Twin Dragons

The White Lotus Society

Compared to what they faced decades ago, the Panda Village was now at another turning point in time.

Now, they were being besieged by yet another battalion of wolves. But rather than wanting to genocide them, this pack of wolves wanted to forcibly conscript them into serving a faraway tyrant as a fighting force, which was hardly a better proposition.

Heilang held Lei Lei tightly to him as he surrounded all the pandas in the town with his Lin Kuei.

"All of you, inside!" Heilang ordered.

A nearby wolf pushed Po, Li Shan, Mr. Ping, Grandma, and Mei Mei inside the circle of pandas being held captive.

"You won't get away with this, Heilang," Po told him.

"I won't?" Heilang asked. "Look around you. I have all the pandas in this village captive. You're in no position to bargain with me."

"So you think," Po whispered quietly, noting that Tai Lung and Bao were still nowhere to be seen, so that meant they weren't taken captive yet.

"Do you really want to use us for fighting?" asked Mei Mei. "Because I'm more of a lover than a fighter."

"I've seen the way you pandas use your chi in day-to-day affairs," Heilang told them. "You've all got quite the potential to become a force for change in this country and I'm sure my master would agree with me."

"And what if we don't want to serve this Pai Mei?" asked Li Shan.

"You don't have a choice," Heilang growled. "You see, I'm holding all your children captive right now and if you want them to be spared, you'll do as I command."

With an instant wave of his hand, Heilang created a giant ice sculpture of Pai Mei. Now all the pandas in the village could see for themselves what the formidable tamarin kung fu master looked like.

"The master also has the ability to awaken one's latent potential," Heilang stated. "If he could grant me power over ice, just think what he could do for all of you."

"That's all nice and impressive," Po admitted. "But what makes you think everyone here wants to meet an evil kung fu master and gain extra abilities? What if there are people in this village who just want to live their lives in peace?"

"And how did living in peace work out for you in the past?" demanded Heilang. "Judging from some reactions here, I'm guessing my Lin Kuei isn't the first wolf raid you've experienced. Just think, with what Pai Mei is offering, none of you pandas will ever have to worry about being pushed around again."

"Well, they kinda do have to worry now," Po pointed out. "Because you're holding everyone's kids here hostage."

"Some people just need an extra push to realize what's good for them," Heilang grinned.

"Let's settle this one on one then, Heilang," Po told him. "If I beat you, you and your pack leave this village."

"Ha!" Heilang guffawed. "You think I'm dumb enough to fall for that? Look, I've got all the bargaining chips I need and I'm not giving it up to gamble on beating you one on one."

"I don't think he's the type to fight fair," Mr. Ping whispered to Po.

"Alright listen up all of you," Heilang told all the pandas. "I'm going to make this simple for you to understand. Master Pai Mei of Northern Wudang is seeking talented fighters from all over the country to serve him and the power you've shown means you fit. Serve him faithfully and you'll reap the fruits and rewards of the new order he wants to build on top of the old, decrepit regime under the current Emperor. Refuse and I'll make sure all of you are swept away by the tides of history."

oooo

"This doesn't look good," Bao looked at the scene behind a large rock.

He and Tai Lung had gone to training later than expected. First, they had to deal with the matter of Tseng and explaining to the other pandas that Tai Lung had been trying to help Bao. After a while, they had Grandma come in to cool down the situation and let everyone know Tai Lung was not trying to savagely attack a panda child.

As a result, they had gone to training a little later and had just come back when the wolves had overrun the village.

"There's a brigade of wolves," Tai Lung noted. "Judging from their numbers, I feel like I can handle them under ordinary circumstances in an open field. However, it also looks like they're holding children captive. That makes this situation more difficult."

"Just how did they find us anyways?" asked Bao.

"Wolves have the ability to track their prey by smell," Tai Lung answered. "And it would appear that Fenghuang really wasn't lying to us about Pai Mei sending his forces to hunt us after all."

"Fenghuang?" asked Bao. "Who's that?"

"She was my master's former fellow student," Tai Lung told him. "She turned evil and fought Po and I. And she apparently had been hunted by Pai Mei for a long time. Now that hunt has taken a turn towards us."

"Is there anything we can do?" asked Bao.

Tai Lung looked at the situation again, analyzing the situation. All of the wolves were situated perfectly in a circle around the panda captives. The snow leopard them recalled the move he pulled off against the Chameleon's forces, attacking and taking out an entire circular row of komodo dragon soldiers in mere seconds.

The rescue attempt he wanted to pull off would be risky but right now, they didn't have any other choice.

"I have an idea," Tai Lung told Bao. "But it's going to take both of us to distract those wolves."

"I'll do whatever you need me to," Bao nodded.

oooo

"And as for you, Po," Heilang told him. "You should really consider your own situation."

"Oh yeah?" Po frowned. "Uh… what situation?"

"You're an exile," Heilang pointed out. "An outcast. A fugitive. The Emperor is out to get you and you won't stop being hunted until the end of your days… or in the event of a regime change."

"A regime change, huh?" Po looked at him curiously.

"Everything that's happened could change for you," Heilang offered. "If you help Pai Mei overthrow the Emperor, he will ensure that you'll no longer be a fugitive. You could return to the Valley of Peace. Maybe even become the Dragon Warrior again."

"Heh," Po chuckled. "Guess you don't know me so well after all."

"What?" Heilang glared at him.

"You know, all this time I was afraid of change and giving up my title," Po told him. "Then, after meeting my new student, I decided that change wasn't such a bad thing. And that my student would make a fine Dragon Warrior in my stead. I don't need my title back and I'm fine with letting a new generation take over. Besides, I'm not too keen on overthrowing one tyrant just so another tyrant can take his place."

Heilang's expression darkened.

"So be it," the wolf growled. "We're going to cuff all of you and take you back in chains. Now hold still or your children will pay."

Heilang gestured for another of his wolf warriors to get the cuffs as he handed Lei Lei to another wolf. However, during that moment, a hunched figure in a robe began walking towards the captured pandas and the Lin Kuei.

"Alms," the hunched figure begged. "Alms for the poor."

"Who are you?" demanded Heilang. "Another panda?"

"I am just poor drifter," the hooded figure begged. "Could you please spare me some money?"

The mysterious figure held out a cup as the wolves growled. Heilang gestured for one of his warriors to go over. Soon, a Lin Kuei warrior went over and looked at the cup the hooded beggar held to make sure no weapons were concealed.

"He's clear," the wolf told Heilang.

"You seem too pathetic to be of any use to us," Heilang said to the stranger. "Beat it or I'll kill you on the spot."

Suddenly, another sound was heard. A few feet away, Bao appeared on top of a foot stand.

"Hey guys!" Bao cried. "Check me out!"

In his hands, Bao had a shuttlecock. It was something the other panda kids used when they played games of Jianzi together.

The panda cub kicked the shuttlecock into the air. As if fell back down, Bao continued kicking it with his feet, putting on a display for the wolves who momentarily got distracted.

Heilang was un-amused. He blasted the shuttlecock, freezing it mid-air and causing it to fall to the ground.

However, this distraction was all that was needed. At once, Tai Lung threw off his beggar's robe and hurled it into the face of the wolf next to him. He leaped into action immediately, striking all the wolves holding the panda cubs with the same circular attack he landed on the Chameleon's komodo soldiers, knocking all of them down as the panda kids flew into the air.

Tai Lung leaped up, grabbing all of them and landed in the center of the panda hostages, ensuring that the kids would be the safest surrounded by the group.

"Good work, Tai Lung!" Po cried.

"Now let's kick some butt!" Mei Mei took out her nunchucks.

Immediately, the chi in all of the pandas awakened. The villagers fought back, striking and beating back the wolves.

Mei Mei channeled her chi into her nunchucks and knocked out five wolves who charged her from all sides, spinning her weapon in rapid succession.

Mr. Ping threw a pan towards Li Shan who caught it. Together, they began bashing in the heads of several Lin Kuei members together.

Unfortunately for the Lin Kuei, the rest of them did not have the powers that Heilang had and before long, the pandas with their chi-enhanced bodies began to overwhelm them.

"No!" Heilang cried.

"Hey bud, day not going your way?" Mei Mei leaped at Heilang, striking at him with her nunchucks.

Heilang avoided the hits and as Mei Mei came down, swinging both her chucks at his head, he grabbed her weapons with both hands and smiled. Instantly, he unleashed his cryokinesis, freezing Mei Mei on the spot.

As Heilang looked behind him, he noticed that his entire army had been destroyed. Tai Lung being there to help the Panda Village just sped up the process.

"This can't be!" Heilang growled. "My pack!"

"It's over, Heilang!" Po appeared next to him, pointing his staff at the wolf.

In the distance, Heilang could see Tai Lung, Mr. Ping, and the other village pandas closing in on them.

"This is far from over," Heilang smiled as ice filled his eyes.

At once, Heilang unleashed his full power. Cold energy surrounded his hand as his swept his arm, enveloping Tai Lung, Bao, Mr. Ping, Li Shan, and everyone else in a huge sheet of ice.

"What did you do to them?!" Po demanded.

"You have anywhere between five to ten minutes to defeat me at the temperatures I've frozen them at," Heilang told Po. "Because if you don't, hypothermia is going to set in for everyone I've just frozen. And after that, all your friends and family will die."

Po realized Heilang was not lying and grasped his staff. He swung it at Heilang who avoided it and kicked Po in the stomach to send him stumbling back.

At once, Heilang created multiple ice daggers in the air and send them all flying at the panda. Po powered up his staff with chi and swung it around, shattering the ice weapons as they came close to him.

Heilang created two ice swords and charged. He slashed at Po who blocked the blows with his staff. Po swung the staff at Heilang who ducked underneath it and then kicked Po across the face with a spin kick to stagger him. Heilang then swung both swords at the panda but Po raised his staff to block the blades and kicked Heilang in the chest, sending him back-first to the ground.

Po leaped up and swung his staff down, missing Heilang who got out of the way as a huge explosion of chi erupted where Po tried to strike him. Heilang then dissipated his ice swords and created an ice staff of his own to counter Po's weapon.

The wolf and Po began exchanging hits back and forth, matching each other blow for blow.

"You're every bit the warrior I imagined you to be," Heilang told him. "But I'm still going to make you pay to avenge the Lin Kuei!"

Heilang took a step back to gain some space and then planted his ice staff into the ground, spinning his body around and knocking Po back with two powerful kicks to Po's face.

As Po fell back, Heilang's staff disappeared as the wolf began blasting at the panda with more conventional ice blasts that Po rolled out of the way to avoid.

Suddenly, Heilang created a massive spiked chain ball made of ice and swung it in the air.

"Hey Po!" Heilang cried. "Catch!"

Po cupped both hands together, creating the Mongolian Fireball. He hurled it at Heilang's ice weapon, destroying it on contact.

"What kind of move was that?" Heilang demanded.

"Just a little something I picked up as an outlaw," Po told him. "Now let everybody go!"

Heilang responded by centering his body and forming a massive ice armor surrounding his body. Before long, the wolf was covered in what resembled ancient Shang Dynasty armor.

The wolf attacked, punching and kicking at Po who avoided the hits and countered by hitting Heilang with a belly attack that sent the wolf crashing into a wagon. Heilang got up and kept firing cryokinetic blasts at Po who blocked them with his staff.

Heilang managed to get close in, grabbing Po's staff with one hand. With his other free hand, he punched Po, sending the panda flying back and separating Po from his weapon.

"I think I'll take this as a consolation prize," Heilang said to himself, admiring Oogway's former staff.

"Better idea, here's another prize!" Po powered up and spun around a few times.

"What?" Heilang looked confused.

At once, Po came in, unleashing the Thundering Wind Hammer. The attack shattered Heilang's armor on contact and sent him flying into a mountain wall. At the top of the mountain a boulder became dislodged.

The wolf got up angrily and began firing at Po with his ice as Po countered it with Oogway's staff, using the power of the staff to prevent himself from being frozen. At once, Po saw the boulder finally fall down.

"Heilang, stop!" Po cried. "There's a—"

"NEVER!" Heilang snarled.

In the moment, the boulder finally fell down, crushing Heilang and ending his life immediately.

After that, the giant sheet of ice which surrounded the pandas and Tai Lung disappeared.

"I'm never eating ice cream again!" Mr. Ping cried, shivering after being frozen.

"Is everybody okay?" asked Po, rushing over to the village. "Nobody's got hypothermia?"

"No, I think we'll be alright," Li Shan replied. "But the rest of these wolves? Not so much."

In the assault on the village, all of the wolves had been killed in the heat of the battle. Decades ago, the pandas had been sent running from an assault by a wolf army. This time, however, they were able to stand their ground and defend themselves from the depredations of a second wolf pack, winning the battle and scoring a massive emotional and psychological victory.

"Thanks for your help Tai Lung," Mei Mei hugged the snow leopard, as did Lei Lei.

Tai Lung said nothing, smiling and allowing the two to hug him.

"I'll go start digging a burial pit for these wolves," Hom-Lee told Po. "Just to be clear, these guys from Pai Mei… did anyone else follow them?"

"Hmm, I don't think so," Po scratched his head. "I think the location of the Panda Village is still safe right now."

"Oh, don't be so sure…"

Everybody looked up to see where the sound of the new voice came from. At the top of a building was a grey messenger goose with a long mustache.

"You may call me Hui," the goose told everyone. "I am Pai Mei's personal messenger goose and I was observing the Lin Kuei the entire time. I was very surprised to see this village here. And to see Tai Lung of all people alive…"

"Uh oh, this isn't good," Po frowned.

"I'll get straight to the point since I must return to report back to my master," Hui told everyone. "Po, you and Tai Lung will surrender yourselves to Pai Mei. If you do not, he will send someone else here even more powerful than Heilang and his Lin Kuei to finish the job. Think of the lives of your entire village…"

"Yeah, and who says you're gonna report back?" Po swirled his staff around, unleashing a massive blast of chi towards the goose.

Hui smiled. In the instant, he was surrounded by a powerful aura, blocking Po's blast. The goose had his own defensive chi shield that glowed red.

"As you can see, being Pai Mei's messenger goose is a dangerous task," Hui told them. "And I assure you, I possess power of my own that is more than up to that task. Po, meet me at the city of Mianyang. There, we will discuss your surrender terms. Fail to do so and I will ensure this village gets wiped out."

The grey goose powered up and flew into the air like a rocket, going at a faster speed than any other goose anyone had seen before.

"This was not how I wanted to end the day," Po grimaced, realizing now that he had no choice but to meet Hui at their destined location.

oooo

That night, Po and his closest friends and family gathered together in Grandma's home to discuss the situation.

"So have you guys decided what to do?" asked Mei Mei.

"It's clear there's not much choice," Tai Lung spoke first. "I've never met Pai Mei but I know how people like him think. They'll stop at nothing until they get what they want. Trust me, I used to be just like him so it takes one to know one."

"Pai Mei's goose also knows the location of this village," Po said firmly. "And if we don't do what he asks, he'll send someone else even stronger than Heilang. Now I know Fenghuang wasn't wrong about how relentless Pai Mei is."

"Po, if you're going to go," Li Shan told his son. "I'm going with you."

"Me too, son," Mr. Ping put a hand on Po's arm.

"I'm your student now," Bao told Tai Lung. "That means I get to come too!"

Tai Lung looked a little hesitant but then remembered how Bao helped to save everyone by providing the needed distraction for him to take out the wolves and save the other cubs.

"Alright," Tai Lung said with slight reluctance. "But stay near me at all times. And obey all my commands. Hide when I tell you to hide. You're still in training as of this moment."

"Understood," Bao bowed to Tai Lung who finally smiled.

"Looks like the band is all together now," Mei Mei looked at Po, Tai Lung, the two dads, and Bao. "So what do we call this band of merry men?"

"Hmm, you've got a point, Mei Mei," Po smiled. "I guess we do have to think of a team name."

"Any ideas?" Mr. Ping looked around.

"I was thinking… we'd be called the Legends of Awesomeness!" Po grinned.

"Your inner fanboy is showing again," Grandma looked at Po sideways.

"How about the Paws of Destiny?" Bao recommended, punching the air with enthusiasm. "With our combined might, no one can stand in our way!"

"Except Mr. Ping doesn't have paws," Mei Mei pointed out, giggling.

"I got an idea," Li told everyone. "What if we were called the Dragon Knights? I mean, Po was the Dragon Warrior once and we'd be like that… only a dragon-themed group this time."

"Has anyone here even served as a knight in the army?" Mr. Ping looked around. "You, Tai Lung?"

The snow leopard shook his head.

"You know, in the past during China's history," Grandma told everyone. "There were times of great upheaval, tyranny, and revolution. During those times of rebellion, there was a group formed of rebels, misfits, and outcasts known back then as the White Lotus Society. In spite of the odds, all those lovable oddballs gathered together to bring hope to the people once again and to stand and fight against tyrannical monarchs and invaders who ruled with an iron fist. And at different points in history, when times got hard, the White Lotus would appear again to be a beacon of light."

"Sounds like an inspirational story," Li Shan told her.

"If you ask me, you don't need to be known as the Legends of Awesomeness, Dragon Knights, or Paws of Destiny," Grandma told them. "Sure, you're an odd bunch. Two of you are wanted criminals. Two of you aren't even fighters. And one of you is a child. But fate has gathered all of you together for a reason. And just like how the White Lotus Societies of the past faced unjust persecution in the face of tyranny but still weathered on against the raging storm, all of you are here in the now to face these trials together."

The group looked at each other and decided that Grandma was right.

"Well, I think I like being in a secret society," Po finally said. "Does everyone agree on being called the White Lotus Society?"

"I'm on board with it," Li Shan agreed as Mr. Ping nodded.

"Sounds good to me," Tai Lung finally agreed.

"It's alright," Bao crossed his arms.

"Now, Po," Grandma said to him. "One last thing to consider. Since I assume you're going to be the leader of this group, it's time you chose a title for yourself. Different White Lotus sects in the past believed in the coming of a 'King of Light' as their savior. You don't have to take that title if you don't want but you should consider some kind of new rank to reflect your leadership of this White Lotus Society."

"Hmm, well, I don't really consider myself some King of Light," Po ruminated out loud. "But if I were to pick a new title, it should be something I'd feel comfortable with but also shows ascension to something higher."

"Got anything in mind, son?" asked Mr. Ping.

"From now on, I am no longer the Dragon Warrior," Po told everyone. "Henceforth, I will be known as the Dragon Master."

To be continued.

Author's Note: I went back and forth whether I wanted Po's new group to be called the LoA, the PoD, or the Dragon Knights, I finally settled on having them be the White Lotus Society because even though my series is taking a lot of inspiration from the now de-canonized shows, I also want this story to be its own thing and chose a different name for Po's current team. In my story, there's already a group called the Dragon Knights but most Dragon Knight show characters won't appear until later in the story. And the Dragon Knights for my series will be a lot different from what we saw in the Netflix series.