm sure it's going to be okay."

"How do you know that?"

"Because even when you two get into fights, you always come out as friends on the other side," Monkey pointed out. The panda gave a big sigh and smiled a bit.

"Yeah, you're right. I'm worrying over nothing." Just then, Po saw the person of the hour walk through the entryway of the shop. The panda stood up and smiled, getting up and bowing. "It's great to see you again, buddy."

"It's good to see you, too, Master... I mean, Grandmaster Po."

"Hehe, you can just call me Po," The panda smiled, hugging his friend. "I'm glad you could make it, Peng."

The young snow leopard had a bit of a growth spurt, coming to Po's neck.* He wore his normal dark vest and pants, though they seemed re-tailored for his new height. "Still teaching people how to fight?"

"Not as much," Peng chuckled, scratching the back of his neck. "Ever since you started teaching, people from around the world want to learn from you."

"Hehe, sorry," Po mumbled, bashfully.

"No, it's okay. It's given me more time with my girlfriend, Lian."

"Oh, I hear wedding bells?" Po smirked. Peng chuckled. "That's great. I was a little worried when I got your scroll. I thought something happened... again."

Peng's lips turned into a small frown. "It's... not completely untrue."

"Uh no. I knew it! Something's wrong and you want to fight me again."

"What? No, no, Po. It's nothing against you," Peng chuckled. "No, it's... it's related to my uncle."

"Tai Lung," Po said. Peng nodded. "But... you don't have anything against me?"

"Why would I... actually, come to think of it, we do end up fighting each other a lot."

"Unintentionally!" Monkey called out from his seat at the table. Po rolled his eyes.

"Still, you're... sure you want to do... whatever it is you're trying to do? Whenever you've looked into figuring out who your uncle was... things didn't go well," Po pointed out.

Peng hung his head a bit. "I know, but... I think I need to hear how he went wrong before I can have complete peace."

"Hm... so... why get in touch with me?"

Peng looked away nervously for a moment. "Well... after people told me you were now the Grand Master of the Jade Palace, I learned that... Master Shifu raised Tai Lung."

Po's eyes widened. "You're here for Master Shifu?"

"Yeah. Do you think he'll have some time for me?"

"Yeah, yeah sure!" Po said excitedly. "Come on, let's go up the mountain. I'm sure he'll be okay with it."

"Are you sure?" Peng asked.

"Why wouldn't he?"

"Well, Tai Lung was my uncle. Shifu RAISED my uncle. I can't imagine how painful that must have been."

"Oh... yeah... right," Po groaned.

"This is going to be fun," Monkey murmured. Monkey, Peng, and Po walked up the mountain, with Po huffing and puffing. Monkey decided to leave the two to their own. Peng and Po walked over to a small flowered meadow where Master Shifu was practicing his flute underneath a shady tree.

"Uhh... Master Shifu?" Po called.

The red panda slowly lowered his flute and sighed. "I guess Peng is here for me?"

"I... yeah... how did you know? Wait, did the universe tell you or something? Cool! You have to tell me how you do that! My panda dad won't tell me!" Po excitedly said.

Shifu smiled as he turned to face them. "It wasn't the universe, Po. So far, Peng has come each time to figure out more about his uncle or Kung Fu. I figured it would only be a matter of time before he asked me questions about Tai Lung."

Peng bowed before the red panda and sat down cross-legged in front of him. "I hope this won't be a difficult conversation, Master Shifu."

"It will be. For the both of us," Shifu looked over to the large panda. "Po, why don't you give us some privacy."

"Oh! Yeah sure. See you later, buddy," Po said to Peng as he walked away.

The young snow leopard took a long deep breath. "Thank you for allowing me to ask you these questions, Master Shifu. I know that it's not easy."

"You're looking for peace about your uncle," Shifu replied with a small smile. "I know what that is like."

They shared a long moment of silence. The tree above them rustled from the gentle mountain breeze that smelled faintly of Po's noodles. Peng took a long breath and tried to exhale all the nerves bunching up in his chest. "Don't be afraid, Peng. I know that this is a... delicate situation."

Peng nodded, though he wasn't sure if his nod conveyed any more confidence than he wanted. "What was my uncle like?"

Shifu took a long breath, taking a glimpse of light through the tree's leaves. "Surprisingly, he wasn't much like you. The biggest difference between you and him is his pride and your humility. But both of you are determined." Shifu chuckled. "I have to wonder if that's the one thing that I actually teach my students. Tigress has great determination as does Po."

"But Tai Lung used that determination for evil."

Shifu sighed, "Everything that is good can be spoiled. Anything that is good can become evil. But we get to decide whether to prevent or accelerate that process." The red panda stared at the grass mixed in with the budding wildflowers around. "I have to wonder if I accelerated that process in Tai Lung."

"My... my mother mentioned very little about him," Peng replied. "It wasn't until recently that she figured out that they were related."**

Peng watched Shifu lean forward a bit, raising a bushy eyebrow. "That is something that I've been meaning to ask you," He said slowly. "How do you know that Tai Lung is your uncle? I wasn't aware that Tai Lung had relatives."

Peng rubbed the back of his neck. "It's complicated. My mother said that my grandmother lived in an area that was against male snow leopards at the time. A soothsayer nearby had prophesied that a male snow leopard would bring the downfall of China. The elder of the small village ordered that all male snow leopards of young age would be sent away."

"And your grandmother sent Tai Lung to the Jade Palace," Shifu guessed. Peng nodded. "Did your grandmother move from that area when you were born?"

"Yes, but it forced us to live further away from the Jade Palace," Peng said slowly. "Because I live so far away, my parents and my grandmother didn't know anything about Tai Lung's destruction. When I went back home, I couldn't tell them about it." The snow leopard gently gripped his chest. He shut his eyes, trying to brush away the hurt welling up in his torso. "When I finally did, my mother told me not to tell my grandmother. I was actually glad when she died. She didn't need to know what her son became."

He lifted his head and saw Shifu's netted eyebrows and frown. "I'm... deeply sorry. For your family."

Peng couldn't help but tilt his head for a moment. "Why are you apologizing?"

"If it weren't for my pride getting in the way of seeing what Tai Lung was becoming, things would've been much different now." His back hunched over as he glared into the ground. Shifu's heart tugged down to the surface of the mountain.

But he breathed, rolling his shoulders back and sitting up tall. "But that is the past. And we have the present to deal with."

Peng slowly nodded. "When I was born, my mother and grandmother told me about my uncle, though they didn't know anything other than that he was in the Valley of Peace. My grandmother couldn't remember the place she put Tai Lung." Peng chuckled a bit through the sadness. "Now that I'm here, I'm really surprised that she doesn't remember going up ten thousand steps."

"I was just about to ask that," Shifu hummed lightly. "I can't imagine someone climbing up these many stairs just to forget where they went." The two shared a light chuckle.

"Did my uncle have trouble with the stairs?" Peng asked.

Shifu chuckled, "At first, but he quickly adjusted. I think that's one other trait that you and him share." The red panda's smile disappeared. "I remember how you struggled with the evil you thought was inside of you."

Peng sighed, lowering his head. "It still bothers me. From time to time."

"Like I said, we are all capable of evil, but we are all capable of good as well," Shifu smiled a bit. "And you don't share evils."

Peng allowed a small smile. "Thank you, Master Shifu."

"Now, why don't I tell you the time your uncle nearly broke the Urn of Whispering Warriors?"

"What? I thought that was Po."

"Po was the one to actually break it. Tai Lung and Tigress also nearly broke it," Shifu smiled. Peng smiled back. Their conversation became more jovial and lighthearted. Shifu loved to relive the good memories that he had with Tai Lung as well as Tigress and Po. And Peng was eager to listen.

From a distance, two pairs of eyes watched the snow leopard and red panda talk. Po had an easy smile on his face while his striped counterpart wore a neutral stare. Glancing at that stare, Po sighed and turned back towards the barracks. "You worry too much."

"Talking about Tai Lung might be... a lot for the both of them."

"Or bring them closer."

"You don't know that."

"I know that I know nothing," Po smiled. Tigress shook her head. "Besides, I know that they're bonding."

Tigress narrowed her eyes. "Why are you certain of that?"

Po shrugged, "In the letter, Peng mentioned something about wanting a fresh new start."

"Meaning?"

Po didn't answer. He looked over the village with a wide smile. The sun was slowly descending across the afternoon sky. "The valley looks beautiful today."

Tigress slowly pieced together what Po was talking about. She looked back at Peng who was laughing with Shifu.

She smiled, looking back at the village with the panda. "Yes... it is."

The End

*A/N: How old is Peng? I mean I know he's a teenager, but like... how old?

**A/N: It just occurred to me. It makes no sense for Peng to have Tai Lung as his uncle. If Tai Lung was an orphan, how on earth does Peng know that Tai Lung is his uncle?"