1

The Jade Palace courtyard was unusually lively that afternoon. The Furious Five and Po sat in a loose circle around Crane, their curiosity buzzing like a hive of bees. He had shared them some exciting news a few days earlier- Shifu approved a distant cousin of his to come stay in the Palace for a few days. But that wasn't the exciting part. It was a cousin of his from a distant landacross the sea.

When asked where, Crane didn't breathe a word until he heard back from said cousin wasn'r far away now. The exact words in the letter was;

Get ready.

"A little... menacing, if you think about it." Zhen, the young fox said. She had been in the Jade Palace for almost a year now, but hadn't lost touch with her past as a cunning thief. "It's... mildily threatening."

"I promise you," Crane said with a smile. "He means it in a non-threatening way."

Viper turned to the avain, slithering up to him slowly. The others were still reading the two lined message from this mysterious cousin of his. "You haven't told us much about this mysterious cousin of yours Crane." She said sweetly. "Is there anything you can tell us to give us an idea of what to expect?"

Po nodded excitedly. "Yeah! I want to know everything about him!"

Crane thought about it. "I don't know where to begin, if I'm being honest."

"How about we start easy... like his name? Where exactly he's from?" Zhen sounded a little cheeky, but she smiled brightly to show she meant no harm in it.

"Well," the bird started slowly. "His name is Cormac."

"What?" All the males interrupted him so abruptly that he was taken aback.

"Core-Muck." He sounded out the name for them slowly.

Viper tilted her head. "Cormac…" she got the pronunciation right on the first attempt, which impressed Crane a little. "That's an unusual name. Does it mean anything in his native language?"

Crane nodded slowly. "Yeah. It means 'charioteer' or 'raven's son,' depending on who you ask. My aunt and uncle have very different views on it, but it was the only name they could agree on. It's an old name from his homeland that carries a lot of history and-"

Po's eyes widened. "Wait. So your cousin is named after a guy who drives chariots and a raven?" He gasped. "Does that mean he's secretly a warrior who drives a battle chariot pulled by birds?! Or one of his parents' a raven? That would be SO COOL!"

Mantis chuckled. "Yeah, Po, because that makes perfect sense."

Crane laughed at the blissful ignorance. "He's not half raven Po... he's a grey heron, just like my aunt and uncle." Po blushed at his idiocy, and his cheeks only reddened when he noticed Zhen face palming and Tigress laughing at his mistake. Crane shook his head. "There are no battle chariots. It's just a name."

Zhen smirked. "Does it suit him?"

Crane hesitated. "Well… yeah. I guess it does. If you run with the name meaning 'Charioteer', makes sense because he never slows down- he's always moving, always chasing something." Crane sighed, rubbing his beak as he finished explaining Cormac's name and personality. "But he's reckless, dramatic, and constantly talking-"

Tigress folded her arms, smirking. "So… basically, he'syou." she turned her gaze to Po, "-but with feathers."

There was a pause.

Everyone turned to stare at Po. The panda blinked as they all burst out laughing. "Wait. What?"

Mantis snickered. "Ohhh, she's got a point there, bud." He leapt onto Po's shoulder. "Think about it. Big energy? Always talking? Dramatic entrances?" He waved a tiny claw at Po. "Sound familiar?" He glanced at Crane, a little too excitedly. "Is he accident prone?"

"Very much so." Crane confirmed.

Zhen pointed out, while grinning widely. "He even does the whole 'trips but acts like it was intentional' thing. You sure he's not your long-lost cousin Master Po?"

Po threw up his paws. "Okay, first of all, rude! Second of all, if he is like me, then that just makes him awesome. Third of all-" He turned to Tigress, pointing dramatically. "You chose me remember!"

Tigress smirked. "That's not how I remember it happening."

Po crossed his arms. "You could've rejected me, just saying." He smirked playfully all the same.

"You're talking as if you have her tied down." Mantis laughed.

Tigress rolled her eyes. "We've been exclusive for six months, Po, not a lifetime."

Po gasped, clutching his chest. "Ouch! You wound me!"

Tigress just chuckled, completely unfazed. "I'm just making an innocent observation... that's all." She said sweetly. "I never said it was a bad thing."

Zhen pretended to dry heave. "Gross." She muttered. "Are you sure you didn't pick me to be Dragon Warrior just so you could whiz off and get married?" She narrowed her eyes at Po, who glared at her warningly.

The others burst into laughter while Crane shook his head. "You're all taking this way too lightly. You haven't met him yet. Besides... the 'raven' part fits too. He's sharp, loud, and way too clever for his own good."

Tigress raised an eyebrow, looking back at the bird. "He sounds like a handful."

Crane sighed. "You have no idea how much it got him in and out of trouble as a kid." He rubbed his face warm afternoon breeze carried the scent of cherry blossoms through the Jade Palace courtyard, but Crane barely noticed.

Tigresss noticed his worried face and folded her arms softly. "Crane, what has you so worked up about his visit?" Crane was quiet for a moment, as if to take a moment to figure out what he was going to say. "Do you think he won't like us?"

"No it's not that," Crane said sincerely, before he sighed and rubbed his temples delicately. "Look… I love my cousin, but he can be a bit... much."

"How so?"

"He flirts with everything that moves, basically."

Everyone stared at him, a little confused. "Meaning..." Zhen asked, motioning the bird to continue.

"Exactly as I said," Crane stated simply. "I don't know how to simplify it more for you." He thenlooked a little uncomfortable before motioning towards the boys in the group. "You guys don't concern me when it comes to that. He will probably sound like he's flirting with you but don't think too much about it..." he glanced at Tigress, Zhen and Viper, who all tilted their heads quizzingly. "It's you three I'm worried about."

"How so?" Viper asked.

"Cormac is very flirtatious. Like, ridiculously flirtatious..."

"Let me guess," Zhen yawmed. "He's also incredibly charming."

Crane sighed. "Zhen, he flirts like it's a martial art, but doesn't mean anything by it most of the time. He'll find a way to compliment your stance, your eyes, your fighting skills—anything. And he does it constantly."

Tigress narrowed her eyes. "Constantly?"

"Constantly." Crane confirmed.

Viper chuckled. "It's harmless though, isn't it? That doesn't sound so bad."

"It does for me!" Po said, slightly panicked. He gulped and pointed at Tigress. "I'm not exactly comfortable if he's openingly flirting with you, if I'm being honest."

The laughter died down slightly as everyone glanced at Tigress. She simply arched an eyebrow, unbothered. "You're worried about that?"

"Hey! I mean, I trust you, of course! But if this guy is as smooth as Crane says, then what if—"

Tigress placed a paw on his arm, silencing him with a small smile. "Po. Relax. I can handle a flirt."

"But can Cormac handle rejection?" Zhen chuckled, paws on her hips as the panda looked more stressed.

"Yeah," Mantis stifled a laugh. "It's not like he'll perform a miracle and make her not like some wizard that would use a love potion on her."

Po narrowed his eyes at the bug before looking at Tigress, gesturing wildly. "What if he starts talking all fancy and poetic? What if he calls you a 'fearsome goddess whose fire could melt the ice of the highest peaks' or something?"

Crane sighed. "I wouldn't be surprised if he did call Tigress something like that." He spoke his thoughts aloud, and that comment wasn't helping Po's worries at all.

Tigress smirked. "Then I'll remind him that my fire could also knock his beak clean off if he oversteps." Po opened his mouth to argue—then stopped.

His arms slowly lowered as he stared at her. The way she said it—calm, confident, completely unbothered—sent a warmth through his chest. She really wasn't worried. About Cormac, about anyone else. She had already chosen him.

His ears drooped slightly, his face softened, and his arms instinctively hugged around himself. "Awww…" he murmured, swaying slightly like he might melt into the floor. "You mean that?"

"Of course I do." She rolled her eyes, despite her smile. "Silly panda."

Mantis snickered, waving his hand in front of Po's glassy eyes. "Uh-oh. We lost him."

Viper giggled. "Yup, he's a goner."

"Ugh, can you two get a room already?" Zhen gagged, now receiving an eye roll from Po. "Someone pick him up before he turns into a puddle."

Po groaned dramatically. "Ohhh nooo, I'm not ready for this."

Viper giggled. "Po, if anything, this is going to be very fun to watch."

"You say that now," Crane muttered. "But trust me, you're not ready."

Zhen crossed her arms, amused. "Oh, please. I've been around smooth talkers before. What's he going to do, call me 'radiant' and expect me to swoon?"

Crane looked her dead in the eye. "Zhen. He will call you a dazzling jewel of the heavens while reciting poetry about your wingspan."

Zhen opened her mouth, paused, then gave a half-laugh. "Okay, that's… impressive, and I don't even have a wingspan."

Viper tilted her head as she focused on Crane once more. "Alright then, besides being a harmless flirt, what else should we know about Cormac? Is he a Kung fu Master too?"

Po grinned. "Ooooh yeah, tell us! Will he share us some secret Western kung fu moves? Does he have a forbidden technique? A mystical power?" He gasped excitedly. "Can he control lightning?"

Crane shot him a flat look. "No."

Zhen held her head in her paws. "This is the guy that is training me to be the next Dragon Warrior?!" She looked at Tigress pleadingly. paws twisted over one another in a praying gesture. "Can you please train me instead?!" She whined, which made the feline laugh. "I'll take a vow of silence, you won't hear a single sarcastic comment from me, I promise!"

"No, not a Kung fu Master," Crane exhaled, shaking his head. "He's far from it- a storyteller." Po perked up. "And a musician."

"Oh, like a guy who shares legends and ancient wisdom? Or does he make up epic stories on the spot? Or-wait- does he tell ghost stories?"

Crane gave him a thougthful look. "Yes-all of that, actually, and ballads about his personal life. Sometimes he sings about old stories from his native land. And he's good at it. A little too good, honestly."

Zhen's ears twitched with interest. "What do you mean too good?"

Crane sighed. "Let's just say… once he starts talking, he does not stop. You think Po goes on tangents? Cormac will turn a five-minute story into a five-hour saga."

Mantis smirked, leaping to Monkey's shoulder next. "Okay, but is he boring? Or is he entertaining?"

Crane hesitated, then admitted, "…He's entertaining."

Po gasped. "Ooooh, I love a good storyteller!"

Crane continued, "And he knows every trick. Dramatic pauses, big gestures, accents- he makes it feel like you're right there in the story. And if he sees you're hooked? Hedrags it out. He'll keep you hanging on every word, waiting for the ending, and then—bam! Plot twist. And another. And another. And suddenly it's dawn, and you realize you've been listening to him all night."

Viper chuckled. "Sounds like quite the performer."

Crane groaned. "Oh, he is, I'll give him that. But if you even think about leaving before he's done, he'll guilt-trip you into staying." Crane waved his wings about dramatically, putting on a thick accent that was nothing like his own. 'Ah, so ye don't wish to know how the brave warrior escaped the clutches of the Shadow King? A shame, truly. One of my finest tales, but alas, some folk prefer ignorance over adventure…'"

Zhen snorted. "Okay, now I really like the sound of this guy. And you grew up with him?"

Crane looked a little taken aback by her comment, and glared at her. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Zhen shrugged. "I'm just a little surprised you don't have any similarities. He sounds carefree and you're... too worrisome."

"Kid's got a point," Mantis grinned. "He must've been a nightmare to hang out with as a kid."

Crane sighed. "Thankfully I didn't grow up with him. But I visited his homeland with my parents. He, a little heron, barely old enough to fly, woud stand on a rock in the village square and telling every passer-by some epic tale- half of which he probably made up on the spot. He got so popular that even the elders started gathering to listen to him."

Po gasped. "He was famous? As a kid?! That's so cool!"

Crane shook his head. "It was not cool when I was trying to get us home for dinner and he was dragging me into some story about ancient warriors and magic battles. I don't even know how many times I went to bed hungry because he kept talking."

Zhen smirked. "So, what you're saying is… we're in for a very interesting visit."

"I'm sure we will. One more thing I will warn you guys about is that... Cormac has this habit of saying things that sound insulting, but he doesn't mean them that way."

Everyone pulled a face, while Mantis raised a brow. "Wait—so, like… he accidentally offends people?"

Crane nodded. "Exactly. He grew up in a place where teasing and jabs are just… part of how people talk to each other. Terms of endearment, It's not meant to be mean, but if you're not used to it, it can really catch you off guard."

Po tilted his head. "Like… what kind of things does he say?"

Crane sighed. "For example, he once told me, 'Crane, you look like you haven't slept in days! Then again, when have you ever looked well-rested?'"

Silence.

Mantis burst out laughing. "Ohhh, that's brutal!"

Crane rubbed his forehead. "Right?! I'll be used to it... but if you guys aren't, I just want to warn you in case it catches you guys off guard. Only because if he says something that sounds mean or unkind, he won't stop and think about it. He just keeps talking like it was a compliment!"

Zhen snorted. "Oh, I like this guy already."

Crane groaned. "Yeah, of course you would."

Po grinned. "Okay, but if he says stuff like that all the time, how do we know when he's actually insulting someone?"

Crane sighed. "You don't.That's the problem!"

Viper giggled. "We have you as a translator, so we should be fine!"

"Oh, this is going to be fun." Po said excitedly, leaning closer to the bird. "What else can you tell us about him? What does he look like? Does he speak a different language? Does he eat a lot? Does he know how to fight at all with, like, cool Western techniques? Does he—"

Tigress cleared her throat. "Po, let him answer one question at a time." She placed a gentle paw on her boyfriend's shoulder.

Crane sighed, rubbing his beak. "Alright, alright. Cormac is… well, he's big. Bigger than me, at least. Larger then life itself... personality wise, I guess. Yes, he can speak a differ language other then Chinese. And he's loud. Very loud."

Zhen smirked. "Louder than Po?"

"Hey!" Po glared at her.

Crane thought for a moment. "Depends. Po's loud when he's excited. Cormac is loud all the time."

Viper tilted her head. "And what are the Western Lands like?"

Crane nodded. "Very different from here. Rolling green hills, wide open skies, lots of rivers. And the weather changes constantly. One minute it's sunny, the next it's raining sideways."

Mantis whistled. "Sounds chaotic."

"Oh, it is," Crane said. "And Cormac loves it. He always says he feels most alive when he's flying through a storm."

"Flying through a storm?" Tigress repeated, raising an eyebrow. "That sounds reckless."

Crane nodded. "Yeah… Cormac is very reckless. He never thinks things through. He just acts, then deals with the consequences later."

"Again... sounds like someone we know," Zhen muttered, shooting Po a teasing glance.

Po ignored her, grinning. "Is he strong?"

"Oh, he's strong, alright," Crane said. "Because of his experience flying in all kinds of weather you could say he is a Master at using the wind and momentum to move faster than any opponent can react. It's… flashy. Very showy."

Mantis grinned. "I like flashy."

Crane shook his head. "It's too flashy. And he's too confident in it. That's what worries me."

Tigress folded her arms. "You're worried he might underestimate someone dangerous?"

"Exactly," Crane said. "Cormac is strong, but he's never had to deal with the kind of threats we've faced here. He acts like the world is just one big adventure. I'm surprised he hasn't gotten himself killed yet."

Po put a paw on Crane's shoulder. "Hey, don't worry! If Cormac gets into trouble, we've got his back. He's your cousin, which means he's basically family to us too!"

Crane gave a small smile. "Thanks, Po. I just… hope he doesn't bring trouble with him."

At that moment, a distant boom of thunder rumbled across the valley.

Zhen flicked her tail. "That better not be foreshadowing."

The others chuckled, but Crane couldn't shake the feeling that his cousin's visit would be anything but simple. Looking towards the gate that led to the steps towards the Valley, he sighed. "I better go down and greet him in the Valley. He will be here soon."

"Do you want us to come with you?" Monkey offered.

Another hesitant pause. "If you guys want to."

The sunlight bathed the Valley of Peace in golden warmth as the group made their way down from the Jade Palace. Po walked beside Crane, practically vibrating with excitement. "So, what do you think he'll do first?" Monkey asked, nudging Crane with his elbow, nearly knocking him down the steps. "Tell some epic tale? Flirt with every lady in the Valley?"

"Do that fancy dramatic swoop thing that all birds seem to do?" Po eagerly joined in.

Crane shook his head, stopping himself from moving forward once they touched the bottom of the steps. "Okay, I'm going to ignore that blatant stereotype you just blurted out. But Po, I don't even know if he lands properly half the time." As they reached the marketplace, the group quickly realized that they weren't the only ones anticipating Cormac's arrival.

A crowd of villagers had gathered, chatting excitedly. The moment they spotted Crane, he was swarmed.

"Master Crane!" cried one pig, practically bouncing on his hooves. "Is it true your cousin's from the Western Lands?"

"I heard he's a story teller!" Said goat merchant, stroking his beard. "He's not one of those mysterious brooding types, is he?"

A group of giggling geese and duck girls pushed forward. "Does he really flirt with everyone?" One asked, smiling sweetly at the idea.

Crane sighed, rubbing his temples. "Okay, first of all, where are you all hearing this from?"

A duck merchant shrugged. "Word gets around."

Mantis snickered. "Sounds like your cousin's already famous, and he's not even here yet." Crane, however, stood frozen, his eyes darting from face to face as the barrage of questions continued.

"Does he fight like you, Master Crane?"

"Is he handsome? I heard he's very handsome!"

"Can he do a backflip while telling a story?!"

"How does everyone know about this?!" Crane blurted out, exasperated. Not everything was true of course- but they all sounded a little exaggerated. Immediately, the group turned their heads toward Po, with Crane being the first one to do blinked. "Wait—what? Why are you all looking at me?"

Mantis crossed his arms. "Because this screams something you'd do pal."

Viper nodded. "You do have a habit of getting overexcited and telling everyone everything, sweetie."

Po held up his paws defensively. "I swear I didn't say anything!"

The group narrowed their eyes, however, Tigeress let out a small sigh. "He's telling the truth."

"Thank you!" Po turned to her, beaming, before glaring at the others, motioning towards her while she crossed her arms. "See?!"

Tigress rolled her eyes. "I only say that because I've been with you all morning, and you haven't left my sight long enough to spread this much gossip." The group paused. That… was , they all turned their heads.

Toward Zhen.

The former thief stood there, paws behind her back, rocking on her heels with a very guilty-looking grin. "What?"

Crane groaned, dragging his wing down his face. "Zhen…"

Zhen chuckled nervously. "Okay, maybe I might have mentioned a few things—"

Mantis squinted, trying not to crack a smile. "How many things exactly?" Zhen whistled innocently, avoiding eye contact, making Mantis raise a brow. "Zhen…"

She finally caved. "Okay, okay! So maybe I got a little carried away." She shrugged. "I mean, come on! Crane's mysterious cousin from the far-off Western Lands? A charming flirt? A storyteller? That's prime gossip material!"

Crane groaned louder. "Zhen!"

Po snickered. "Honestly? I'm kinda impressed. This is next-level gossip speed."

Mantis chuckled. "Yeah, you've got a real talent for spreading rumors, Zhen."

"Not something to be praised for, Master Mantis." Tigress reminded him sternly.

Zhen grinned. "I know, right? I mean, I just mentioned him to a few people, and next thing I knew, boom! Everyone wanted to know more!"

Crane groaned. "Great."

More voices chimed in.

"Does he have an exotic accent?"

"Is it true he can tell stories for hours?"

"I heard he can fly across entire rivers without flapping his wings!"

At that last one, Crane blinked. "Okay, that's just not true—" He held his head in his wings. "This is getting ridiculous-"

"CRANE, YOU OLD FEATHER DUSTER! WHERE ARE YE?!" A loud voiced boomed above them.

A powerful gust of wind swept through the marketplace.

The crowd gasped.

The group spun around just in time to see a large speckled heron soaring into view, his deep green cloak billowing behind him. His talons stretched forward for a graceful landing-which he immediately failed.

CRASH!

He slammed into a fruit stand, sending apples and pears flying everywhere. The villagers gasped, while the Master grimaced slightly at the impact. The Masters watched, wide-eyed. Po stepped forward, but Crane raised a wing, watching the pile of feathers and fruit sit motionlessly a few feet away from them. "Wait for it."

Silence.

"Wait for it..."

Then, before anyone could react, Cormac sprang to his feet, dramatically spread his wings, and declared, "Aha! Flawless landing!"

The entire crowd erupted into cheers while all the members of the Jade Palace turned to stare at Po again. The panda, in response, huffed while crossing his arms. "Okay. That was one time!"

Tigress chuckled, shaking her head as she glanced at Crane. "I think we're in for a very interesting visit."

Crane groaned. "That's one way to put it…"

Hello!

FeatherPen here! I have come back with a short story in honour of St Patrick's day. This story will be updated after Monday the 17th of March, but I've been brainstorming this story all day, and I HAD to upload something!

Hope you guys like it so far, and hope you come back to see what chaos lies in store for Crane, the gang and Cormac!

Byeeee!