In the Valley of Peace, with the buzzling villagers all running about to get through their day, high in the mountains, you can perhaps hear a distinct sound of a delicate bansuri flute playing in the background. But where, pray tell, is this sound coming from, you may be asking.

Well, to answer that, we must head into those mountains, into the training yard of the pristine Jade Palace, where we can see the great Master Shifu himself, sitting criss-crossed and making the peaceful flute sounds. Seems to be normal, right? Nothing out of the ordinary...?

Well, the whisking warriors hiding within the bushes and trees in the area would say differently.

The music originating from Shifu's flute becomes more tense, as if he himself is anticipating something. And then, with him about to hit the final note...

WOOSH

The grand master's ear twitches and his eyes pop open as he jumps and prepares himself for the incoming attack, it all seemed to slow down in his point of view but in reality it went too fast. With him dodging bullets from wings, prehensile hands and feet, tiny claws and a snake tale in all directions. He shows no signs of phase or loss of composure as he manages to end this 'attack' quite quickly by pushing the invaders all away from him.

They all pant as he calmly darts his eyes before flipping the flute behind his back. "Well done, my students..." He starts as they all break their defensive pose and bow in respect.

"IF you were trying to disappoint me!" He sharply added, instantly crushing all their pride. He first turns with his flute right into Monkey's face, "Monkey! You need greater speed!" He chastised before moving to his avian student.

"Crane; height! Viper; subtlety! Mantis—"

"Master Shifu..?"

"WHAT!?"

Zeng quacked at the red panda's harsh reply and shook in his spot. "I-i-it's Master Oogway! He wants to see you!"

Shifu's face softens instantly and he rests his flute down before clearing his throat. "I see. Students!" The four young warriors stood at attention in a straight line. "I will see to Master Oogway. In the meantime, I need you to take my critiques at heart in the training hall! I shan't be too long..." And with that, he turned and zipped through the court to make his exit.

Whilst the rest of the guys begrudgingly walked to the training hall and murmured amongst each other, the sweet snake, Master Viper, stayed behind to inquire to the messenger duck.

"Hey, Zeng? Any letters from Tigress?" She asked politely, to which Zeng answered easingly to.

"Why yes she did, Master Viper!" He pulled from the inner pockets of his green messenger robe a broad scroll with an emerald seal and handed it to the serpent.

"ZENG!"

The duck jolted at the sudden call of his name from Master Shifu and sighed before bowing to Viper, "Enjoy your letter, Master." Before flapping away to follow the red panda.

The snake smiled and happily slithered into the training hall to catch up with the others. "Guys! Look!" She called out.

The three of them turned back to her in slight confusion and intrigue as they made their ways to her. "What is it, Vip?" Monkey asked, scratching his chin curiously.

"Another reply from Tigress! Oooh! I wonder if she met a cute boy yet!" She replied ecstatically.

Meanwhile, Crane rubbed his wing against his straw-hat sceptically. "I know you're excited, but I highly doubt it. Tigress isn't the type to really gossip about... boys. Or anything really—"

"She does seem to talk a lot about her student, Lotus, though." Mantis commented, being the closest in proximity to Viper and reading from his view. "'Lotus has made great progress in his training this week. He seems ecstatic about the very concept of kung fu, and anything and everything surrounding it. He even got excited by pulling off a simple cart wheel. I honestly find it quite—'... huh? This bit is crossed out!" The small insect read aloud.

"Aww, and the way she crossed over it just makes it impossible to read!" Viper pouted in response.

Monkey chuckled. "If I didn't know any better, I think she thought it was cute..."

"Tigress? Finding something—or someone—... cute? Did you lose your head whilst looking for your almond cookies?" Crane cocked his eyebrow at the primate, who simply just laughed out in sarcasm. "Funny."

"Now hold on," The serpent got in between the two bickering boys. "I mean... it could be plausible! She does like talking about this Lotus guy a lot!"

"Well yeah but, heh, I don't think Tigress is into... pandas." Mantis reasoned, hopping on Crane's hat.

"Please!" Monkey rolled his eyes at the bug. "I bet you five yuan that Tigress is hung up on this guy!"

"Guys? Betting? Really?" Crane deadpanned, which obviously laid on deaf ears between the two pranksters.

"Ha! You're on, Monkey!" Mantis replied with a devious smirk. "Besides, how much can just one panda effect, anyway?"

Little did they all know they are going to find the answer to that question soon enough...

Crimson doors open wide as Shifu storms into the solemn Hall of Heroes before skidding and stopping himself the minute the door closes. The small red panda took a deep breath and pounded his fists together to compose himself as he bowed his head respectfully. "Master Oogway. You summoned me... is something wrong?"

Amongst the thousand lit candles that surrounded the Hall of Heroes, an ominous shell that rests at the top of the wooden staff slowly breaks out as the great Master Oogway reveals himself. He smiles in his usual calm and sweet manner as he climbs down his staff, "Why must something be wrong for me to want to see my old friend?"

Shifu curls up his hairy eyebrow, "So, nothing's wrong?"

"Well," Oogway chuckled as he headed towards the candles, "I didn't say that..."

As the petite master stood there, struck and confused, he then turned slowly impatient as Oogway decided to blow a few candles, one by one.

Not willing to wait for an eternity in Shifu's view, he catches the tortoise off guard by whipping into an open-palmed pose that causes a sudden air frequency to cut through the area and wipe out all the lights from the candles, leaving them in complete darkness.

"..You were saying?" He asks, moderately pleading for Oogway to explain himself.

The great tortoise frowned. "I have had a vision..." Hesitantly, he turns to his confidant, already anticipating his reaction.

"...Tai Lung will return."

Frozen in shock and hidden fear, Shifu's memories of the infamous snow leopard ripping through the valley in a blind rage reigned through his mind, fresh like an old wound reopened. He stumbles in his spot. "Th-that... that is impossible! He's in prison!"

"Nothing is impossible..." Oogway cryptically replied.

Stunned and paranoid, Shifu quickly calls for their trusty messenger, "ZENG!" As the duck waddles towards the red panda, he is taken aback by his hasty demands. "FLY TO CHORH-GOM PRISON! TELL THEM TO DOUBLE THE GUARDS, DOUBLE THE WEAPONS—DOUBLE EVERYTHING! TAI LUNG DOES NOT LEAVE THAT PRISON!"

"Y-y-yes Master Shifu!" And with that, after momentarily flying into one of the pillars, the shakened messenger has now set off on this quite turbulent mission.

Meanwhile, Oogway just sighs and walks off mysteriously. "One often meets his destiny on the road he takes to avoid it..." He warns as Shifu walks after him. "We have to do something! We can't just have him march on the valley and take his revenge! H-he'll— he'll—"

"Your mind is like this water, my friend..." The wise master gestured to the Moon Pool at the centre of the Hall of Heroes. "When it is agitated, it becomes difficult to see..." He slowly lowered his staff down onto the pool. "But if you allow it to settle... The answer becomes clear."

And with a simple tap and a chime, the rippling waters settle under his touch and a reflection appears. A reflection that instantly brings Shifu's attention as he looks up at the ceiling and sees...

"The Dragon Scroll."

Oogway nods in agreement, "It is time."

"But who?" Shifu asks, looking back at his mentor, "Who is worthy to be trusted with the secret to limitless power? To become... the Dragon Warrior?" He whispers, silently hoping for an affirmative answer.

But, as luck would have it, in Oogway's usual confusing manner, he simply replies with, "...I don't know."

Shifu's face drops into confusion, "W-what— what do you mean you don't know?!"

"I mean the fate of who's to be the Dragon Warrior isn't up for me to decide. It is up to the universe. I am only in charge of delivering a message." The tortoise states as he pulls out a familiar letter. "In the meantime, I must make another message to Tigress." He smiled.

"WHAT!? With all due respect, Master Oogway, Tai Lung may be among us at any moment and we need a protector to fulfil the prophecy of the Dragon Warrior! A-and your idea of handling this situation is through— agh—writing a letter!?"

"Shifu." Oogway paused the red panda's rambling. "Do you trust me?"

Puzzled by the question, Shifu's face softens as he bows his head low. "With... with my whole life, Master."

The tortoise hummed in content, "Then please, trust me now. We cannot announce who the Dragon Warrior is without all of your students here, do we?" Shifu's head couldn't have risen up in hope faster as Oogway just chuckles and walks off. "Have your students prepare, we want them to be at their best when the tournament begins."

"T-tournament, sir?"

"But of course, how else can we fully test their abilities?"

Shifu opened his mouth to comment, but then stopped himself as his brain racked for an answer to Oogway's rhetorical question, which only made him chuckle and walk off to the scroll room where he usually rests.

Closing the door behind him, pulling out new, unwritten paper to fill in, he finally sits in the middle of the room at the only table in complete solitude. He first opens the letter Zeng gave to him before he sent him out to summon Shifu and read its contents.

Dear Master Oogway,

I appreciate your compliments to the flower I sent you. I hope you are taking care of yourself back in the valley just as I wished for my teammates. Lotus and I are also taking care of each other back here. Today he was ecstatic because he managed to learn how to do a cartwheel successfully. You should have seen the look of pride and excitement on his face. It was like when I managed to pull that off the first time as a cub. It's funny, even though I am meant to be the one teaching him about kung fu and chi, he has taught me just as much as well. For example, did you know that there are actually approximately seven thousand languages across history? Including twenty dialects of Arabic, new and old? Lotus loves talking in terms of Arabic, he says he wants to visit the 'Arabian Lands' one day. I never even considered travelling further than the lengths of China. Perhaps I should. I hear they're highly populated with felines.
Apologies, I'm getting off track, being around Lotus and the pandas have really encouraged me to indulge myself into the topics I enjoy talking about. I suppose that's another thing I have learned a lot about whilst being here.
I don't really know how to explain it, but as much as I miss the Valley of Peace, the Jade Palace, my team, and even though I haven't been able to teach or learn chi yet, I feel oddly... fulfilled. Satisfied. Like I can feel the freedom to be content.
That's not to say I didn't feel free back home but... I'm not sure how to put it into words, but it feels like being here with the pandas, with Lotus, I felt more in touch with myself since I found the Furious Five. You were right when you said that the pandas would teach me to reclaim myself as I would for them, I've never felt this... safe before.
I know Shifu never reads my letters but... please don't let him see this either. Anyways, do tell me how everything is going at the Jade Palace. You and the Furious Five's letters always brighten my day.

Sincerely, Tigress

p.s. Lotus desperately wants to say hi. He's uh... quite a huge fan.

Oogway couldn't help but smile throughout the entire message before he gently rolled it back up and placed it within his basket filled with Tigress' previous letters. He remembered when in one of her earlier messages she complained about the way everyone in the village would treat her, the way Lotus would ramble on and on, and how she struggled to teach him any kung fu. Now, it's as if she was a part of their family. She sounded so much happier than when he last saw her. He felt a bit regretful for what his next message to her was going to be, though.

In his sloth-like manner, he took the empty piece of paper, his trusty paintbrush that he dipped in ink, and started to write.

"Dear Master Tigress..."

~~a/n; dun-dun-dun! cliff-hanger! HEHEHE! I am so evil!
I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! I actually enjoyed it a lot whilst writing! I can't wait to get started on my new chapter already!
I have to say tho- if there is 1 person I can thank the most rn- it's my boyfriend, Naidvar! for a portion of writing this, I was on call with him and he helped me out quite a bit, and was just so supportive about my new chapter the entire day! he's always so supportive when I write something new! so habibi if you're reading this- which I know you are- first of all HAI! :D and second of all thank you so so much! I love you! X3
anyways- mushy gushy stuff out of the way- what did the rest of you guys think? did you enjoy the chapter or nah? either way I hope you at least enjoyed your day or night or whatever time you were reading this! you are the best for reading through this and being so patient with me! remember to live, laugh, love, and until next time, YARART OUT! ;D~~