> Multiverse Hearts Volume 1: EG/EB World: Kung Fu Girls > by RainbowRaptorDash1 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Prologue: Field Trip to the Valley of Peace > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Late. Late at night, at a temple palace on a hilltop, a humanoid galápagos tortoise was medisleeping (Meditating and sleeping, Pinkie Pie logic), when he saw something. He saw six sources of light, shining in red, orange, yellow, cyan, purple and pink colors. He then woke right when a door opened, revealing a humanoid red panda. “Master, forgive me if I woke you up, but I thought I should check if you’re alright.” The red panda humbly apologized as he bowed in respect with his fist in his palm to the elderly reptile. “There is nothing to apologize for, old friend. You have come at a great time.” The tortoise simply said as he got onto the ground. “Is something wrong?” The mammal asked his ally. “Not at all. In fact, I found six of seven lights, in Canterlot City, one not of this world, and the other five helping that light walk a better path.” The tortoise explained as he ever-so-softly tapped his wooden staff on the water twice, causing six columns to rise out of the reflecting pool around the yin-yang symbol. They looked like as they were covering something as the top of the columns revealed to be six scrolls; one with the colors of courageous cyan and loyal red, one with honest orange and nature green colors, one with the colors of beastly yellow and kind pink, one with festive pink and joyful blue colors, one with generous purple and gleaming white schemas, and the last one with the colors of redeeming red and sunlight yellow. The red panda knew what that could mean. “Master, do you mean that…” “Yes. It is time for their true journey to begin.” The elderly tortoise answered. “But, master, where would those six warriors be in Canterlot City?” The red panda asked. “I shall simply send a message to the two sisters.” The reptile answered once again. “How would they know who would be worthy of the secrets to bringing peace and finding the final warrior for the seventh scroll? To become, the Warriors of Harmony?” The red panda said, being more specific. “I don’t know.” The tortoise simply replied with honesty, confusing the red panda. The next morning, at Canterlot City, we go to Sunset Shimmer, a unicorn from Equestria who turned into a human when going to this alternate world. “Urgh… That was a weird dream…” Sunset groggily said to herself as she started to wake up. Sunset got dressed for the day, had her breakfast, brushed her teeth, and packed her stuff for her day at Canterlot High. She then went on her way to the high school, seeing a strange black goose flying along the way. Let’s see what’s going on with the goose. Wait, that’s a humanoid goose flying?! Didn’t see that coming. It seems to be holding a message scroll and it’s heading for… Canterlot High?! Later when it got to Canterlot High, it fell and encountered a grouchy man with black hair and a goatee, known as Cranky Doodle Donkey. “Huh? Who are you and what are you, a goose beastman doing here?” The man asked the goose beastman. “W-Wait! I bring a message to Celestia and Luna!” The goose nervously said, catching Cranky’s attention. “Fine, I’ll take you to them.” He crankily (rimshot) said, taking the beastman to the principal’s office, where Principal Celestia and Vice-principal Luna were at. “Oh, hello, Cranky. Who is this?” Celestia asked the man. “Some kind of messenger goose beastman. I’ll leave you to your business with him.” Cranky answered as he left the office and to his classroom. “M-My name is Zeng.” Zeng answered as he introduced himself. “You have a message for us?” Luna asked the beastman, surprised. “Yes, from Master Oogway, at the Jade Palace.” He answered, catching the two sisters completely by surprise. Later, with Sunset Shimmer, when she got to Canterlot High, she saw the humanoid goose come out the front door and fly away. She was confused by what she saw, but she simply shrugged it off as she went inside, as she heard an announcement through the monitor. “Attention all students of Canterlot High, there will be an assembly in the gym this morning, so please head there to know what the plans are.” Sunset was confused, an assembly, this morning, in the gym? Sunset knew she’ll get her answers if she goes to the assembly, so she started heading for the gym. After she did, she met up with her friends; Swampsuke, Rainbow Dash, Raptor, Soulfire, Makoto, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie. “Hey guys.” Sunset greeted her friends, as they greeted her back. “Hmph… Whatever.” Swampsuke dragged, obviously thinking about something. “Anyway, guys, you won’t believe what happened last night.” Sunset started, only for Pinkie Pie to interrupt. “You and Swampsuke had a really weird dream that showed a humanoid tortoise talking to a humanoid red panda about six warriors and they think it might have something to do with us. (Squee!)” Pinkie said, catching Sunset and Swampsuke totally off guard as their eyes widened and mouths dropped at that. “(Sigh…) Before you ask, sport captains, everything Pinkie said about that hit the mark.” Swampsuke answered for the others before the two athletes questioned that. “How did you know all that?” Sunset asked Pinkie. “Just a hunch.” Pinkie simply replied with a smile. All of the students in the gym piped down when Principal Celestia walked onto the stage and started to speak into the microphone. “Students of Canterlot High, my sister and I decided on something fun for the whole school. We are going on a school trip tomorrow for one month to the Valley of Peace.” The mention of a school trip surprised all of the students and teachers, except one, in the gym. “But we have a lot to plan for it, and I’m sure that you all have planning to do too, so there will be no school today, so get ready and your essentials packed.” Celestia said, causing all students but Swampsuke, to cheer in excitement and joy. “But when we get back, there will be a personal essay on what you experienced, thought and learned on the trip about the Valley of Peace along with its inhabitants and events.” Luna added, causing some of the students, including team Loyalty EG to groan. And after the assembly, just like that, school was dismissed. So Sunset and her friends decided to hang out with each other for the rest of the day and packed for tomorrow. The next morning they got ready and went to the Canterlot High parking lot where they saw a trio of buses there. All of the students at Canterlot High were split into three groups, one with Principal Celestia and Vice-Principal Luna, one with Miss Cheerilee, and the third one with Cranky Doodle. Sunset and her friends were with the two sisters as the three buses began to go on the open road to the Valley of Peace. “Our destination, the Valley of Peace, will be a wonderful place to know what a different culture in another country has in store.” Celestia said to the students in the bus as her sister, Luna, continued the explanation. “The citizens of the Valley of Peace will be beastmen who moved and lived there from China as those beastmen before them from their homeland founded and built the village, to help bring peace and harmony between human and beastman kind.” Luna said, getting ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ from the students (‘hmph’ from Swampsuke), being amazed by that. “Try to get along with them and each other, everyone. Besides, me and my sister have a few beastman friends who live there.” Celestia finished, wowing all of the students. Two and a half hours later, when they got to the Valley of Peace, which was on a mountain, the pure sight of the town left all of the students and teachers speechless, completely in awe at the village. The sun was still up, so all of the students, along with the teachers and two sisters, went on a tour, seeing many breathtaking sights, crossing by a noodle shop, and their final tour destination, much to the students (except Swampsuke) and teachers’ (except Dragalchimaru) dismay, at the top of a ridiculously tall and long staircase. After an hour of climbing, everyone made their way to what appeared to be a palace, for when they went inside, was actually a museum of paintings, relics and battle equipment. They saw urns, weapons, suits of armor, and scroll paintings. “Wow! This place looks awesome!” Rainbow Dash said, excited. “Ditto, sis!” Raptor agreed. “I’m sure we’re all excited, but we need to be careful, because the items and equipment in here look like they’re imported from China.” Soulfire warned the others. “Doesn’t mean we can’t touch, right bro?” Makoto asked her foster brother. “I guess.” Soulfire replied, hesitantly agreeing with the beastkin’s point. “My word, some of these relics may look barbaric, but all of them are… are… dazzling!” Rarity exclaimed. “But, somehow, I’m feeling nervous.” Fluttershy timidly said. “Don’t you always?” Swampsuke rhetorically deadpanned, asking and teasing Fluttershy. “Now ya’ll don’t go making Flutters more scared than she already is.” Applejack told Swampsuke. “Guys, I can’t help but feel like someone else is here.” Sunset told her friends, being a bit on edge. “So… What are you doing, Principal Celestia and Vice-Principal Luna?” Pinkie Pie asked the two sisters excitedly. “Why, we’re waiting for a friend of ours to be here.” Celestia explained. “My patience is wearing thin.” An unknown voice said. “You’re telling me.” Luna responded. Swampsuke sensed a presence. “We need to look to our left.” He said, seeing someone to their left. “Hey, how’s it going?” Pinkie briefly greeted, before she turned back to the person. “WHOA!” That caught the others’ attention, surprised by the sudden appearance of the old white-bearded and mustached man. “AGH! You haven’t changed a bit, Shifu.” Luna said, a bit frightened. “Well, it is good to see you again.” Celestia said with a smile. “It has been quite some time since you two last visited, hmm?” The man now identified as Shifu rhetorically asked. “I can tell you were here.” Swampsuke said. “Hmm, it would seem you were trained quite well, to notice that I was around.” Shifu responded. “That would be because he is my student.” Dragalchimaru said as he stepped out of the shadows. “Hmph, still cunning as ever. Anyway, there is someone else who would like to see you.” Shifu informed as he sent a small glare at Dragalchimaru. “And who would that be? Another friend of ours?” Celestia asked. “Indeed, one of your oldest friends.” A elderly soothing voice answered as a tortoise revealed itself as it climbed down its staff. The two sisters and Dragalchimaru recognized him immediately. “Master Oogway.” The two sisters said in unison as they bowed in respect with their fists in their palms. “I’m quite happy to see both of you once again, and in good health too. A pleasure to see again as well, Dragalchimaru.” Oogway said, giving the three a warm and comforting smile as he looked at Sunset Shimmer, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie. “How interesting…” He said as he was intrigued by the potential the HuMane 6 and their friends have in them. “You-You’re one of the humanoid creatures I see in my dream.” Sunset stammered as Swampsuke nodded without hesitation, saying that he saw him before as well. “Ah, so you had a vision of the present.” Oogway said to the girl as he started to walk by Pinkie Pie to Sunset Shimmer. “A bright joyful spirit, spreading laughter, happiness and hope, no matter the dangers. A timid friendly girl, showing kindness and compassion even to the most unreasonable of creatures. A shining young woman, giving precious and meaningful gifts to others without expecting anything in return. A hardworking strong farmer, being honest and assuring to others and able to see the truth. A courageous competitive athlete, being loyal and helpful to her friends until the end of time. And of course, a unicorn turned into a human, who wishes to mend her ways, atone for her past misdeeds, and find true friends to help her no longer feel alone.” Oogway listed, shocking all of the students. “How did you know?! ARE YOU PSYCHIC?!” Pinkie asked Oogway, completely surprised. “Hehehe, I know, young one, because I could sense the potential in all of you and your friends. For you girls are six of the seven warriors of Harmony.” Oogway simply answered, unfazed as he kept smiling. “Hmmhmm. I can see why.” Celestia agreed with her teacher as she too knew of the potential the six girls hold. “Wait Master Oogway, are you saying that these six will need to learn Kung Fu?” Luna asked. “Yes, and their friends are free to train with them if they’d like.” Oogway answered the Vice Principal. “They don’t have to begin their training today, and they can choose who they want to train with. And all of the students at your school are free to tour the Valley of Peace as much as the Jade Palace as much as they need to their heart’s content.” “Besides, we will introduce you to my five students once we get to their training course.” Shifu explained to the principals, Sunset and her friends as he turned into his beastman form. Later when they got to the training grounds, they went into a building, seeing something that amazed them; A male praying mantis beastman rapidly and swiftly striking and dodging wooden attack dummies, making himself look awesome with his speed and precision to Raptor and Rainbow Dash. A female tiger beastman fighting weaponized pendulums on spinning coils, leaving Applejack amazed at her strength and ferociousness. A male crane beastman flying onto a giant turtle shaped jade bowl deflecting flying arrows as he kept his balance, with his defense and grace astonishing Rarity. A female viper snake beastman attacking and evading the pillars of fire as she slithered around on the fire-proof tires, surprising Fluttershy with her evasiveness and flexibility. And a male monkey beastman swinging across hanging spiky hoops in a wild and random manner, leaving Pinkie Pie excited with his unpredictability and agility. “Alright students, that’s enough. We have visitors.” Shifu called out to his five pupils, causing them to stop as the training machines shutted down. “Master Shifu, who are they?” The tiger beastman asked. “The six girls in the front are Sunset Shimmer, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie. The rest of the students here at the moment from Canterlot High are Swampsuke, Raptor, Soulfire and Makoto Nanaya. And these three are old friends of mine, Celestia, Luna and Dragalchimaru.” Master Shifu answered his students as he then started to introduce them to the Canterlot Highers. “These are my five students, Tigress, Viper, Crane, Mantis and Monkey. More commonly known as, the Furious Five.” “Wait, THE Furious Five?! No wonder they looked so awesome!!!” Raptor said with amazement. “That just made you guys 20% cooler!” Rainbow Dash said in agreement. After the introductions, the students of both Master Shifu and Canterlot High had conversations about what they like to do, previous events that happened, etc. When night fell, they decided to turn in, but Tigress had a suspicious eye on Sunset and Swampsuke. But Sunset was seeing something strange as she slept, as a Snow Leopard Beastman was in her sight, arms shackled, wearing a metallic turtle shell with jade items inserted in it. She then heard something. Learn the Leopard Style… > Chapter 1: The Mind and Body > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The next morning, we see Master Shifu and his five students in their human forms heading to their training grounds, only to be surprised to see someone already there planting something in the ground. This person turned around, revealing to be Applejack. “What are you doing here?!” Shifu asked, still surprised someone was here earlier than he and the Furious Five. “Good morning Master Shifu, just plantin’ some Apple family apple seeds here as a thanks for training me and mah friends, especially Sunset Shimmer.” Applejack answered. “But why are you up this early?” Tigress asked the Canterlot High student. “Well, when livin’ and workin’ at my family’s apple farm, us Apples wake up when the sun rises can make ya wake up bright an’ early fer work.” AJ explained. “Makes sense. So, do you still need time to think?” Shifu asked Applejack. “Nah, Ah already decided that Ah’m gonna learn Tiger Style of Kung Fu with Tigress.” The cowgirl answered confidently. “Then show me what you can do.” Tigress replied as she stretched out her arm with her palm open, asking Applejack to her hand with everything she’s got. “Alright, Tigress. Here Ah go!” AJ declared as she kicked right into her palm with all her strength, pushing her arm back a bit. “Hmph, not bad. I actually felt that one.” Tigress complimented, impressed with the farmer’s leg strength. “Years of applebuckin’ apple family apple trees. Y’all got some impressive strength yerself.” Applejack replied, returning the compliment. “Now try with your fists.” Tigress instructed. “If ya say so. Here goes nothin’!” AJ declared, punching the tiger beastman’ palm with everything she put into that attack, only to find out she didn’t budge her arm one bit, and feeling a stinging sensation. “YOW!!! Ah think Ah prefer fightin’ with mah legs now instead of both legs and arms.” “My apologies, I used to punch the iron-wood trees outside of the Jade Palace. Now I feel nothing, until that kick you gave me, because that was impressive.” Tigress explained. “Hoowee! No wonder yer arms are so tough. Might as well kick and punch those iron-wood trees if Ah’m gonna be tougher than before.” Applejack said. “Very well, I’ll let you learn Tiger Style with me. You seem like a hardcore person.” Tigress replied, accepting Applejack’s request, much to the cowgirl’s excitement. “YEE-HAW!” AJ hollered. Those two sure are going to be quite a duo of tough gals. “Hmph, looks like the student became the teacher.” A voice called out, catching their attention. They looked at the location of the voice, revealed to be Swampsuke. “When did you get here?” Shifu asked the mist shinobi. “The same time Applejack got here. I was training.” Swampsuke simply answered without even glancing at anyone, making Tigress more suspicious of him. “Don’t mind him none, that’s just how he usually is. Takes a while fer him to warm up to someone.” AJ explained as she and Tigress fist-bumped each other. A few minutes later, the others got up and went to the training grounds, meeting up with Swampsuke, Applejack, the Furious Five and Master Shifu. Meanwhile with Fluttershy, she met up with Viper. “Um… Excuse me, miss Viper?” Fluttershy said, asking for the snake beastman’s attention. “Oh, good morning Fluttershy. You can call me Viper, we’re friends aren’t we?” Viper asked back. “Yes, I would like to think that, but I, um… I wanna ask you something.” Fluttershy said timidly. “Is something wrong?” Viper asked, concerned for the animal lover and her friends. “No, no, not at all. It’s just, um… Can you help me learn the Viper Style of Kung Fu? If you’re okay with that.” Fluttershy kindly asked. “I’m perfectly okay with that. But do you think it would be okay to tell me why?” Viper replied with her own question. “Of course, I honestly can’t help but realize that these kung fu styles are inspired by animals, which inspire me, because I love animals. And I think your Viper Style is the right calling for me.” Fluttershy explained. “You’re a nature and animal lover?” Viper asked, which Fluttershy answered with a nod. “I think we’re going to be great friends, Fluttershy, and of course I can help you learn Viper Style.” “Yay.” Fluttershy softly cheered, making Viper giggle, then herself as she gave Viper a warm hug, which the snake beastman returned. They truly are going to be wonderful and kind friends. Earlier when Fluttershy was with Viper, Rarity was with Crane. “Hello there, Crane.” Rarity greeted. “Oh, good morning Rarity. We met up with Applejack and Swampsuke earlier this morning.” Crane greeted back. “Not surprising that those two get up early every morning. Anyhoo, I want to ask you something.” Rarity said. “What is it?” Crane asked. “Could I possibly have the honor to learn your style of kung fu, the Crane Style?” Rarity asked her question with elegance. “Okay, I’m sure I can help you learn, but do you think I can know why?” Crane asked back, needing clarification for that question. “Why, I’m glad you asked, Crane, darling. I simply feel inspired by your fighting style, with its grace, balance and defense. It almost looked like dancing while battling your opponent.” Rarity answered. “Wow, okay. Alright then, but we’ll have to get you foldable fan weapons in order to help you get started with your training.” Crane replied. “Oh, thank you ever so much. Take this as a token of my thanks.” Rarity said as she gave Crane an attire with crane images on it. “Whoa, I don’t think you need to give this much to me.” Crane said back, surprised by Rarity’s generosity. “Please, do keep it. I insist.” Rarity insisted. “Oh, well, thank you.” Crane thanked Rarity as he took the attire and tried it on. “Wow, this is actually really comfortable. And it leaves room for my wings. How did you do it?” “I am a fashionista and I run Carousel Boutique, so I need to know my audience.” Rarity explained. “Makes sense.” Crane replied while looking at his attire. While Rarity was talking to Crane, Pinkie Pie was talking to Monkey. “Helloooo there, Monkey Boy!” Pinkie Pie greeted the ape beastman. “Oh, morning, Pinkie. You seem really chipper.” Monkey greeted back as he realized Pinkie’s upbeat personality. “That’s because I’m the best party planner there is in Canterlot City! Smiles guaranteed at a Pinkie Pie Party!” Pinkie happily explained. “Ooh, nice! Can’t wait to be in one of those parties, because they sound like a blast!” Monkey replied with excitement as he held out his hand. Pinkie saw that hand and shook it with her own, but all of a sudden, Monkey shook and twitched uncontrollably as he felt an electric jolt conduct through him, causing him to let go of the party girl’s hand. Monkey then heard her laughing as Pinkie Pie opened her hand, revealing to him a joy buzzer, causing him to laugh along with her. “Hahahaha! Ohohohoho! Whoo, Pinkie… I never knew you were a prankster.” “Heehee! You know it, ‘cause I love to make people laugh and smile!” Pinkie replied with a big bright smile. “Besides, I want to ask you something.” “What’s the question?” Monkey asked as Pinkie took a deep breath. “CanyouletmelearnKungFuMonkeyStylealongsideyou?ThereasonwhyIwannalearnbecauseyourfightingstylelooksreallyfunfaststrongandunpredicablelikemyPinkieSensebesidesitlookslikesomuchfun!(Squee!)” Pinkie Pie asked and explained in one breath, causing Monkey’s jaw to drop, dumbstruck. “Uh… I have no idea what you said, but if you want to learn Monkey Style, okay then.” Monkey answered, much to Pinkie's excitement. “This is gonna be so much fun! YAY!” Pinkie cheered as she gave Monkey a bear hug, and gave him a banana cupcake after letting him go. During Pinkie and Monkey’s conversation, RD, Raptor, Soulfire and Makoto were having a conversation with Mantis. “Oh, good morning, guys.” Mantis greeted. “‘Sup?” Rainbow and Raptor greeted back. “Good morning to you as well, Mantis.” Soulfire said. “How’s it going?” Makoto asked Mantis. “Y’know, the usual; training our butts off.” Mantis answered. “Hey, you think you can help me and my bro learn Mantis Style, so that we can be more awesome than we already are?” Rainbow Dash asked the insect beastman. “Yeah, c’mon.” Raptor added. “Well, you have a real reason?” Mantis countered with his own question. “Uh… Well…” RD stammered. “That is… Um…” Raptor stuttered as well. “See, the thing is-” Rainbow started off. “Okay, we’re asking because-” Raptor started off as well. “I feel like we need to get better and faster than we were before.” The foster-sibs explained to Mantis when they heard each other say the same thing and said to each other “Jinx!” “Alright, I’ll help you learn the Mantis Style.” Mantis answered, getting the two daredevils excited. “AWESOME!” They cheered. “But, I also think that you, Raptor, will be able to develop your own style of Kung Fu.” Mantis added, putting more fuel to the fire. “REALLY?! DOUBLE AWESOME!!!” The two cheered again. “What about you two?” Mantis asked the other two foster-siblings. “Me and Makoto already know some martial arts, so we can help train RD and my older brother.” Soulfire answered, surprising Mantis. “I just hope we don’t hurt them too much. Not that it’ll be our fault they get themselves hurt.” Makoto added. “Wait, hold on, Soulfire… You’re Raptor’s younger brother?” Mantis asked, confused. “Me, Raptor, and two other people we don’t know yet are blood siblings. I’ve been with Makoto all of my life, I consider her a sister, same with Raptor and Rainbow.” Soulfire explained. “Huh, strange.” Mantis replied. “Tell me about it. But I like it.” Makoto added as they started to train with Rainbow Dash and Raptor. After the HuMane 5 started training with the Furious 5, Sunset Shimmer and Swampsuke met up with Celestia, Luna, Dragalchimaru, Master Shifu and Oogway. “Ready to continue your training, Swampsuke?” Dragalchimaru asked his student. “Can’t we just get on with it, I need to get stronger.” Swampsuke simply answered. “Very well then. I do hope you four can help Sunset train.” Dragalchimaru said with a mischievous chuckle as he and the rogue ninja left. “So Sunset Shimmer, did you already make a decision?” Master Oogway asked with a gentle, warm and kind smile. “Well, before I answer that, I saw my friends training with Master Shifu’s students; Applejack with Tigress, Fluttershy with Viper, Rarity with Crane, Pinkie Pie with Monkey, Rainbow Dash and Raptor with Mantis, Soulfire and Makoto.” Sunset listed. “I’m very glad that you and the others are making new friends, Sunset.” Celestia said as she and Luna smiled at her. “Hmm, I have a feeling they made the right decision.” Shifu added as he and his master also smile at Sunset. “As for the question, I did. But it was from something last night.” Sunset answered, leaving the kung fu masters (except Oogway) confused. “What is it?” Luna as the Canterlot High student. “Do you think any of you could teach me the Leopard Style?” Sunset asked, catching Masters Celestia, Luna and Shifu off guard. “Where did you hear of that?!” Shifu shouted as he demanded to know how it was mentioned to Sunset. “I heard of it from my dream last night, Master Shifu.” Sunset explained. “Of course they can help you learn Leopard Style, young Shimmer.” Oogway simply answered with a smile. “But, Master Oogway, the last one to use that kung fu style was-!” Luna started to argue, only to be cut off by her elder sister. “Luna, I know you’re worried, but he used that kung fu style for his own purposes. I’m sure Sunset will use the Leopard Style for what’s right.” Celestia said as she calmed down her sister. “(Sigh…)Very well, we will help you learn the Leopard Style. But you and your friends will begin tomorrow. You’ll all need proper rest for your first day tomorrow.” Shifu said as he walked off to tell Sunset’s friends the same thing about when their training starts. For the next 5 days, Sunset Shimmer and her friends trained their kung fu skills, but somehow, they (except Swampsuke, Soulfire and Makoto) were off on a rough start. Shifu and his friends from Canterlot High knew this will take time. “Alright, enough.” Shifu called out, causing everyone to stop training, as he walked over to Sunset and her friends. “You nine are free to take a day off tomorrow and watch me train my students.” Shifu said, surprising the students of Canterlot High. “Thank you, Master Shifu.” Sunset Shimmer thanked as she and her friends bowed with their fists in their palms. Later, at night, while the Canterlot High Students were sleeping, they all saw something. “What is this?” Sunset asked herself. “Sunset? What are you doing here? Nevermind that, how did you get here?” A voice asked, revealing to be Rainbow Dash. “Rainbow Dash?” Sunset said surprised by her appearance, then seeing the others as well. “Raptor? Soulfire? Makoto? Applejack? Rarity? Pinkie Pie? Fluttershy? Swampsuke?” “Hmph… We’re having a vision or something like that.” Swampsuke simply guessed. “HEY! Look at that!” Pinkie called out, causing the others to turn to the direction Pinkie was pointing, seeing the bright sun. Then they were brought down closer to the ground by an unseen force, followed by seeing a mysterious warrior, with his identity hidden beneath a flowing robe and wide-brimmed hat, treks with his staff across a bridge above a huge lake. Then they heard a voice. “Legend tells of a legendary warrior whose kung fu skills were the stuff of legend. He traveled the land in search of worthy foes.” The strange voice narrated as the Dream Spirits of the Canterlot High students saw the warrior approach a large tavern towering in front of him. A gang of bandits harassing the rabbit staff inside were startled when the warrior entered abruptly, and stared silently as he passed them and sat at a table. As he ate, the gang surrounded him. “Those thugs look real tuff.” AJ commented. “Too true, they certainly look like ruffians.” Rarity added with distaste. “So… (EEP!) Scary.” Fluttershy scarcely said as she hid behind a wooden beam and continued watching. “I see you like to chew. Maybe you should chew ON MY FIST!” The gang leader shouted as he banged his fist on the table, shaking it, but unfortunately for them, not fazing the mysterious warrior one bit, who was revealed to be a Giant Panda beastman. “Hmph… Not bad, he’s not even bothered.” Swampsuke commented, impressed by the panda’s bravery. “The warrior said nothing for his mouth was full.” The mysterious voice narrated as the warrior held up an open paw, then closing it with his pointer finger out, saying he needed a second.  “At least he has manners.” Rarity commented. “Then he swallowed. And then he spoke.” The voice narrated as the warrior swallowed his dumpling. “Enough talk. Let's fight! SHA-SHA-BOOEY!” The legendary warrior cried out as he delivered a series of punches and kicks and the whole bandit gang went flying in various directions, leaving the dream spirits amazed, even Swampsuke. “WHOA!!!” Soulfire and Makoto awed. “SO AWESOME!!!” Raptor and RD said in unison. “He was so deadly in fact that his enemies would go blind from overexposure to pure awesomeness!” The voice kept narrating as the warrior’s enemies crashed against the walls. “MY EYES!” A ninja cat bandit shouted as he got on his feet, but blindly flailed about. “HE’S TOO AWESOME!” A gator bandit said with fear as he got up, blinded as well. The sight of seeing the bandits being made blind by the warrior’s awesomeness made the dream spirits laugh while Swampsuke smirked. “Hahahaha!!! That’s funny! Awesomeness blinding people! That’s a gem!” Pinkie Pie commented as she rolled on the floor laughing. “And attractive!” A smitten female bunny added. “How can we repay you?” A grateful male bunny asked. “There is no charge for awesomeness… or attractiveness.” The warrior simply answered as another smitten girl bunny giggled and he saw himself surrounded by one hundred assassins. “Uh-oh! I think he’s in trouble!” Sunset pointed out, catching their attention, making them except Swampsuke worried. “This is only a dream, things will turn out fine.” Swampsuke also pointed out. “KABLOOEY!” The warrior cried out again as the roof exploded where he and a cloud of ninjas erupted into the sky.  “It mattered not how many foes he faced. They were no match for his bodacity.“ The voice narrated as like a tornado, the warrior twists and kicks them away rapidly. Then two groups of thousands of foes leap at the warrior while in the air forming the heads of a wild cat and a wolf, but with a single flashy move he sends them flying with a “HYA!” The beaten warriors plummet into the lake like rain as the warrior treks back across the bridge, causing the dream spirits’ jaws to drop in awe. “What the hay… Just happened?” Applejack asked, dumbfounded by the battle’s conclusion. “He just took them all out… With one attack!” Soulfire answered with shock. “It’s like he used an Astral Finish!” Makoto added. “That is… AWESOME!!!” Raptor exclaimed. “That’s our favorite kind of dream, bro!” RD said to her brother. “Well, a giant panda can become strong and dangerous when agitated. Even though they look so cute and cuddly.” Fluttershy explained as she gushed over the cuteness pandas can have. “Never before had a panda been so feared… and so loved.” The voice narrated as the warrior looks up towards the Jade Palace, where a group of five warriors stood in various poses. “Even the most heroic heroes in all of the country, the Furious Five, bowed in respect to this great master.” The voice continued as the Five leap down from the palace, landed in front of the warrior, and bow respectfully, before flanking in positions on both sides of him. “We should hang out.” Dream Monkey said. “Agreed.” The warrior responded as he and the Five strike an attack pose, facing an army of thousands of bandits. “That looks like thousands!!!” Sunset said with complete surprise. “Holy Moly! That’s a lot of banditolies!” Pinkie added “But hanging out would have to wait. 'Cause when you're facing the ten thousand demons of Demon Mountain…” The voice starts off as he slices off the heads of the bandits' spears with a shiny green sword and leaps into battle with the Five. “there's only one thing that matters. And that's—” “Po!” Another mysterious voice called out, causing everything and everyone to freeze up, confusing the warrior and the dream spirits, as they turned to their left finding the source of the voice, which was… Monkey?! “Get up!” Dream Monkey said, making the warrior and the dream spirits look to the right, only to hear Dream Tigress speak in the same strange voice. “You’ll be late for work!” “Whuh/Huh/What?” The warrior, Sunset and her friends said, completely confused by what was going on, before they plummeted into the ground. Only for Sunset to wake up in her own body, the same could be said for her friends and whoever was dreaming that, this “Po.” Let’s see this “Po” then, as we see a noodle restaurant, and a panda beastman lying on the floor, waking up in pain, trying to clear his head. “Po! Get up!” A voice called out as Po looks around his room and sees that it's filled with various kung fu posters and souvenirs, and a wooden version of the Sword of Heroes. He sighs and attempts to kick himself to his feet, but finds his belly too worthy of a foe. “Po! What are you doing up there?” The voice asked. “Uh, nothing!” Po hesitantly answers as he hops to his feet and faces his action figures. “Hi-ya! Monkey! Mantis! Crane! Viper! Tigress! Grrraahh—” Po started to roar but stopped himself as he saw a neighboring pig beastman watering flowers stare at him. Po tried to play it cool and then quickly ducked out of sight. “Po! Let's go! You're late for work!” The voice called out once more. “Coming!” Po replies as he took a ninja star from his floor and chucked it at the wall, which bounced off. He threw the star again, but it bounced off again. He quickly picked it up and headed downstairs where he tripped and fell the rest of the way. He fell flat on his face on the kitchen floor as a panda-shaped shadow loomed over Po. “Sorry, dad.” Po apologized as he looked up. “'Sorry' doesn't make the noodles.” Po’s father gently scolded him as the shadow is actually caused by a basket being carried by a small goose beastman, who was known as Mr. Ping, owner of Ping’s Noodle restaurant. “What were you doing up there, all that noise?” Mr. Ping asked his son. “Oh, nothing. Just had a crazy dream.” Po answered as he went into his human form. “About what?” Mr. Ping asked with a different question. “Huh?” Po said, asking the question to be said more clearly. “What were you dreaming about?” Mr. Ping asked once more as he puts down the basket and began chopping vegetables in his human form next to Po, listening to what he had to say. “What was I…? Uh… I was dreaming about…” Po started off as he saw Mr. Ping listening expectantly, and couldn't bring himself to say the truth. “Uh… noodles.” Po lied as he glanced down at the bowl he's holding, causing his father to stop cutting vegetables. “Noodles? You were really dreaming about noodles?” Mr. Ping asked suspiciously. “Uh, yeah. What else would I be dreaming about?” Po countered with own question as he handed a bowl of noodles to a yellow skinned, blue-haired human customer wearing a black jacket, but realized his throwing star was sitting in it. “Oh, careful, that soup is… sharp!” Po said to the customer, who replied with, “Thanks for the heads-up, big guy!” with gratitude. “Oh, happy day! My son, finally having the noodle dream!” Mr. Ping cheered as he began rummaging through something and came back with an apron and a noodle hat. He ties the apron around Po's waist and places the noodle hat in Po's hands. “You don't know how long I have been waiting for this moment. This is a sign, Po!” “Uh… a sign of what?” Po asked his father as he looked at the noodle hat nervously. “You are almost ready to be entrusted with the secret ingredient of my ‘Secret Ingredient Soup.’ And then you will fulfill your destiny and take over the restaurant!” Mr. Ping answered as he quickly ran over to a section of a wall with three portraits and pointed to them accordingly. “Just as I took it over from my father, who took it over from his father, who won it from a friend in a game of mahjong.” “Dad, Dad, Dad, it was just a dream.” Po dismissed as he chuckled nervously. “No, it was the dream. We are noodle folk. Broth runs through our veins.” Mr. Ping explained as he handed two customers, one which had teal skin, orange hair and a black t-shirt, and the other had orange skin, teal-green hair and a green jacket, their bowls without even looking at them. “But Dad, didn't you ever, I dunno, want to do something else? Something besides noodles?” Po asked his father. “Actually, when I was young and crazy, I thought about running away and learning how to make tofu.” Mr. Ping said as he talked about his past. “So why didn’t you?!” Po asked him again. “Oh, because it was a stupid dream. Can you imagine me making tofu?” Mr. Ping dismissed as he laughed at the thought, then became serious as he stuck his chopping knife in the wooden cutting board and picked up a couple of noodle bowls. “No. We all have our place in this world. Mine is here. And yours is—” “I know. Is here.” Po ‘answered,’ cutting his father off. “No, it's at tables two, five, seven, and twelve.” Mr. Ping corrected as he loaded Po's arms with bowls of soup, causing him to go into his beastman form. “Service with a smile!” Mr. Ping said as he put the noodle hat on Po and stretched his son’s lips into a smile, showing his teeth, then went back to work. Then a gong sounds in the distance, making Po sigh and look out the window at the distant Jade Palace. Meanwhile at the Jade Palace, Sunset and her friends were talking about what they saw while sleeping last night, before deciding to watch Master Shifu train with the Furious Five and Swampsuke. They saw him just sitting there, playing calm, soothing music with his flute. The beastman was surrounded by the bushes and trees that nestle between the Training Hall. Six shadowed figures moved through the foreground, as Shifu kept playing his flute, oblivious to his surroundings. And as he finished his music, the six figures sprang out of hiding and went to strike the beastman, as he flashed his eyes open. Moving like lightning and wielding his flute like a staff, Shifu deflects, blocks, dodges, and parries the attackers, which sent them flying. The six figures were the Furious Five and Swampsuke, as they pick themselves up, turning to face him, who is now standing, ready for their next move. The spar amazed the students from Canterlot High, surprised by Shifu's skills and abilities for one his age. "Well done, students..." Shifu started off, as the Furious Five bowed in respect. "if you were trying to disappoint me." He harshly finished, as he pointed his flute at each of the five. "Tigress, you need more ferocity. Monkey, greater speed. Crane, height. Viper, subtlety. Mantis—" "Master Shifu." Zeng interrupted. "What?!" Shifu asked impatiently, as he pointed his flute at the goose beastman, startling him. "It's Master Oogway. He wants to see you, Masters Celestia, Luna and Dragalchimaru." Zeng answered, causing Shifu to look up, concerned. Later, when Shifu went into the jade palace, he found the other three already there. He breathed in to calm himself as he bowed to Master Oogway, along with Celestia and Luna. "Master Oogway? You summoned us. Is something wrong?" Shifu asked the tortoise beastman. "Why would something be wrong for me to see my old friends?" Oogway countered soothingly with his own question, as he got back onto the ground from his staff. "No reason whatsoever, Master Oogway." Celestia responded with a small giggle. "So... nothing's wrong?" Shifu asked his friend, for clearance. "Well, I didn't say that." Oogway answered as he began blowing out candles, slowly, one by one. Oogway opens his mouth to say something, then blows out another candle. Shifu and Luna became impatient, using their kung fu to blow out all the candles. "Sorry about that." Luna humbly apologized. "You were saying?" Shifu presumed. "I have had a vision: Tai Lung will return." Master Oogway answered, much to the beastman and the two sisters' shock, as they remembered a leopard beastman fighting them, leaving them rattled, while Dragalchimaru was interested. "That is impossible! He is in prison!" Shifu said. "Yeah! There's no way that could happen!" Luna agreed. "Nothing is impossible." Oogway calmly responded. "As much as I don't want to believe it, I have a feeling that Tai Lung will escape, sooner or later." Celestia said, a bit frightened. "Zeng! Fly to Chorh-Gom Prison and tell them to double the guards, double their weapons. Double everything! Tai Lung does not leave that prison!" Shifu ordered the goose beastman. "No matter what!" Luna added. "Yes, Master Shifu and Master Luna!" Zeng replied as he flew off, but quacked as he hits a column on his way out. "Hmm, yes... Tai Lung... I remember him." Dragalchimaru said, amused by the memory. "One often meets his destiny on the road he takes to avoid it." Oogway said to himself. "W-we have to do something. We can't just let him march on the Valley and take his revenge! He'll, he'll—" Shifu panicked as Oogway interrupted him. "Your minds are like this water, my friends." He said to Shifu and Luna, looking at the Moon Pool. "When it is agitated, it becomes difficult to see. But if you allow it to settle, the answer becomes clear." He explained as he calmed the water in the pool, causing Shifu, Luna, Celestia and Dragalchimaru to look up from the reflection, to see a red scroll in a golden dragon statue's mouth. "The Dragon Scroll..." The four gasped, while Dragalchimaru said with more interest. "It is time." Oogway declared, as he looked up with them. "But who? Who is worthy to be trusted with the secret to limitless power? To become... the Dragon Warrior?" Shifu asked his friend. "I don't know." Oogway answered with a smile, confusing Luna, Celestia and Shifu, while intriguing Dragalchimaru even more... To be continued... > Chapter 2: The Dragon Warrior and Tai Lung > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Back at the noodle shop, Po was serving the customers at their tables. However, he was struggling to squeeze through the small gaps, accidentally knocking into a table. "Hey, watch it Po!" A pig customer said to the panda beastman. "Oh, sorry. Suck it up—" Po apologized, sucking up his stomach, but his belly got stuck between two tables, and in his attempt to lift himself free, Po accidentally sticked his tail puff into a rabbit family's soup bowl, making the rabbit children cry. "Oops, sorry! A thousand pardons..." Po then heard a gong sound, causing him to turn around, seeing a group of palace staff sticking a poster on the wall of the restaurant. "What?!" He gasped as he ran over to the poster (which features the Furious Five) and saw the writing. "Master Oogway's choosing the Dragon Warrior. Today!" Po said with excitement as he put down the noodle bowls. "Everyone! Everyone! Go, get to the Jade Palace! One of the Five is going to get the Dragon Scroll!" He told everyone in the restaurant, causing Mr. Ping to look up from the counter as Po was ushering out the customers. "We've been waiting a thousand years for this — just take the bowl! This is the greatest day in kung fu history! Don't worry about it, just go!" Po said as was about to go with the customers until— "Po! Where are you going?" Mr. Ping asked, as Po struggled to hide his dismay, turning back to his father. "To the... Jade Palace?..." Po nervously answered. "But you're forgetting your noodle cart! The whole Valley will be there, and you'll sell noodles to all of them!" Mr. Ping said with excitement as he rolled a heavy-looking noodle cart towards Po. "Selling noodles? But Dad, I was kinda thinking maybe I—" Po started off, but hesitated. "Yeah?" Mr. Ping asked with a smile. "I was kinda thinking maybe I..." Po hesitated once more. "Uh-huh?" Mr. Ping asked once more, still with a smile. "...could also sell the bean buns. They're-they're about to go bad." Po requested, not being honest. "That's my boy! I told you that dream was a sign!" Mr. Ping said happily as he walked back into the shop. "Yeah, heh heh, glad I had it." Po said sarcastically. At the Palace Arena just below the Jade Palace, palace staff are preparing for the tournament while children play and the villagers stream into the arena. Then outside the entrance doors and down the thousand steps leading down to the village, at the bottom where Po is staring open-mouthed at the daunting task ahead of him. He closes his mouth with a gulp, and begins to ascend the stairs, though is severely hindered by the noodle cart, as villagers move past him as he slowly makes progress. Some time later, Po is still ascending the stairs, dragging his cart behind him, exhausted, stopping for a breather and flops onto his back. "I'm... almost there... huh?" Po wondered as he sat up, and much to his despair, he only made it up seven steps. "No! Oh noooo!" Then two pig beastmen known as K.G. Shaw and J.R. Shaw, the Shaw brothers, met up with Po. "Sorry, Po." K.G. apologized. "We'll bring you back a souvenir." J.R. said to the panda beastman as he and his brother continued going up the stairway. "No... I'll bring me back a souvenir!" Po decided as he casted away his apron and noodle hat, and made his way up to the palace, leaving the noodle cart behind. Up in the arena, Shifu, Celestia, Luna and Dragalchimaru were overseeing the preparations when Master Oogway appears, coming down the steps. "Everything's about ready." Luna said. "That's good to hear." Celestia responded with a smile. "It is an historic day — isn't it, Master Oogway?" Shifu asked his master. "Yes, and one I feared I would not live to see. Are your students ready?" Oogway said to Shifu. "Yes, Master Oogway." Shifu answered. "Now know this, old friend. Whomever I choose will not only bring peace to the Valley, but also to you." Oogway told Shifu as he walked off, leaving him to wonder what that meant. "(Chuckle) I wonder who the Dragon Warrior will be? If not one of the Furious Five, then who...?" Dragalchimaru thought with an intrigued smile as he and the others caught up with Oogway. A pig beastman approached with a gong in his hoof, as he said, "Let the tournament begin!" striking the gong, making the crowds cheer. The students from Canterlot High were watching with excitement as well, but let's see how Sunset and her friends are doing. *Camera goes to the HuMane 6 and their friends* "I am so stoked to see how this tournament goes! I hope Mantis wins!" Rainbow Dash cheered. "Me too!" Raptor agreed with excitement. "I'll make sure to throw a 'Congratulations on becoming the Dragon Warrior' Party for the winner! Ooh... Monkey can do this!" Pinkie squeaked. "Hmph..." Swampsuke scoffed, paying attention to that dark look on Dragalchimaru's face. "C'mon, guys! I'm sure they'll try their best." Makoto said. "Of course. It's important to give a battle everything you've got to win." Soulfire agreed. "I'm not one to take guesses, darlings, but I'm betting that Crane will become the Dragon Warrior." Rarity admitted. "Um... Go, Viper. Woohoo." Fluttershy softly cheered for the viper beastman. "Ya' know y'all, out of all o' them, Tigress has the best chances o' becomin' Dragon Warrior." Applejack said, much to RD and Raptor's annoyance. "Oh yeah?!" Rainbow challenged AJ. "We'll see about that!" Raptor said smugly to the apple farmer. "..." Sunset said nothing as she wondered, will any of the Furious Five become the Dragon Warrior, or will someone else entirely? Outside the arena, Po finally reaches the top of the stairs; out of breath, but pleased with himself. Unfortunately, his joy is cut short when he sees the entrance doors beginning to close. "Oh, no!" Po gasped as he sprinted to the door. "No no no, wait... I'm coming! Yes!" He cheered, but the doors slam shut as he slammed into them, uttering an "Owww..." before he collapsed. The tournament music began playing, as Po quickly got back up and started banging the door. "Hey, open the door!" Po yelled, but sadly, the pig beastmen beating their drums canceled the sounds of Po's banging and plead. "Let me in!" "Citizens of the Valley of Peace!" Shifu started off as Po ran up to a small circular window, jumping and grabbing it, struggling to pull himself up and see inside. "It is my great honor to present to you... Tigress! Viper! Crane! Monkey! Mantis! The Furious Five!" Shifu introduced as Po laughed in delight, seeing his idols leap onto the scene in a stunning display of kung fu prowess. As the five kung fu masters finished their display, Crane flapped his wings, sending a powerful gust of wind into the arena. "Oh, it's the Furious Five—" Po started cheering as he was cut short by the wind blowing the window closed, which knocked Po back onto the ground. "Warriors prepare!" Celestia declared. "*Gasp!* No way! Master Celestia of the Celestial Kung-Fu Sisters! She's here! Oh, ah! Peeky-hole!" Po said as he spotted a crack in the entrance doors and peeks through. "Ready for battle!" Luna added. "*Gasp!* Double no way! Master Luna, the younger sibling of the Celestial Kung-Fu Sisters is here too?! Awesome!" Po cheered as he saw Crane getting into position, facing a deadly looking machine. "Yeah! Woo! The Thousand Tongues of Fire!" Po said as he laughed in anticipation. "Whoa, check that out!" Bulk Biceps said as he unknowingly blocked Po's view. "Hey, get out of the way!" Po said, as he heard a firing sound, making him look up, seeing Crane being surrounded by fireworks. He kept backing up so he can see the spectacle, but backs up too much and tumbles down the stairs again. By the time he gets back up, Crane has defeated the fireworks and disappeared from view, causing Po to collapse on the ground in disappointment, but then gets back up with determination. "That was marvelous!" Rarity cheered. While the crowd enjoyed the tournament inside the arena, Po made various attempts to gain access; first, he punched the doors, which causes him pain with an "Ow." Second, he attempts to pole-vault over the wall, but his weight bends the pole and he gets flung into the wall, cracking it. Third, he bends a tree to the ground and ties it with the plan to catapult himself into the arena, but his weight kept the tree bent when he cuts the rope. When he got off, the tree sprang up, whacking his nose, then back once to strike him on the head. Later, Po was sitting at the top of the stairs, his back to the arena, apparently having given up. "And finally... Master Tigress!" Shifu announced, causing Po to once again get up and start looking for another plan, setting out to pull back another, larger tree. "Believe me citizens, you have not seen anything yet!" "I KNOW!!!" Po shouted. "Master Tigress! Face Iron Ox and his Blades of Death!" Shifu declared as Tigress prepared to face her daunting opponent, Po suddenly sprang up above the arena, catapulted by the tree, getting a good glimpse of his favorite of the Five, but then bounces off the rooftops and crashes into a fireworks cart, just outside the arena. Sunset Shimmer, Swampsuke and Dragalchimaru noticed the panda beastman's brief appearance. Then Oogway suddenly closes his eyes and raises his palm, hushing the crowd as they looked up at him. "I sense the Dragon Warrior is among us." Oogway said as Shifu gave a nod to the Five, making Monkey, Crane, Viper and Mantis join Tigress in the middle of the arena and they quickly position themselves into a line facing the older masters. "Citizens of the Valley of Peace! Master Oogway will now choose... the Dragon Warrior!" Shifu announced as the crowd cheers, but alarming Po as he heard this. "Huh? Oh no! No no no, wait!" Po panicked when suddenly saw the fireworks surrounding him, giving him an idea. "Yeah..." Inside the arena, the pigs are drumming as Oogway begins to slowly approach the Five, his palm swaying in the air as he prepares to make a decision. "Ooh! I'm so nervouscited!" Pinkie squealed. "Hoo wee! This is gettin' me all sweatin' like a pig!" Applejack said, anxious of the incoming outcome. "This is getting scary..." Fluttershy nervously squeaked. "The intensity of this moment is certainly frightening." Rarity agreed. "The suspense is killing me!" Rainbow Dash and Raptor groaned in impatience. "..." Sunset and Swampsuke said nothing, but they did have beads of sweat coming down from the intense atmosphere of this moment. Meanwhile outside, Po tied many small fireworks to a chair, sits on it, and lights the fuse with a chuckle. "Po!?" Mr. Ping called out as he appeared at the top of the stairs, holding Po's apron as he saw Po sitting on the fireworks chair. "What are you doing?!" He panicked as Mr. Ping rushed forward, attempting to blow out the fuse. "What does it look like I'm doing?! No, stop! Stop! I'm going to see the Dragon Warrior!" Po answered as the intensity in the arena rose with Oogway moving closer to the Five. "But I don't understand. You finally had the noodle dream!" Mr. Ping said. Being this close to seeing the Dragon Warrior, Po couldn't to maintain the façade any longer and decided to give it to him straight. "I lied. I don't dream about noodles, Dad!" Po admitted as Mr. Ping's eyes widen in shock. Po looked down and saw that the fuse is almost out, bracing himself as he yells to the heavens, "I LOVE KUNG FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!..." But when Po opens his eyes, he finds himself still on the ground: thinking the fuse was a dud. He lost balance on the little chair and falls flat on his face with the chair still stuck on his rear, beginning to sniffle, thought to be defeated at last. "Oh, come on, son. Let's get back to work." Mr. Ping said, though feeling sympathetic, holding out Po's apron. "Okay." Po said after a sigh, sadly getting up when all of a sudden, the fireworks on the chair go off, propelling Po into the arena wall. "Oh!" Mr. Ping gasped as Po, being propelled by the fireworks, slid along the wall on his face, wailing. "Po, come back!" Suddenly the chair changed direction, making Po scream as he soared into the sky directly above the arena in a display of fireworks, making the crowd below give "Oooh"s and "Aaah"s as they looked up at the show. As Po eventually stops screaming and the fireworks die out, the burned chair disintegrates beneath him. "Uh oh." Po dreaded as he started plummeting back to the earth, screaming. "Ah! Twitchy hair!!!" Pinkie screamed with her hair shaking and standing on end. "Take cover!" Rainbow Dash yelled as she ducked with her hands covering her head. "Incoming!" Raptor said, burrowing into the ground, as AJ, Rarity, and Fluttershy panicked, hiding under anything they come across, followed by the other Canterlot High students. Sunset, Swampsuke, Soulfire and Makoto were confused of what's going on, as they looked up and saw someone falling. Po then crashed in the middle of the arena, as everything went black upon impact. After some inter-determinate time, Po groggily woke up, with everything being blurry in his vision. "Ugh..." Po groaned as he looked up, the first thing being Masters Mantis and Viper staring down at him in Po's sight. "What's goin' on...?" He asked as Po turned his head, seeing Monkey, Crane and Tigress, also staring at him. "Where, uh...?" What Po saw next is a quivering finger pointing straight at his face. "What are you pointing...?" Po groggily asked as he shook his head, clearing his vision, and finding himself lying right in front of Oogway, the one pointing at him, making the panda beastman realize with a jolt that he has landed right between the old master and the Furious Five. "Oh! Okay, sorry! I just wanted to see who the Dragon Warrior was." "How interesting." Oogway said as he was still pointing at Po, intrigued by this unexpected occurrence. Standing right behind Po, Tigress steps forward, who was confused. "Master, are you pointing at... me?" Tigress asked. "Him." Oogway simply answered, much to everyone's confusion, or Dragalchimaru's interest in this case. "Who?..." Po asked in confusion, as he attempted to move out of the way, but Oogway's finger followed him, making Tigress's eyes widen. "You." Oogway simply answered once more. "Me?" Po asked, still confused, as Oogway lifted up his left arm with his staff for all to see. "The universe has brought us the Dragon Warrior!" Oogway declared, as it felt like all of existence froze. "What?" Po asked, confused. "What?!" The Furious Five asked, shocked. "What?!" Master Shifu, Principal Celestia and Vice-Principal Luna gasped in shock as Dragalchimaru gave an interested "Hmm..." "WHAT?!" Sunset Shimmer and her friends gasped in complete surprise. "WHAT!?" Mr. Ping gasped in complete fright, as the announcer stroke the gong. Shifu snatched away the mallet, but was too late as the crowd cheers wildly and confetti rains down. Po stares around him, speechless, as a group of palace geese rapidly descend the palace stairs with a palanquin. "Stop! Wait! Who told you to-" Shifu said as he and Luna tried to stop them, but the geese moved straight past them, down the remaining steps, and stopped right in front of Po. Shifu and Luna raced down after them as the panda was hoisted up on the palanquin. The geese struggle to lift the palanquin and make their way back towards the stairs, and while the Five bowed in respect behind them and Sunset with her friends came to them, Shifu finally reached Oogway. "Master, Master wait! That flabby panda can't possibly be the answer to... our problem! You were about to point at Tigress and that thing fell in front of her! That was just an accident!" Shifu argued as Luna agreed. "There are no accidents." Oogway calmly countered as they heard a crunch! Shifu, Oogway, Celestia, Luna, Dragalchimaru, the Canterlot High students and the Five look up, startled, seeing Po has broken through the palanquin and is now stuck in the newly-made hole, Shifu looks at Oogway, who simply smiled. "Well, he might not look like much, but I'm sure it'll work out." Celestia said, being optimistic, as palace pigs surrounded Po and lift the palanquin with relative ease, and began making their way up the stairs. Shifu stares after them in disbelief, as the Five slowly approach him. "Forgive us, Master. We have failed you." Tigress apologized as she and the other members of the Furious Five bowed, kneeling forward, only for Shifu to hold up a paw and stop her. "No. If the panda has not quit by morning, then I will have failed you." Shifu said to his students and Sunset and her friends came up to them. "I can't believe it! A panda is the Dragon Warrior?!" RD asked in disbelief. "That can't be right!" Raptor said in disbelief as well. "Oh, I hope the big guy doesn't hurt himself." Fluttershy hoped in concern for the panda beastman. "Oh! So that was the doozy!" Pinkie realized. "Pardon?" Rarity asked, confused. "The panda, becoming the Dragon Warrior! I didn't expect that to happen. THAT was the doozy! Oh, and what a doozy it was! ~La-la-la la-la~" Pinkie explained as she skipped away, singing along, leaving the others baffled. "Boy, that Pinkie Pie is so random." Makoto said. "I think everyone can agree with that, sister." Soulfire agreed. "Tch...!" Swampsuke scoffed. But then, Sunset began to feel strange. "Wha...? What's going on? I feel... dizzy..." Sunset said as she fell unconscious, catching her friends' attention. "Sunset! C'mon y'all, we gotta get her to her room!" AJ urged as she and Rainbow Dash began carrying her up to her room in the Jade Palace. Meanwhile, far away in the snowy mountains of Mongolia, Zeng was approaching the fearsome Chorh-Gom Prison. A rhino guard watched as Zeng flew past him, tired from the journey. With a cry, he crash landed on the ground outside the entrance doors, clutching a scroll, and in an instant, two rhino guards thrust their spears in his face. "Wait, wait, wait wait! I bring a message! From Master Shifu!" Zeng explained as the rhinos relaxed slightly, followed by the enormous entrance doors opening. Minutes later, Commander Vachir, the warden, was standing in front of the frightened Zeng, reading the scroll, with what it read enraged him. "WHAT?! 'Double the guard? Extra precautions? Your prison may not be adequate?'" Vachir read as he slammed the scroll shut, glaring down at the quaking Zeng. The guards behind the goose grip their weapons, equally outraged, staring daggers at him. "You doubt my prison's security?" "Absolutely not. Shifu does. I'm just the messenger." Zeng gulped, being intimidated by the rhino. But unknown to them, Sunset Shimmer, or rather, her conscious spirit, woke up as she saw what was going on and decided to follow them. "I'll give you a message for your Master Shifu. Escape from Chorh-Gom Prison is impossible!" Vachir claimed as he proceeded to lead Zeng along the bridge across from the doors. "Chorh-Gom Prison? How many prisoners are there in here?" Sunset asked herself, realizing that she was a spirit and couldn't be heard. Zeng and Sunset looked in awe around the cavernous prison, as they then looked over the side of the bridge into the dark and seemingly-bottomless abyss. Vachir suddenly slapped Zeng on the back, startling him and knocking a feather from his body, which floats down from the bridge. "That's a long way down..." Sunset dreaded as she feared what would happen to someone if they fell from this height. "Impressive, isn't it?" Vachir laughed. "Oh yes, it's very impressive. It's very impressive!" Zeng trembled. "One way in, one way out, one thousand guards, and one prisoner." Vachir gloated, unknowingly answering Sunset's question. "One prisoner?! Then that means whoever's trapped must be really dangerous!" Sunset realized in shock. "Yes, except that prisoner is Tai Lung..." Zeng added in fear. "Tai Lung...?" Sunset wondered who that was, as she, the warden and messenger stepped into an elevator. "Take us down." Vachir ordered as guards obeyed and the elevator descended in the darkness towards the very bottom area of the prison. Vachir shook the elevator to scare Zeng, and laughed at his frightened reaction. Eventually they reach the bottom, as Zeng is led towards a set of heavily-armored doors, which open one after the other. "Oh my..." Zeng gasped, as the final door falls forward, creating a bridge towards a circular stone island in the middle of the abyss, revealing that in the middle of the island was a figure shrouded in darkness. Sunset recognized him, for it was the beastman seen in her dream a few nights ago. "Behold, Tai Lung." Vachir introduced, causing Zeng and Sunset's eyes to widen. "So that's him... Tai Lung, the master of the Leopard Style..." Sunset said in awe and fear. "I'll, um... I'm just gonna wait right here." Zeng scarcely said as he started to back away. "It's nothing to worry about. It's perfectly safe." Vachir laughed as he pushed Zeng across the bridge, and followed him. "Crossbows! At the ready!" "Crossbows?!/Crossbows?!" Zeng and Sunset gasped, surprised by the heavy security. In sentry towers around the walls of the prison, guards aimed enormous crossbows on the figure on the island as Vachir and Zeng approached. Tai Lung, once a mighty kung fu warrior, is now weighed down with chains attached to enormous rocks hanging over the sides of the island, immobilized by a special stone tortoise shell on his back. "Hey, tough guy! Did you hear? Oogway's finally going to give someone the Dragon Scroll and it's not going to be you!" Vachir told the snow leopard beastman, much to Zeng's worry. "What are you doing? Don't get him mad!" Zeng told the warden. "What's he gonna do about it? I've got him completely immobilized." Vachir countered as he stomped on Tai Lung's tail, which crunches on impact. Zeng and Sunset leaped back with a gasp, but Tai Lung made no movement, as Vachir laughed. "Awww, did I step on the witty kitty's tail? Awww..." "I'm good! I've seen enough! I'm gonna tell Shifu he's got nothing to worry about." Zeng assured the warden. "No he doesn't." Vachir agreed as he and the palace goose walked back across the bridge. "Okay I'll tell him. Can we please go now?..." Zeng asked the rhino as Sunset's spirit just stayed there, looking at the prisoner. She then looked up, seeing Zeng's feather float down and rest right in front of Tai Lung... and his eyes opened, as he whipped out his tail, snatching the feather. He then looks forward, in fact, right at Sunset's spirit, as she noticed with a gasp that he could see her spirit. Meanwhile, at the Jade Palace, in Sunset's room, she jolted up, wide awake, scaring her friends, except Swampsuke. "You okay, Sunset?" Rainbow Dash asked her friend. "What happened?" Makoto added. "I'm fine, but... I saw someone in a place called Chorh-Gom Prison... I saw Tai Lung!" Sunset told her friends, greatly frightening them, it even startled Swampsuke a bit. To be continued... > Chapter 3: Level 0, but Today is a Gift > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Whaddya mean ya saw Tai Lung?!" Applejack frantically asked Sunset as she shook her rapidly. "That guy's really bad news! How did you see him?!" Rainbow Dash added. "He's locked up at Chorh-Gom Prison!" Raptor told Sunset. "Something must've made your spirit go to that prison to see Tai Lung in person." Swampsuke said, catching their attention. "Whoa! That's reaaaaally strange when you think about it." Pinkie told her friends. "Well, let's hope that's the only time that happens." Soulfire said. "Yeah, no kidding." Makoto agreed. "You're okay, right?" Fluttershy asked her friend. "Yeah, I'm fine now." Sunset assured the others. "Come on then, darling. We need to get back to training." Rarity said as everyone else agreed and went back to training at where the Furious Five are. Back at the Jade Palace, the crowd continued to cheer for the Dragon Warrior as the palace pigs brought Po to the top of the palace stairs and inside the main building, then dropped him to the ground and quickly exit. "Wait a second!" Po urged when the doors closed, leaving him alone in the room. "Hello? Uh... I think there's been a slight mistake. Everybody seems to think that I'm, uh..." Po started to explain, but stopped as he realized where he was, making him moan in pure excitement. "The Sacred Hall of Warriors! No way! Look at this place!" Po then spotted a rhino-suit of armor. "Master Flying Rhino's armor. With authentic battle damage!" He turned around and saw another famous artifact — the green sword previously seen in Po's dream, running up to it. "Whoa... The Sword of Heroes! Said to be so sharp you can cut yourself just by looking— OW!" Po yelped as he shook his finger and sucked it. He then ran up to an apparently empty display. "The Invisible Trident of Destiny!" He then looked up at a painting and gasped. "I've only seen paintings of that painting..." Po then joyfully examined other kung fu artifacts... and then spots an urn which appears to be glowing from the inside, making him gasp. "Nooo! Ohhhh!" He awed loudly as he ran up to it. "The Legendary Urn of Whispering Warriors... said to contain the souls of the entire Tenshu Army!" He said as he hesitated before coming close to the urn and whispering into it. "Hello?" "Have you finished sight-seeing?" A male voice asked Po, making him gasp. "Sorry! I should have come to see you first!" Po apologized. "We're getting impatient." A female voice said to Po, sounding irritated. "Oh. Well, I mean, it's not like you were going anywhere." Po responded to the voices "in the urn." "Do turn around." The male voice told Po. "Sure." Po said as he turned to see Masters Shifu and Luna. "Hey, how's it going?" Po greeted them as he turned back to the urn. "Now how do you get five hund— Master Shifu and Master Luna!" Po realized, becoming startled as he accidentally knocked over the urn, and there was a ghostly wail as it shattered on the ground. Po looked up at Shifu and Luna, mortified. "Someone... broke that." Shifu and Luna just stared at the panda beastman in silence, as Po begins to attempt picking up the pieces. "But I'm going to fix it. Do you have some glue?..." Po asked as he accidentally knocked the urn's display table, making it topple on his head, with Shifu and Luna still staring at him. "Ow! Ooh. Splinter." "You really think you're the legendary dragon warrior?" Luna questioned Po. "Uh... I guess so?" Po nervously guessed. "Wrong!" Shifu answered harshly, causing Po to stand up alarmed. "You are not the Dragon Warrior. You will never be the Dragon Warrior until you have learned the secret of the Dragon Scroll." Shifu told the panda as he pointed up at the ceiling at the scroll with his staff. "Whoa... So how does this work? You have a ladder or trampoline or..." Po began to ask, but stopped as he heard Shifu chuckle coldly and Luna darkly giggle. "You really think it's gonna be easy for you? That you'll just be given the secret to unlimited power?" Luna questioned Po. "No, I-" Po tried to explain, but was cut off by Shifu approaching him. "One must first master the highest level of kung fu. And that is clearly impossible if that one is someone like you." Shifu told the panda beastman. "Someone like me?" Po asked. "Yes. Look at you! This fat butt. Flabby arms!" Shifu started listing as he struck those aforementioned parts with his staff, making Po cry out in pain. "Ouch! Those are sensitive in the flabby parts." Po whimpered, rubbing his arm. "And this ridiculous belly!" Shifu continued as he jabbed Po's belly with his staff. "Hey..." Po said softly, starting to not like that tone. "And utter disregard for personal hygiene." Shifu finished. "Now wait a minute. That's a little uncalled for—" Po complained but Shifu interrupted him. "Don't stand so close, I can smell your breath." "Listen, Oogway said that I was the—" Po started talking with his finger pointing at Shifu as the red panda beastman suddenly grabbed Po's outstretched finger and lifted his pinky, making Po gasp in horror. "The Wuxi Finger Hold! Not the Wuxi Finger Hold!" "Ohhh, you know this hold?" Shifu asked slyly. "Developed by Master Wuxi in the third dynasty. Yes!" Po answered quickly with a nod of his head. "Oh, then you must know what happens when I flex my pinky..." Shifu assumed as he wiggled his pinky finger, making the panda beastman gasp in fright. "No no no!" Po pleaded. "You know the hardest part of this? The hardest part... is cleaning up afterwards." Shifu said with a chuckle. "Okay! Okay, take it easy!" Po begged as Luna walked toward him and Shifu. "Now listen closely, panda. Oogway may have picked you, but when I'm through with you, I promise you: You're going to wish he hadn't! Are we clear?" Shifu asked Po. "Yeah. We're clear! We're clear! We are so clear." Po fearfully agreed. "Good." Luna said with a dark giggle. "I can't wait to get started." "Me neither." Shifu agreed with a chuckle. While the three of them were on their way to the training hall, Sunset and her friends caught up with them. "Master Shifu, I need to talk to you and the other masters about something." Sunset said, trying to tell Shifu and Luna about what happened earlier. "Now's not the time, Sunset. The training for the panda must begin." Shifu told the Canterlot High student. "But-" Sunset tried to explain. "You can tell us about it another time." Luna answered Sunset, as Po introduced himself to the Canterlot High students. Then everyone got to the training hall, where the Canterlot High students and Po were struck speechless as they saw the Furious Five combating the various deadly stages of the course; Crane was deflecting arrows while balancing on half of a jade-colored turtle shell. Then Tigress leapt onto the shell and briefly sparred with him. Meanwhile, Mantis weaved his way through an army of wooden crocodile warriors. Viper evaded fire spurts on the Field of Fiery Death. Monkey swung across the Seven-Talon Rings. Tigress dodged the Seven Swinging Clubs of Instant Oblivion on spinning serpent logs, then smashed one with her bare fists, causing a piece of the club to hit Po on the head. "Let's begin." Shifu declared as Luna agreed, much to the CH students and Po's confusion, but Swampsuke understood what was going on. "Wait wait wait! What?" Po asked, confused as he and the students saw the fearsome course in front of them. "Now?" "Yes, now. Unless you think that the great Oogway was wrong, and you are not the Dragon Warrior?..." Shifu said, using reverse psychology. "Hoo-wee! That looks like it'll be some serious workout." AJ said as she saw the clubs and logs. "Now THIS will be tough training!" RD said as Raptor agreed with a nod, both of them looking at the army of wooden crocodile warriors. "That looks so... scary." Fluttershy said, becoming scared by seeing the flame pillars erupting from the Field of Fiery Death. "Oh dear... Balance can be the most difficult task to maintain. And balance is certainly tricky with surfaces constantly shifting." Rarity said, knowing what the jade-colored turtle shell was for. "Those rings there look sharp and high... It's like jungle vines!" Pinkie said happily as she eyed the seven-talon rings. "So this is were the real training begins?" Sunset asked. "Yes, Sunset Shimmer." Luna answered. "Oh, okay. Well... I don't know if I can do all of those moves..." Po said, being unsure of himself. "Well, if we don't try, we'll never know, will we?" Shifu rhetorically asked as he began walking along the side of the course, making Po and the others follow him. "Uh, yeah. It's just— maybe we can find something more suited to my level..." Po suggested. "Tch..." Swampsuke scoffed. "And what level is that?" Shifu asked the panda beastman. "Well, ya know... I'm not a master, but uh, let's just start at zero. Level Zero." Po answered, making Shifu and Luna laugh. "You're serious?" Luna asked as she wiped a tear. "I don't think that's how it works, big guy." Makoto said to Po. "Yeah, the beginning is called, Level One." Soulfire agreed. "They are right. There is no such thing as Level Zero." Shifu told Po. "Well, here Ah go." Applejack said as she went onto the spinning serpent logs, beginning to dodge the Seven Swinging Clubs of Instant Oblivion. "Let's go, Rainbow!" Raptor declared as he entered the warrior-filled gauntlet. "Yeah, this'll be easy!" Rainbow Dash agreed as she followed him, the two of them starting to attack and counterattack the Gauntlet of Wooden Warriors. "Balance will be essential for this training." Rarity reminded herself as she went onto the Jade Tortoise of Wisdom, adjusting to the ever-changing balance. "Alright, let's-a-go!" Pinkie cheered as she jumped onto the Seven-Talon Rings, swinging from ring-to-ring and going through the holes. "Ooh... Just avoid the fire... Just avoid the fire..." Fluttershy said, trying to calm herself as she went onto the Field of Fiery Death, suddenly facing an erupting fire pillar, frightening her. "EEP!!!" She yelped as she began dodging those fire geysers swiftly and smoothly, yet fearfully. "Hmm, they're now training as if it was natural." Luna noted. "Hmph, guess their basic training payed off." Swampsuke simply said. "Oh boy..." Po dreaded as he saw the six students doing great at their training, when he noticed something. "Hey! Maybe I can start with that!" He said as he ran over to a friendly-looking bandit dummy. "That? We use that for training children. And for propping the door open when it's hot. But if you insist..." Shifu said, allowing Po to start with the dummy, when at that moment, the Five gathered around Po. "Whoa. The Furious Five. You're so much bigger than your action figures — except for you, Mantis. You're about the same." Po said as he saw Mantis's antennae twitch as he glared at him, making Po feel uncomfortable. "Go ahead, panda. Show us what you can do." Shifu said to the panda beastman, who hesitated, seeing the Furious Five watching him. "Um, are they going to watch. Or should I just wait until they get back to work or something?..." Po asked nervously. "Hit it." Swampsuke simply told Po. "Okay. I mean I just ate, so I'm still digesting. So my kung fu might not be as good as later on..." Po said, stalling. "Just hit it!" Luna requested Po. "Alright..." Po agreed after a pause as he turned to the dummy. "Whatcha got? You got nothin' 'cause I got it right here. You picking on my friends?" Po asked the dummy as he began dancing on the spot. "Get ready to feel the thunder. I'm comin' at him with the crazy feet. Whatcha gonna do about my crazy feet? I'm a blur. I'm a blur. You never seen bear style, you only seen praying Mantis! OR... I could come at you Monkey style. Ooh-ooh aah-aah!" Po grunted, making monkey sounds, which made Monkey raise his eyebrows in slight offense. "OR... I'm comin' at ya snikity-snake..." Po continued, making Sunset, Soulfire, Makoto, Swampsuke, Shifu, Luna and the Furious Five stare at him, as Po faced the dummy. This silliness made Shifu, Luna and Swampsuke lose their patience. "Would you hit it!?" The three of them asked, irritated, making Po stop dancing. "Alright... Alright." Po answered as he hesitantly hit the dummy very lightly with his fist. The dummy only rocked back into place. "Why don't you try again? A little harder." Shifu suggested as Po knocked the dummy all the way backwards this time. But Sunset noticed the dummy coming back. "Po! Watch-" "How's tha—" WHACK! "Ow!" Po yelped as the Adversary righted itself and whacked him, sending Po flying backwards and knocked out a tooth. "...out..." Sunset finished too late as Po found himself in the training course with some of the others. The Five instinctively stepped forward to help him, but Shifu held up his paw to stop them. Sunset tried to go out their along with Soulfire and Makoto, but Luna stopped them as well. "It will be alright, even if they get hurt, they'll be fine and heal." Luna told the three of them, who hoped she was right. "Po?! What're y'all doin' here?!" AJ asked Po, surprised that he got onto the serpent logs all of a sudden. Po struggled to balance on the serpent logs, and eventually ended up doing a painful split on two of them. "Hey, ya alrigh'?" The apple farmer asked the panda beastman in concern. "Ow! Oh, that hurts!" Po groaned, before he and Applejack looked up to a spiked club. "Whoa-!" Applejack started to gasp as the club hit the two of them, sending them flying right into Pinkie, who was swinging on the rings. *Cue Low-Voice Slow Motion* "-Nelly!" AJ said, finishing her gasp. "Oofta!" Pinkie groaned, as they flew into the jade turtle exercise, making it rattle them around and Rarity starting to lose her balance. "Girls! How did?! What are you-?! Wha!!!" Rarity screamed as she lost her balance started rattling around the jade turtle exercise with Po, AJ and Pinkie. Seeing this made Sunset, Soulfire, Makoto, Luna and the Five wince while Shifu looked on with a smile. "This'll be easier than I thought." Shifu said to the Furious Five and Luna. "What?" Sunset wondered what Shifu meant by that. "Whoo! So dizzy!" Pinkie cheered. "Not doin' too good." Applejack groaned. "I didn't expect this to happen..." Rarity moaned with a gag, and her facing looking a bit green. "Feeling a little nauseous..." Po said as the turtle spilled them out, followed by he, AJ, Pinkie and Rarity tumbling into the wooden warrior army. "What the?! What're you guys doing here?!" Rainbow asked the four as the wooden warriors started to spin faster. "Whoa! They're getting faster!" Raptor warned the girls and Po as the wooden warrior gauntlet proceeded to whack every part of their bodies. "Watch it!" RD yelled before getting whacked on the thighs. "Gah!" Raptor cried in pain from getting whacked on his left leg. "Yow!" AJ groaned, feeling pain from those whacks on her arms. "Owie-zowie!" Pinkie moaned as she got whacked in the head. "No! My hair!" Rarity whined from her hair getting hit before getting whacked on her chest. "Ow, those are hard! Ooh! I think I—" The last wooden dummy then whacked Po right below the belt, making him keel over in agony as all of the wooden warriors stopped with everything becoming still. "Oooohoohoo... my tenders." Po squeaked. Seeing what just happened to Po made everyone in the building flinch and wince, even Swampsuke and Shifu. "Hey, big guy. You alright?" Raptor asked Po. "You'll wanna take it easy for now, Po." Rainbow Dash suggested as Po let out a short groan. Po struggled to get on his feet, takes one step and reaches out to a dummy arm, making AJ, Pinkie, Rarity, RD and Raptor's eyes to widen in panic. "Wait, don't-!" They tried to warn Po, but everyone in the gauntlet immediately started getting pummeled all over again. They then come out of the other side, battered and bruised, as Fluttershy ran towards them. "Are you guys okay?" Fluttershy asked them in concern, but then they heard a high-pitched sound getting louder. "No! Not now!" Fluttershy panicked, catching Po, Applejack, Pinkie, Rarity, Rainbow Dash and Raptor's attention, who looked down, finding themselves standing on the Field of Fiery Death. "Uh oh." The seven of them dreaded as Sunset, Swampsuke, Soulfire, Makoto, Luna, Shifu and the Furious Five saw them getting singed. The unfortunate trainees yelled out in pain as a red light brightened and faded twice. "Ouch." Sunset, Soulfire and Makoto uttered. Po crawled back to the sidelines, followed by the six Canterlot High students slowly walking back, all dazed and charred, with a little tuft on his head on fire. "Okay... That wasn't fun." Pinkie sadly said with her hair slightly less poofy. "From now on, applebucking's a cake walk." Applejack said as she put out an ember on her stetson hat. "Ugh... It will take hours to restore my hair. And I will definitely need a shower." Rarity noted as she looked at herself. "I'll admit... THAT hurt." Rainbow Dash said honestly. "Yeah, I think we had enough training for one day." Raptor agreed, as Fluttershy only let out a terrified whimper. "How did I do?" Po asked, gasping for breath. "There is now a Level Zero." Shifu answered as he extinguished the little fire with his fingers, followed by Po allowing his face to rest on the floor. Later, at night, the Five were walking to the bunkhouse, which sat high on a hill, led by a palace goose with a lantern. "There's no words." Mantis said. "No denying that." Crane agreed. "I don't understand what Master Oogway was thinking. The poor guy's just going to get himself killed!" Viper said, concerned for both Po and Oogway's decision. "He is so mighty! The Dragon Warrior... fell out of the sky on a ball of fire!" Crane mocked as he flapped his wings on that last part. "When he walks, the very ground shakes!" Mantis added, making his friends laugh, except Tigress. "One would think that Master Oogway would choose someone who actually knew kung fu." Tigress said as she started walking ahead. "Yeah, or could at least touch his toes." Crane added. "Or even see his toes." Monkey finished as he took a step forward with his fists, taking a glance at his feet. As the others walk off, laughing, Po and the Canterlot High students emerged from behind rocks, who unbeknownst to the Five, has been walking behind them this whole time heard everything. Sunset, Rainbow Dash, Raptor, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie weren't glad about how the kung fu warriors felt about Po. The panda beastman attempted to look at his toes, only to see his gut. He lifted up his stomach, leaning forward, but fell over, as he got up and watched the Five go inside, letting out a sigh. Later, after the candles in each of the Five's rooms were blown out, Po and the Canterlot High students peeked around a corner. "Try to get past them stealthily." Swampsuke coldly whispered to Po. "Okay." Po answered, as he tip-toed into the hall, *SQUEAK.* making the floorboards strain beneath him. *SQUEAK.* "Gah..." Swampsuke quietly groaned with a facepalm. "Great." Po whispered sarcastically, as he took a gentle step. *Cre-e-e-a-a—CHUNK!* Po's foot goes through the floor. "Oh!" Po softly gasped as he tried to recover. *SQUEAK-SQUEAK-SQUEAK! THUNK!* Po rolled his ankle, making him stumble through a bedroom door. "Oh no! Po!" Rarity whispered in a panicked tone as she went through the same door Po stumbled through. "Are you alright, darling?" "Yeah, I'm fine." Po answered as both of them turned to find Crane staring back at them. "Oh hey... hi. You're up." "Am now." Crane said. "I'm terribly sorry about that. We didn't want to wake anyone up." Rarity apologized. "It's no problem, not surprised the big guy stumbled in here because of those old floors." Crane explained. "I was just, uh... Some day, huh? That kung fu stuff is hard work, right? Your biceps sore?" Po asked the crane beastman, the awkwardness making Rarity facepalm herself, as Crane looked at his wing. "Um... I've had a long and rather disappointing day, so uh...yeah, I should probably get to sleep now." Crane answered. "Yeah yeah yeah, of course." Po said as he turned to leave. "Okay, thanks." Crane responded in relief. "It's just... I'm such a big fan." Po told Crane as he turned back, alarming the winged beastman. "Oop." Crane slipped out. "Um, Po?" Rarity spoke, trying to get the panda beastman's attention. "You guys were totally amazing at the Battle of Weeping River. Outnumbered a thousand to one, but you didn't stop, and then you just... WA-YA-HA-HA HI-YAH!" Po fanboyed as he did a spastic series of kung fu moves and *RIP!* kicked his foot through the paper wall. "Oh dear." Rarity gasped. "Ooh, sorry about that." Po apologized as he looked through the hole to see Monkey glaring at him. "It was an accident." Pinkie explained to Monkey in his room, as she went back out. "Look, you don't belong here." Crane told Po, making Po look stung, hearing this from one of his heroes, and Rarity gasp with her hands on her mouth as well as making the other Canterlot High students, except Swampsuke, feel shocked as well. "I know. I know. You're right. I just— my whole life, I've dreamed of—" Po tried to explain, but Crane stopped him before he embarrassed himself even more. "No no no... I meant you don't belong here. I mean, in this room. This is my room. Property of Crane." The bird beastman clarified, while Po was still mortified, but covered. "Oh, okay. Right right. Yeah, you want to get to sleep." Po said as he began backing out of the room. "Good idea, darling." Rarity agreed as she started to leave too. "Yeah." Crane said in agreement as well. "I'm keepin' you up. We got big things tomorrow." Po said as began to close the door after Rarity left the room. "Alright. You're awesome. Last thing I'm gonna say. Okay. Bye bye." Po finished as he shut the door, his silhouette being seen standing outside, not moving. "Whoa." Crane sighed, causing Po to open the door and poke his head in with an eager smile. "What was that?" Po asked. "I didn't say anything." Crane answered. "Okay. Alright. Goodnight. Sleep well." Po said as he backed out of the room again and closed the door, with Crane putting a foot on his head in embarrassment. "Seemed a little bit awkward..." Po said to himself and his friends. "You think?" Rainbow Dash, Raptor, Soulfire and Makoto asked him sarcastically, as Po began to walk down the hall to find a vacant room. *CREAK-CREAK...* Then Tigress opened the door next to Po, startling him. "Master Tigress! Didn't mean to wake you. I was just, uh—" Po tried to explain. "You don't belong here." Tigress told the panda beastman. "Uh, yeah, of course. This is your room—" Po was cut off by the tiger beastman's approach as she glared at him. "I mean... you don't belong in the Jade Palace. You're a disgrace to kung fu, and if you have any respect for who we are and what we do, you will be gone by morning." Applejack had just about enough of the disrespect. "Now listen here, ya'-" AJ was about to talk to Tigress, but the door was closed on her and Po, as the panda beastman stared, feeling stunned and saddened. "Big fan..." Po simply said. Later, Po was standing under a peach tree on a hill, feeling dejected, as the Canterlot High Students tried to comfort him, while Swampsuke just leaned on the peach tree. Then Oogway approached them with a glowing lantern. "I see you have found the Sacred Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom." He said, causing Po and the students to turn around and Swampsuke to open his eyes. Po's arms was full of peaches, with his mouth equally stuffed, as he dropped the peaches in shock. "I knew you would come here." Swampsuke said to Oogway. "Is that what this is? I am so sorry. I thought it was just a regular peach tree." Po apologized with his mouth full as a peach popped out of his mouth before that last word. "Please, don't be mad at us." Fluttershy begged, timidly. "I understand. You eat when you are upset." Oogway said to Po, as the panda beastman spat out the remaining peaches. "Upset? I'm not upset. What makes you think I'm upset?" Po asked quickly. "So why are you upset?" Oogway countered with his own question, making Po pause. "He got ya' ther', sugarcube." Applejack said to Po as he sighed, knowing there's no use trying to lie to Oogway. "I probably sucked more today than anyone in the history of kung fu, in the history of the country, in the history of sucking." Po explained. "Probably." Oogway responded, much to the CH students shock, except Swampsuke. "And the Five... man, you should have seen them, they totally hate me." Po continued. "Totally." Oogway responded once more. "How's Shifu ever gonna turn me into the Dragon Warrior?" Po asked as he lifted his belly and dropped it, causing it to bounce until he stopped with his his paw as he sighed. "I mean, I'm not like the Five. I've got no claws, no wings, no venom. Even Mantis has those... (imitating a mantis's raptorial forelegs) ...thingies. Maybe I should just quit and go back to making noodles." Po said as he sat down with his back turned to Oogway. "C'mon, Po! You can't quit!" Sunset tried to tell the beastman as her friends agreed, Swampsuke only letting out a scoff, and Oogway looking at all of them for a moment. "Quit, don't quit. Noodles, don't noodles." Oogway started, making Po and the others look back at the tortoise beastman in confusion. "You are too concerned with what was and what will be. There's a saying: Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called the present." Oogway advised them as he tapped the tree with his staff, causing a peach to fall into Po's open paw, followed by other peaches falling to a single open palm of Sunset and her friends each. They smiled, even Swampsuke, as they watched the tortoise leave. "Ya know, I always thought the present was like what Master Oogway said." Pinkie told her friends. "Heh, guess that old turtle has a lot of faith in you panda." Swampsuke scoffed with a smile. "Tomorrow's another day." Soulfire told Po. "Yep, you can always keep trying." Raptor agreed as he took a bite out of the peach he was holding. Po looked up in the sky as he and the others agreed and went back to get some sleep. To be continued... > Chapter 4: Tai Lung’s Escape, Training Begins Now > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Meanwhile, at Chorh-Gom Prison, Tai Lung was glaring intensely as he inserted Zeng's feather into the lock at the center of turtle shell armor. 0:00-3:36 The rest of the guards were sent flying before Zeng's body dropped back to the ground as he coughed out a bit of smoke, then got startled by Vachir's prosthetic horn falling in front of him. "URRRK!" Zeng gasped as he was grabbed at the neck, being lifted up by Tai Lung, as the Snow Leopard beastman looked at him for a moment, shifted back to his human form and sighed. "I'm glad Shifu sent you. I was beginning to think I had been forgotten." Tai Lung told the goose beastman with creepy tenderness, smoothing Zeng's ruffled feathers, as the escaped kung fu warrior leaned closer to him. "Fly back there and tell them... the real Dragon Warrior is coming home." Zeng nodded in terror as Tai Lung threw him into the air, sending him flying back to the Valley of Peace. "Sunset Shimmer..." Tai Lung wondered, as he remembered seeing Sunset's dream spirit, knowing of her past and training of the Leopard style... His kung fu style. "Your true master is now coming for you." He declared as red lightning struck from the sky behind the prison, casting his long and dark shadow. Back in the Valley of Peace, the morning gong is rung in the bell tower, as the second it rang, Shifu entered the hallway of the bunkhouse. The Furious Five and Canterlot students, except Applejack and Swampsuke, burst out of their rooms and stand outside their doors, ready for inspection. "Good morning master!" The Five and CH students greeted in unison, as Shifu saw two doors open and empty, knowing it was Applejack and Swampsuke, and noticed one door remaining closed. "Panda!" Shifu called out, but recieved no answer. "Panda, wake up!" Shifu ordered as he opened Po's door, only to see it empty, making him chuckle in satisfaction. "He's quit." He said, much to the Canterlot High students' shock. Later, after Shifu told Luna, Celestia and Dragalchimaru about the panda beastman's "retirement," much to the satisfaction of the vice principle, they, the Five and Canterlot High students approached the training hall courtyard as he and Luna walked with a bit more energy, and Tigress looking equally pleased. "I can't believe it." Sunset dreaded as her friends agreed. "What do we do now, Master? With the panda gone, who will be the Dragon Warrior?" Viper asked Shifu. "All we can do is resume our training and trust that in time, the true Dragon Warrior will be revealed." Shifu answered as he opened the doors to the courtyard, not only finding just Applejack and Swampsuke training, but Po training as well, much to his, Luna and the Furious Five's surprise, Celestia and the CH students' relief and Dragalchimaru's peaking interest. "What are you doing here?!" Shifu asked the panda beastman in shocked anger, making Po look back over his shoulder, seeing Celestia, Luna, the CH students, Dragalchimaru, Shifu and the Five stare at him as he was in the middle of the courtyard, with his legs spread wide apart on two training horses. "Thought y'all'd be surprised." AJ told them as she kept punching the ironwood trees. "If you are, I don't blame you. This idiot's got the same amount of annoying determination as he does." Swampsuke said, remembering someone like Po. "Hey! Huh... Good morning, Master! I just thought I'd warm up a little." Po answered as he tried to lift his right leg, but failed. "You're stuck." Shifu bluntly said. "Stuck?! Whaa? Pfft... stuck... does this look stuck to you... Yeah, I'm stuck." Po admitted. "Help him." Shifu said to Crane. "Oh dear." Crane groaned as he approached Po. "I'll assist as well." Rarity said as she jumped onto the training horse on the right. Rarity began to push Po from the side as Crane gingerly grabbed his waistband, attempting to pull him up by flapping his wings. "Maybe on three. One. Two-" Po began to count when Crane and Rarity got him off of the training horses as Po flopped onto his back. "Three...!" Po squeaked that last part as he got back onto his feet. "Thank you." Po told Rarity and Crane in gratitude. "Not at all, darling." Rarity responded with a flip of her hair. "Don't mention it." Crane said. "No really, I appreci—" Po tried to explain, but was cut off by Crane. "Ever." The bird beastman added to his statement as he returned to stand by the group, making Po and Rarity fall silent. "You actually thought you could learn to do a full split in one night? It takes years to develop one's flexibility..." Shifu began as he flung two boards into the air, with Tigress stepping forward. "And more years to use it in battle." Luna finished as Shifu snapped his fingers, instantly followed by Tigress leaping up and executing a perfect split kick, leaving Po awestruck and all of the Canterlot students amazed. Tigress landed on all fours and glared at Po as she returned to Shifu's side, with the broken chunks of board land all around Po and Rarity, followed by a large one bounce off of his head. The panda beastman picked up the piece of splintered board and hid it behind his back. "Put that down! The only souvenirs we collect here are bloody knuckles and broken bones." Shifu told Po, who chucked away the chunk of shattered board. "Yeah, excellent!" Po said with enthusiasm with his fist in his palm. "Training begins now." Luna declared as Shifu snapped his fingers, making the Furious Five gather in a line in the courtyard, with Viper and Po facing off. "Are you ready?" Viper asked Po. "I was born ready—OW!" Po yelped as Viper lashed out with her tail, flinging Po into the air and brought him crashing back down on his head. "Oh..." "I'm sorry, brother! I thought you said you were ready!" Viper apologized, as Po was impressed and not deterred by what happened. "That was awesome! Let's go again." Po said with a salute, that being his fist in his palm. After that, Viper faced off against Fluttershy. "Are you ready?" The snake beastman asked the timid girl. "Oh... I hope so." Fluttershy answered, before instinctively dodging a whiplash from Viper's tail. "EEP!" The two viper style warriors sparred, with Viper trying to distract Fluttershy with a thrust of the tip of her tail, followed with an attempt to wrap herself around the timid girl's body. But Fluttershy dodged it and countered with fluid and swift strike at Viper's neck, landing a blow, followed by a firm and tight grapple around Viper's serpentine body. The spar then ended, with Fluttershy and the victor. "You're certainly getting better, Fluttershy." Viper complimented, making the shy girl blush. "Oh, um... It was just a reflex or instinct." Fluttershy humbly responded in slight embarrassment. But Po's determination irritated Shifu and Luna, as the red panda beastman snapped his fingers, leading to Po being up against Monkey, as the monkey beastman twirled a bamboo staff. Monkey then lunged at Po, whom is also wielding a bamboo staff, as the panda beastman got struck from both sides, then blocked a downward swing, much to Po's excitement, but his celebration was cut short as he was hit on the head, finishing Po's comical beating. After that, Monkey faced off against Pinkie. "Let's do this!" Pinkie cheered as she lunged at Monkey with her own bamboo staff, who blocked it with his staff. "I saw that coming." Monkey told Pinkie, before noticing her standing low. "But I bet you won't see this coming!" Pinkie responded as she spun her staff, pushing Monkey's away and whacked his face. "Oof!" Monkey yelped as he recovered from that, as the spar ended, Pinkie winning the exercise. "Not bad." "Thanks!" Pinkie responded with a smile. After that, it was Crane against Rarity, on top of the turtle bowl. "Better be ready." Crane warned the fashionista. "Of course I'm prepared." Rarity responded as she took the white crane wing stance, ready to defend against the bird beastman's attacks. Crane nodded as he flew up and down, thrusting his left leg forward, but Rarity predicted that as she blocked it with her left forearm and circled her right hand over Crane's leg, redirecting the attack, followed by her striking Crane with her left hand formed into the shape of a crane's beak, knocking him back while still retaining her balance, winning the sparring match. "Good job. You really don't miss any details, do you?" Crane asked Rarity. "Of course, whenever I see an opportunity, I have a chance to take it." Rarity responded. Later, it was Mantis against Rainbow Dash and Raptor. "Alright you two, let's see how fast you are now!" Mantis told the two sport captains as he leaped forward in his mantis beastman form, ready to attack them. "You want speed?" RD rhetorically asked as she and Raptor began dodging Mantis' attacks "You got speed!" Raptor answered as both he and Rainbow Dash kept avoiding the mantis beastman's strikes until he was between the two of them, allowing the two daredevils to strike quickly and accurately, hitting Mantis as he morphed back to his human form, ending the training session with the two speedsters as the winners. "Yeah! We won!" Raptor cheered. "We're awesome!" Rainbow Dash agreed. "So you got me when I was small, don't let it get to your head." Mantis congratulated them with a warning. Later, it was Tigress vs. Applejack. "Y'all ready to do this?" AJ asked the tiger beastman as she took a battle stance with her legs and arms. "Ready." Tigress answered calmly as she took a battle stance of her own. Applejack made the first move with charging forward with a Tiger Claw Strike, which Tigress stopped with her palm, while AJ, fortunately, didn't feel any pain that time, and lowered herself, executing the Tiger Front Sweep, surprising the tiger beastman as she fell to the ground, finishing the training spar, with Applejack doing better. "You're improving, Applejack." Tigress congratulated the farmer, who responded with a tip of her hat. "Thanks, Tigress. But that was just luck, since y'all and the rest of the Five are better at these kung fu styles than me and mah friends." Aj responded with modesty. Later, Po and Crane prepare to spar atop the turtle bowl, when Po tried to kick him, only to... *CRASH.* ...fall into the bowl and started being tossed around like a sack of soup, as Crane hovered above the bowl, looking at Shifu and the other masters. With he and Luna being angry by this predicament, Shifu snapped his fingers once more, leading to Po being attacked and thrown around by an unknown source. This kept going until sunset, when Po was thrown onto his back, as the unknown attacker jumped back to Shifu, revealed to have been Mantis, with the red panda beastman and Luna smiling at the situation Po was in. But unfortunately, the two of them had absolutely enough of this when Po managed to salute once more. "I've been taking it easy on you, panda, but no more! Your next opponent... will be me." Shifu declared, much to Po's excitement and Luna's relief, who knew will put the panda beastman in his place. "Alright! Yeah, let's go!" Po cheered as the Five, Celestia and Canterlot High students, except Swampsuke, exchanged worried looks, while Dragalchimaru had an intrigued look. "Step forth:" Shifu began when Po began to move, but couldn't finish his step as the red panda beastman whirled him around with no effort and threw Po to the floor, pinning his arm behind the panda beastman. "The true path to victory is to find your opponent's weakness and make him suffer for it." "Oh ho, yeah!" Po responded in delighted pain, as Shifu threw him around again. "To take his strength and use it against him." Shifu continued, as he kicked Po repeatedly in the face, then threw him to the floor again, gripping Po by the nose. "Until he finally falls, or quits." Instead of being completely intimidated, Po was totally inspired. "But a real warrior never quits. Don't worry, Master, I will never quit!" Po nasally declared, pushing Shifu and Luna to their breaking point, as the red panda beastman flung Po into the air and leapt at him with a flying kick, sending the giant panda beastman crashing out of the doors and tumbling down the steps. The Furious Five and Canterlot High students walked outside and watched him fall. "If he's smart, he won't come back up those steps." Tigress said in annoyance. "But he will." Monkey responded, knowing that nothing could stop that panda from trying again, as Tigress walked back inside, followed by Swampsuke, who scoffed. "Ah'll admit, that big feller's got guts." Applejack said. "I know, right! That makes him cool!" Pinkie cheered. "Oh... I hope he'll be alright." Fluttershy timidly said. "He's not gonna quit, is he?" Viper asked. "He's not gonna quit bouncin', I'll tell ya that." Mantis answered as started laughing, but Viper silenced him with a stern hiss, same with Fluttershy quieting the mantis beastman with a firm stare. "If that was a joke, Mantis, that wasn't funny." Raptor said, not happy about that insult. "Not cool." Rainbow Dash agreed. "Po might survive the way down, but his legs might give out on the way up." Soulfire noted. "Yeah, that's not gonna be good for him." Makoto agreed. "The poor dear might be hurt though, darling." Rarity added. "C'mon everyone, we need to help Po get back up here." Sunset told them as she and her Canterlot High friends went down the mountain steps to follow Po and help him get back to the Jade Palace, with Po yelling painfully in the distance as he continued to tumble... To be continued... > Chapter 5: Kung Fu Masters’ Past and Oogway’s Ascension > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Later, at night, in Po's bunkhouse room, he was still yelling in pain. "Aaaoo...whoohoo...EEEee...hee-hee... OW! I thought you said acupuncture would make me feel-" Po tried to say as Mantis, who was in his beastman form on Po's back and holding a handful of needles, pierced another needle into Po's back. "-better!" "Ooh... Yowie-zowie!" A familiar cheery said, revealed to Pinkie and the rest of her Canterlot High friends in the room with Po alongside Viper and Mantis. "Oh, here-here, Pinkie Pie. That looked like it was as painful as a sting from a bee." Rarity agreed. "Trust me, it will. It's just not easy finding the right nerve points under all this..." Mantis started, but stopped himself, trying to think of what to say. "Fat?" Po guessed. "Fur, I was going to say fur." Mantis denied as he removes a needle and moved to another part of Po's back. "Sure you were." Po said with skepticism. "Look, Mantis. Ah know y'all tryin' not ta hurt Po's feelings, but it doesn't hurt to be honest about it." Applejack told the praying mantis beastman. "I know that, Applejack." Mantis responded as he adjusted a needle and taps Po's back for nerves. "Still, who am I to judge a warrior based on his size? I mean... look at me." Mantis retorted as Po tried to look at Mantis, who was now on Po's other shoulder. "Point taken." AJ admitted. "I'm over here." Mantis told Po as he jabbed another needle into him. "Ah-HAH!" Po yelped in pain. "Yowch! That looked like it hurt!" Rainbow Dash winced. "No kidding! I'd hate to be in Po's shoes, right now." Raptor agreed. "Maybe you should take a look at this again." Viper suggested to Mantis as she held up a diagram of acupuncture meridians, which was modified with a drawing of a panda. "Oh! Okay." Mantis said after looking at the diagram and continued to do acupuncture on Po. Meanwhile, Monkey was meditating in another room, when... "Ow! Don't..." Po tried to resist but then began to laugh, making Monkey open his eyes. Being annoyed at the disturbance, Monkey sticked his fingers in his ears to block out the noise. In another room, Crane was doing calligraphy. "Stop it, stop... YOW!" Po yelled in pain, startling Crane, making him accidentally smear the paper. Back in his own room, Po settled down. "Look you idiot, if you're going to be the Dragon Warrior, needles should be the least of your concerns." Swampsuke scoffed. "I know Master Shifu and Luna are trying to inspire me and all, but if I didn't know any better... I'd say they were trying to get rid of me." Po said, trying to crack a joke as he chuckled. Mantis and Viper looked at each other, then back at Po and smiled awkwardly, who noticed the expressions and his chuckle faded. "I mean, seriously... What's wrong with Master Shifu and Vice-Principle Luna?" Rainbow Dash rhetorically asked angrily. "It's like they don't even want Po around!" Raptor agreed, frustrated as well. "I know he can seem kind of heartless..." Mantis started as he jabbed another needle into Po. "Ah!" Po hissed in pain. "But, you know, he wasn't always like that." Mantis finished, catching Po, and the Canterlot High students' attention. "Really?" Fluttershy asked, filled with hope that Shifu is kind on the inside. "According to legend, there was once a time when Master Shifu actually used to smile." Viper told them, much to their surprise. "What...?!" Pinkie gasped in absolute shock that Shifu lost his genuinely happy smile. "No..." Po awed, completely surprised by that legend, while Tigress was walking down the hallway when she overheard them talking, stopping outside their door. "But that was before..." Viper tried to tell them, but hesitated. "Before what?" Po asked, when Tigress opened the doors and entered. "Before Tai Lung." Tigress answered as Crane's shadow could be seen through the wall. "Uh, yeah, we're not really supposed to talk about him." Crane tried to warn Tigress. "Well, if they're all going to stay here, they should know." Tigress simply replied. "Guys, guys. I know about Tai Lung." Po said as Tigress looked at the panda beastman. "He was a student, the first ever to master the thousand... scrolls of... kung fu..." Po started but nervously trailed off as Tigress gave him a piercing glare. "and... then he turned bad... and... now he's in jail..." "He wasn't just a student." Tigress told Po and the students of Canterlot High, as Sunset's eyes flashed white, beginning to see something. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ *Cue Flashback* Sunset saw a younger Shifu stepping out of the Training Hall Courtyard, finding a baby leopard beastman on the steps, swaddled in cloth. "Shifu found him as a cub. And he raised him as his son." Tigress began narrating as Sunset saw that while being fed, baby Tai Lung yanks off some of Shifu's whiskers, who winced from the pain. "That's cute, yet painful to watch." Sunset thought. "...and when the boy showed talent in kung fu..." Tigress started to say as Sunset saw a slightly older Tai Lung approach the training dummy. He kicked it across the floor, making it hit the wall, knocking a spear off from the weapons rack as Shifu approached, impressed, and Tai Lung nudged him affectionately. "...Shifu trained him." Tigress finished that sentence as Sunset saw Shifu teaching Tai Lung how to punch. "He believed in him. He told him he was destined for greatness." Tigress continued as Sunset saw Tai Lung facing a wooden warrior, attacking and counterattacking it. "Masters Celestia and Luna and other masters helped train him. It was never enough for Tai Lung." Tigress said as Sunset saw a full grown Tai Lung demolish the warrior while Shifu, Luna, Dragalchimaru and some masters looked on with intense pride, while Master Oogway, Principle Celestia and the other masters were also watching, but did not look impressed. "He wanted the Dragon Scroll. But Oogway saw darkness in his heart and refused." Tigress explained as Sunset then saw an enraged Tai Lung rampaging through the village. "Outraged, Tai Lung laid waste to the valley." Tigress said as Sunset then saw Tai Lung returning to the Jade Palace and crashed through the doors into the Hall of Warriors, where Shifu, Luna, Celestia, Oogway, Dragalchimaru and the other masters are waiting for him. "He tried to take the scroll by force. And Shifu had to destroy what he had created." Tigress continued as Sunset saw Shifu leap at Tai Lung to deliver a kick. However, at the last second he and Sunset saw only baby Tai Lung running towards the red panda beastman, making Shifu pull his kick short. "But how could he?" Tigress asked as Sunset saw Tai Lung countered with a devastating strike, making Shifu crashes to the ground with a broken leg. Tai Lung leapt for the scroll, but Oogway intercepted him with lightning speed strikes at his pressure points, making the snow leopard beastman fall to the ground in a heap, as Shifu stared at what has become of his beloved student with sadness and disbelief, crawling toward Tai Lung, but was ultimately unable to touch him. "Shifu loved Tai Lung like he'd never loved anyone before..." Tigress started as Sunset then saw that some time later, a young Tigress in the training hall strike the dummy in the same manner as Tai Lung, but this time, making the spear in the rack spin rather than topple. Shifu corrected her form, nothing more, making the young Tigress and spirit of Sunset look crestfallen. "...or since." Tigress finished as Sunset saw the young Tigress sigh in sadness with a tear falling down her cheek. Everything then vanished in a white light around Sunset, making her close her eyes. *End Flashback* ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Sunset's eyes stopped flashing as she found herself in the present, in Po's bunkhouse room, seeing Tigress' sad face. She couldn't believe all of that happened, and neither could Po and the rest of the Canterlot High Students as everything was quiet in the moment. "And now he has a chance to make things right, to train the true Dragon Warrior. And he's stuck with you... a big, fat panda who treats it like a joke." Tigress told the panda beastman when all of a sudden... "Doieeeee..." Po uttered as he made a googly-eyed face and froze, which at that, made Tigress and Swampsuke lose their temper. "Why you big-!!!" Swampsuke growled fiercely, drawing his kunai. "Oh, that is it!" Tigress angrily said as she raised her fist, with the rest of the Canterlot High students trying to stop her and Swampsuke, when Mantis popped up on Po's face and halted the two hotheads. "Wait! My fault! I accidentally tweaked his facial nerve." Mantis explained as Po fell face-first into the floor with his back to be covered in needles, much to the surprise of everyone in the room. "Oh my!" Fluttershy gasped. "My word!" Rarity yelped. "Holy guacamole!" Pinkie said. "What in tarnation?!" AJ asked in shock. "Huh?!" Rainbow and Raptor yelled in surprise. "Po looks like a pincushion!" Sunset said. "And may have also stopped his heart." Mantis added as he tentatively poked Po's face, making his eyes twitch. "Tch! That means he's out cold." Swampsuke snarled. In the Training Hall, Shifu was sitting in meditation, surrounded by candles, as his inner turmoil causes him to fidget incessantly. "Inner peace... inner peace... i-in... in-in...inner peace." Shifu repeated to calm himself as he heard a very faint flapping sound in the distance, which did not help matters, making him turn around. "Would whoever is making that flapping sound, quiet down!" Shifu ordered, replied with silence, satisfying him as Shifu turned back around to resume his meditation. "Inner..." *WUMP!* A goose honked as it dropped from the open ceiling. Scowling, Shifu got up, but smiled seeing who it was. "Oh, Zeng. Excellent. I could use some good news right now." However, Zeng hesitated, for he had anything but good news. "Uh..." Minutes later, Shifu, Luna and Celestia rushed up Peach Tree hill, finding Dragalchimaru leaning against the tree and Oogway standing under the tree, slowly performing Tai Chi movements as blossom petals were floating elegantly from the branches. "Master! Master!" Shifu called out, catching their attention. "Hmmm?" Oogway wondered as Dragalchimaru stood back up. "I have... it's... it's very bad news." Shifu urged, out of breath. "It's really... terrible... Master Oogway." Luna agreed, out of breath as well. "You... need to... to know about what we heard." Celestia said, also out of breath. "Ah, Shifu, Luna, Celestia. There is just news. There is no good or bad." Oogway calmly said as he turned around to face the three. "Master, your vision...your vision was right! Tai Lung has broken out of prison! He's on his way!" Shifu told Oogway and Dragalchimaru as Luna and Celestia confirmed with a nod. Everything seemed to have paused. "Well... The cat has razor-sharp claws after all." Dragalchimaru said to himself. "That is bad news... if you do not believe that the Dragon Warrior and the Warriors of Harmony can stop him." Oogway responded to Shifu. "The panda? Master, that panda is not the Dragon Warrior. He wasn't even meant to be here... it was an accident!" Shifu said. "And I don't think our students are ready to fight him either!" Luna told Oogway. "I admit, I am concerned for the students' safety." Celestia said to Oogway. "There are no accidents." Oogway calmly replied to Shifu and the two sisters, making the red panda beastman and Luna sigh. "Yes, I know. You've said that already. Twice." Shifu said. "Well, that was no accident either." Oogway added. "Thrice." Shifu corrected himself, holding up three fingers as Luna facepalmed herself. "My old friends, the panda and the girls will never fulfill their destinies, nor you any of yours, until you let go of the illusion of control." Oogway advised, making Shifu, Luna and Dragalchimaru incredulous and confused, while Celestia understood what Master Oogway said completely. "Illusion?" Shifu, Luna and Dragalchimaru repeated, completely lost on that word. "Yes. Look at this tree, my friends." Oogway advised as he looked up at the tree's branches, where blossom petals continue to fall. "I cannot make it blossom when it suits me, nor make it bear fruit before it's time." "But there are things we can control." Shifu countered as he kicked the tree, making a hundred peaches fall to the ground with Oogway gazing at him in silence. "I can control when the fruit will fall!" Shifu said as a peach fell on his head, making him growl and the other masters chuckle and giggle. "And I can control..." Shifu began as he tossed a peach in the air, leapt up, and split it with a chop, freeing the seed. "...where to plant the seed... Hi-yah!" Shifu finished as he punched the ground, creating a small hole, followed by the seed falling into his paw. "That is no illusion, Master!" Shifu said as he tossed the seed into the hole. "Ah, yes." Oogway agreed as he stepped forwards while Shifu began pacing in frustration. "But no matter what you do, that seed will grow to be a peach tree. You may wish for an apple, or an orange... but you will get a peach." Oogway said, with Dragalchimaru finally understanding what Oogway meant by that, and Shifu and Luna becoming more confused. "But a peach cannot defeat Tai Lung!" Shifu said after he stopped pacing to face Oogway. "Maybe it can. If you are willing to guide it, to nurture it. To believe in it." Oogway advised as he covered the seed with dirt. "But how? How? I need your help, Master." Shifu requested. "Please, Master Oogway, you need to help us." Luna agreed. "No, you just need to believe." Oogway simply denied with adviced as he leaned in toward his friends. "Promise me, everyone. Promise me you all will believe." "Yes, Master Oogway." Celestia agreed clearly. "Understood, old man." Dragalchimaru answered, while Shifu and Luna hesitated. "O-Of course, Master." Luna hesitantly agreed. "I... I will try." Shifu answered. "Good." Oogway said with a smile, glancing up at the starry sky, with the petals beginning to rapidly fall from the tree as the wind picks up. "My time has come." Oogway declared as he turned toward his confused friends. "You must continue your journey... without me." Oogway told them as he gave Shifu his staff. "What are you..? What...?" Shifu asked, baffled, as Oogway began walking to the cliff's edge, making Shifu, Celestia, Luna and Dragalchimaru realize what he's doing and run after him. "Master! You can't leave us." Shifu pleaded. "Master Oogway! Please don't go!" Luna pleaded as well. "What are you doing, you old fool?!" Dragalchimaru asked in shock. "If you go through with this, you'll...!" Celestia tried to warn him, but stopped herself when the petals surrounded Oogway as he stopped at the cliff's edge, turning back to Shifu and the others. "You must believe." Oogway said for one last time. "Master!" Shifu, Luna and Celestia called out as Oogway was engulfed by peach blossoms, beginning to glow with a lovely blue light. As the winds settled, Shifu, Luna, Celestia and Dragalchimaru stood at the edge of the cliff, with the red panda beastman clutching Oogway's staff, staring after the mass of petals as they float up into the sky. "So that old tortoise truly is gone with the wind... That decrepit old man, just like the 3rd Mizukage..." Dragalchimaru growled as he silently cursed himself for his selfish actions. Everyone on the cliff knew that there was no denying it... Oogway is gone. Meanwhile, at the bunkhouse's dining room... "...So I'm like, fine, you may be a wolf, you may be the scariest bandit in Haijin Province..." Po said, telling a story as in the kitchen, he was cooking for the Five and the Canterlot High students, who were all sitting at the table. He chopped a radish mid-air and the slices fell into the pot, while the CH students Viper, Monkey, Mantis and Crane were listening to Po's story with amused skepticism, but Tigress was ignoring him completely. "...but you're a lousy tipper." "Really? So... how'd you get out of there alive?" Crane asked incredulously. "Yes, darling. Please, do tell." Rarity agreed. "C'mon, Po. You can tell us." Sunset added with an amused smirk, making Po falter. "I mean, I didn't actually say that, but I thought it... in... in my mind." Po explained as he flipped some bowls, expertly lined them up on his arm, and ladled soup into them. "If he... could read my mind, he'd have been like, 'What?'" Po covered as held multiple bowls, one for everyone, except for Tigress who had a plate of tofu. "Order up!" Po said as he slid out the bowls of noodle soup to the Canterlot High students, Viper, Crane, Mantis and Monkey. "Hope you like it." Mantis was the first one to try the noodle soup, by taking a sip. "This is really good!" Mantis said, really liking the soup. "Wow! I feel like I could eat this in seconds and have more!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed as she tried the soup as well. "Me too, Dash!" Raptor agreed, as everyone else tried it. "Mmm! Delicious!" Soulfire said, enjoying the soup as well. "Whoa! So good!" Makoto gasped in delight as she kept eating her soup, making Po feel bashful. "No, c'mon. You should try my dad's secret ingredient soup. He actually... knows the secret ingredient." "What are you talking about? This is amazing." Viper said to Po. "There's um... No need to be nervous about your cooking skills." Fluttershy kindly said, enjoying the soup. "Wow, you're a really good cook." Crane told Po, amazed by his other skills. "This soup tastes simply divine!" Rarity agreed, delighted to have tasted such a meal. "Hoo-wee! That noodle soup's got some zang to it!" AJ said, having not tasted something this good since her family's cooking. "I wish my mouth was bigger." Mantis said, wanting to eat more soup. "This really is good! I could have seconds of it!" Sunset told Po, eating her soup with joy. "Hmph, I'll admit... You're not bad." Swampsuke admitted. "SO! STINKING! GOOD!" Pinkie squealed in happiness, savoring the noodle soup. "Tigress, you've got to try this." Monkey said to Tigress, as she picked up her plate of tofu. "It is said that the Dragon Warrior can survive for months at a time on nothing but the dew of a single gingko leaf and the energy of the universe." Tigress said, eating her tofu, making everything silent as everyone realized that Po has been put down yet again, who just shrugged it off. "I guess my body doesn't know it's the Dragon Warrior yet. I'm gonna need a lot more than dew. And, uh, universe juice." Po said as he pick up his bowl, taking a giant gulp. When he lowered the bowl, there was a noodle string hanging from his face, which looked like a long mustache, making Mantis snicker along with Rainbow Dash, Raptor, Soulfire and Makoto. "What?" "Oh, nothing... Master Shifu!" Mantis acted with a bow, making everyone else laugh, excluding Tigress. Po realized he was wearing a noodle mustache, deciding to play it up, by picking up a chopstick and pretending it's Shifu's staff. "You will never be the Dragon Warrior, unless you lose five hundred pounds and brush your teeth!" Po imitated Shifu's voice, making the Five, except Tigress, and the Canterlot High students laugh. "What is that noise you're making? Laughter? I never heard of it! Work hard, Panda. And maybe, someday, you will have ears like mine!" Po continued as he held two empty bowls like they were ears, with the gag getting the Five, once again except Tigress. and CH students have near-hysterics, when suddenly, they stopped laughing. Shifu was right behind him, holding Oogway's staff with one mean scowl. "Ears. It's not working for you? I thought they were pretty good." Po said in his normal voice, while looking at everyone in the room, who looked stone-faced. "It's Shifu." Monkey tried to warn Po, but the panda beastman didn't realize that. "Of course it's Shifu. What do you think I'm doing?" Po asked. "Ifu-shay is behind ou-yay!" Pinkie uttered to Po while Monkey pointed and Viper, Mantis and Crane shifted their eyes to something behind him. Po turned and finally saw Shifu standing there, doing a slow burn, while in mortification and shock, Po slapped the bowls to his chest. "Ooh! Master Shifu! I..." Po stuttered as he slurped up the noodle mustache and lowered his arms, with the bowls stick to his chest, making the Five, except Tigress, and the Canterlot students burst out laughing. "You think this is funny?! Tai Lung has escaped from prison and you're acting like children!" Shifu scolded, catching Po and Sunset's attention. "What?" They silently gasped. "He is coming for the Dragon Scroll, and you and the Harmony Warriors are the only ones who can stop him!" Shifu said as the bowls fell off of Po, clattering on the floor. "*Laugh* And here I am saying you got no sense of humor. We're gonna... stop Tai Lung..." Po trailed off as Shifu just stared at him, deadly serious. "You're not kidding, are you?" Sunset guessed, getting her friends' attention and leaving them in shock. "What, you're serious? And I have to... uh... Master Oogway will stop him! He did it before, he'll do it again." Po assumed with a hopeful smile. "Oogway cannot!" Shifu snapped. "Not anymore." Shifu said with a softened face of sadness, looking down at Oogway's staff, making the Five look up in shock, realizing what that meant, leaving them saddened by the news as well. "Our only hope... is the Dragon and Harmony Warriors." "The girls and the panda?" Tigress asked, suspicious of that. "Yes, them and the panda!" Shifu answered. "Master, please! Let us stop Tai Lung, this is what you've trained us for!" Tigress argued as she pushed her chair back, standing up. "No! It is not your destiny to defeat Tai Lung. It is theirs!" Shifu said as he pointed dramatically at the HuMane 6 and Po, only for Po nowhere to be seen. "Where'd he go?" Outside, Po was screaming at the top of his lungs as he raced down the stairs in total panic. He was almost to the top of the stairs leading down to the village when Shifu suddenly jumped in front of him out of nowhere, making Po skid to a stop. "You cannot leave! A real warrior never quits!" "Watch me!" Po said as he tried to maneuver around Shifu, but was redirected back. "Oh come on! How am I supposed to beat Tai Lung? I can't even beat you to the stairs." "You will beat him because you are the Dragon Warrior!" Shifu declared as he poked Po in the belly with the staff, keeping him back. "Ow! You don't believe that!" Another poke. "Ow! You never believed that! From the first moment I got here, you've been trying to get rid of me!" Po said as he tried to maneuver again, but Shifu sweeped his legs from under him, causing him to fall on his back, as the red panda beastman pointed the staff at his face. "Yes! I was! But now I ask you to trust in your master as I have come to trust in mine." Shifu requested. "You're not my master." Po denied as he shoved the staff away from his face. "And I'm not the Dragon Warrior." "Then why didn't you quit?! You knew I was trying to get rid of you, and yet you stayed!" Shifu said. "Yeah, I stayed." Po admitted as he got up onto his feet. "I stayed because though every time you threw a brick at my head or said I smelled, it hurt... but it could never hurt more than it did every day of my life just being me." Po paused as Shifu was in a stunned silence. "I stayed because I thought if anyone could change me... could make me... not me, it was you! The greatest kung fu teacher in all of China!" "But I can change you! I can turn you into the Dragon Warrior! And I will!" Shifu declared. "Oh come on! Tai Lung is on his way here right now! And even if it takes him a hundred years to get here, how are you... gonna change this... *indicates belly* ...into the Dragon Warrior?! Huh?" Po asked, as Shifu opened his mouth, but froze. "How... how?" Po repeated as Shifu closed his mouth, still speechless. "HOW?!" "I DON'T KNOW!" Shifu yelled out the answer in frustration, then sighed deeply, realizing what that meant. "I don't know." Po's anger turned into sadness, causing him to sigh as well. "That's what I thought." Po said as Shifu walked away, leaving the path open to the panda beastman. Unknown to them, the HuMane 6, Raptor, Soulfire, Makoto, and Swampsuke saw everything that happened, and felt sorry for Po. And above them, Tigress stands in the moonlight on the edge of the palace roof, having seen what just transpired between Shifu and Po. She turned away, a look of resolve on her face, and leapt as she flew through the air, towards the village in the valley below. At the last second, she slid down a pagoda roof and lands safely on the rooftop, looking up at the horizon, then back up at the palace. "This is what you trained me for." Tigress said to Shifu from the distance as she took off across the rooftops, with the other four being right behind her, having suspected what she would do. "Tigress!" Viper called out, making Tigress look back, seeing that they have followed her as she kept going while they gave chase. "Don't try and stop me!" Tigress said as the chase continued through the village. "We're not trying to stop you!" Viper told Tigress. "What?" Tigress asked, confused. "We're coming with you!" Viper explained as the boys of the Five joined Tigress with her. With Monkey giving Tigress a thumbs up, she smiled as she and the rest of the Furious Five leapt off into the night... To be continued... > Chapter 6: The Right Motivation, Confront Tai Lung > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- At the Jade Palace, it was dawn, Shifu sat under the peach tree with Oogway's staff, deep in thought, probably having been there all night, But then he sensed many presences behind Shifu, looking behind him, seeing it was the students of Canterlot High. "Good morning, Master Shifu..." They said with a lack of energy from last night except Swampsuke who said nothing. Then Luna, Celestia and Dragalchimaru showed up behind them. But before they could say anything, everyone heard a faint voice in the distance. "Yah! Hai!" The voice yelled, convincing the kung fu masters and CH students to investigate it, starting with the training hall, but it was empty. They kept hearing the noise, and it was coming from the bunkhouse. At the bunkhouse, when they turned a corner, they saw Po's shadow as the panda beastman performed some amazing kung fu. "Hai...yah! Wai-ya!" Po yelled as everyone entered the kitchen, finding Po punch through a cupboard door with his bare fist, coming out with food and continued to stuff his face. But when the panda beastman saw Shifu and the others, he stopped mid-munch, as everyone eyed Po in silence with the panda beastman silently eyeing them in return. The masters and students surveyed the room, with Rarity filled with dread and awe in the same time; broken lock, smashed doors, unhinged cabinets. It seemed Po could do some kung fu after all, having trashed the entire room, as the panda beastman belched, bringing everyone's attention back to him. "What? I eat when I'm upset, okay?" Po said with his mouth full, feeling annoyed, as everyone seemed to have a glimmer in their eyes, getting the exact same idea. "Oh, no need to explain. I just thought you might be Monkey. He hides his almond cookies on the top shelf." Shifu explained as he and everyone else left and hid outside the doorway, waiting to see if Shifu's hunch was correct. Po looked to the shelf with a smile, and sneaked out of sight. *KLUMP! KLONK! THUNK!* They rushed back inside and found themselves amazed, finding Po perched atop the high shelves, jamming cookies from a jar into his mouth, his legs in a split. The four kung-fu masters' disbelief turned into wise smiles as the students smiled in awe and joy for the panda beastman. But when Po saw them, he stopped eating. "Don't tell Monkey." Po requested with his mouth full, as Shifu stepped forward. "Look at you..." Shifu awed. "Yeah, I know. I disgust you and Master Luna." Po sighed. "No, Po, what Shifu meant was... How did you get up there?" Celestia asked. "I don't know. I guess I— I don't know. I was getting a cookie..." Po shrugged as he looked at the cookie, unable to help himself from eating it. "You're ten feet above the ground with a perfect split." Dragalchimaru added. "No, this... this is just an..." Po slowed as his eyes widened, beginning to slip. "accident." Po finished when, *WHOOMP!* he slipped and crashed into the kitchen floor as the cookie rolled to Shifu, who picked it up. "There are no accidents." Shifu said, quoting Master Oogway. "Come on, you all." Luna ushered. "We've got major training to do." Celestia added. "By the time we're done, you'll be Kung-Fu Masters." Dragalchimaru said as Po picked himself up from the pile of pans and stared alongside the students of Canterlot High as Shifu and the other kung-fu masters walked off. "I think they're right, we better be ready." Sunset told her friends as they all nodded in agreement. Later, high up in the Wudang Mountains, Shifu lead Po, who is weighed down with a large backpack and breathing hard, with the other kung-fu masters leading the CH students up a rocky path. "I know you and the other masters are trying to be all mystical and kung fu-ey, but could any of you at least tell us where we're going?" Po panted. "Yes, I quite agree with Po here, my legs are killing me." Rarity whined as the kung-fu masters kept walking. Later, Shifu, Celestia, Luna and Dragalchimaru were sitting on rocks in front of a still pool, morning mist partially obscuring the immediate area. Winded and wheezing, Po staggered his way next to Shifu, collapsed to the ground and discarded the backpack, as the Canterlot High students caught up with the kung-fu masters, with Rarity, Fluttershy and Sunset out of breath as well. Shifu and the other kung-fu masters breathed in the morning mist, their eyes closed, as Po crawled towards the pool in disbelief. "You... dragged us... all the way out here... for a bath?!" Po panted as he began to pat his armpits with water. "A bath, I could do with, but not in there." Rarity said. "Panda, we do not wash our pits in The Pool of Sacred Tears." Shifu told Po, making him quickly stop in realization. "The pool of..." Po trailed off in awe as Shifu, Celestia, Luna and Dragalchimaru jumped off the rocks with the mist beginning to thin. "This is where Oogway unraveled the mysteries of harmony and focus." Celestia explained. "This is the birthplace... of kung fu." Shifu and Celestia said in unison, leaving Po and the students from Canterlot High in pure amazement and disbelief as the panda beastman slapped a paw on his heart with the sunlight shining through. And then Sunset's eyes glowed, seeing this mountaintop she, the kung-fu masters and all of her friends were standing resemble a yin yang symbol, and a younger Oogway doing kung fu moves on a rock, before she returned to the real world, seeing along with everyone else, Shifu leap atop on that same rock, who looked down at Po. "Do you want to learn kung fu?" Shifu asked Po. "Yeah..." Po answered, awestruck. "Then I am... your... master!" Shifu declared. "And we will all help you." Celestia added, referring to herself, her sister, Dragalchimaru, and her students. "Okay!" Po accepted as tears of joy welled up in his eyes. "Don't cry." Shifu told Po, as the giant panda beastman sniffed. "Okay." Po said once more as he wiped his nose, then smiled. Later, Shifu and Po faced each other on an open field of green grass with the other kung-fu masters and students from Canterlot High watching. "When you focus on kung fu... when you concentrate...you stink." Shifu said bluntly, making Po's face fall. "Listen everyone, training for all of you may be complete, but there is one more thing you need to do before the six of you, Sunset Shimmer, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie and some others are ready for the scrolls of harmony. You all need to help Po train to become the Dragon Warrior." Celestia instructed the students. "Yes, Principal Celestia." The students agreed with a kung-fu salute. "But perhaps that is my fault." Shifu continued, making Po look up. "I cannot train you the way I have trained the Five. I now see that the way to get through to you... is with this." Shifu finished as he held a bowl of dumplings. "Oh great, `cause I am hungry." Po said as he reached for the bowl, only to be pulled out of his reach by a chuckling Shifu. "Good. When you have been trained, you may eat." Shifu said, making Po scowl as the red panda beastman ate a dumpling and started walking off. "Let us begin." Po's training unfolds over the next several days... Po did sit ups while dangling on a tree branch by his legs, a long drop below him and Shifu with a bowl of dumplings above: the branch snapped partially. Po nearly fell but managed to rescue the dumplings, before the branch broke off completely, making Po fall out of sight, while Shifu rescued the dumplings himself... Later, in a clearing, Swampsuke gave Po a bowl, but seconds later attacked him with his kunai. Po manages to fend him off for three seconds before Swampsuke sliced the bowl... Later, in the grass field, Po lunged at Pinkie for an elusive dumpling which the party girl kept tossing out of his reach... Then Po was forced to do push ups above a bed of hot coals while attempting to reach a bowl of food with his tongue each time he lowered himself... Then Po and Rarity were standing on rocks while Po was balancing several bowls of soup on his body... Back in the clearing, Po snuck towards a large pot, seeing no one in sight. Just as Po reaches into the pot with a bowl, Soulfire leapt out of nowhere and attacked him with an aura bone (Bone Attack). Po manages to block Soulfire several times, but is unable to stop him from smacking the bowl from his paws. Balancing on the pot with his bone, Soulfire proceeds to slurp the soup. Po tried to knock the bone from under him, but it smacked his nose and returned to its position. As his training progressed, Po steadily became efficient at kung fu, able to mimic Shifu's elaborate kung fu moves, push up with one finger, and block all of Shifu's attacks along with sparring against the others, matching their prowess. One day, Shifu set a bowl of dumplings and two empty bowls on a boulder as he picked up a pair of chopsticks. Meanwhile in a small distance... "Well done everyone, you trained very well alongside Po." Celestia said, as her students cheered while Swampsuke gave a small smirk. "But if Po passes this final exercise, all of you will be ready for the scrolls." Luna said, catching all of the students' attention, especially Swampsuke's. "So let's watch the show." Dragalchimaru simply said with an amused grin as everyone started watching what was going on with Shifu. "After you, panda." Shifu politely said, before Po stopped short, feeling suspicious. "That's it? No sit ups? N-no... no ten mile hikes?" Po asked in confusion. "I vowed to train you... and you have been trained, along with the Canterlot High students who trained alongside you. You are free to eat." Shifu answered as Po, still feeling suspicious, sat down on the opposite side, cautiously picking up a pair of chopsticks, and grabbed a dumpling with them. "Enjoy." Po smiled at that and raised the dumpling to his mouth when... WHOOSH! "Hey!" Po said, after Shifu snatched the dumpling away and ate it himself. "What the?!" The Canterlot High students, except Swampsuke who was slightly surprised by the speed, gasped. "I said you are free to eat. Have a dumpling." Shifu said as Po reached toward another dumpling, when the red panda beastman leapt across the table and kicked the dumpling into the air. "Huh?!" The aforementioned students gasped again. "Hey!" Po yelled in annoyance as Shifu ate it. He scowled at his master as the two glared at each other... It's on now! "You are free... to eat!" Shifu said in a different tone as Po caught onto his plan. "Am I?!" Po questioned. "Are you?!" Shifu agreed as the two of them readied their chopsticks. Po slammed the table, sending the bowl of dumplings airborne as Shifu jumped up and ate all of them except one. Back and forth, Po and Shifu sparred, vying for the dumpling, until there was only one as Shifu tried every trick to keep the dumpling away from Po. He hid it underneath one of the bowls as Shifu puts the other two bowls down, he turns the array of overturned bowls into a shell game, sliding the bowls around at top speed to hide the dumpling. When Shifu finished his hiding, Po found the right bowl. "WHOO!" Po cheered as he and Shifu kept going at it. "Ooh! This is intense!" Rainbow Dash, Raptor, Soulfire and Makoto uttered. "Gah! I can't take this food fight intensity!" Pinkie cried out as they saw Shifu used his chopsticks as weapons to smack Po's chopsticks away. The dumpling was launched into the air as Shifu threw one of his chopsticks onto it, making the dumpling stuck on a tree. Po and Shifu continued to battle each other as the dumpling slid down the chopstick and eventually fell off. Po knocked Shifu out of the way, trying to get the dumpling to fall into his mouth, when Shifu came back and closed the giant panda beastman's mouth, allowing the dumpling to bounce off of him, bouncing away on the ground. Po ran after it, when Shifu tossed away his chopsticks and started attacking Po with his bamboo staff. But Po skillfully managed to best Shifu for the final dumpling, using his belly to bounce the dumpling away from Shifu and nabbed it in his chopsticks, leaving the spectators to look in awe and Shifu smiled. Po had passed the final test, as Shifu gestured silently... now Po is free to eat. But then Po tossed the dumpling into Shifu's open paw, making the kung-fu master look up at him, surprised. "I'm not hungry." Po simply said as Shifu smiled, tossing the dumpling away, which was eaten by a very quick Pinkie Pie, who returned to the others. "Master." Po added as he saluted to Shifu, with the red panda beastman bowing back to him. The spectators smiled at the performance. Meanwhile, the Five raced toward the Thread of Hope, a rope bridge that stretched between mountain peaks above a huge abyss shrouded in mist. Tai Lung is racing across the long bridge as both sides stop at opposite ends of the last section of bridge, and eye each other. Tai Lung roared and raced across the bridge towards the Five. "Cut it!" Tigress ordered as the others slashed at the ropes securing the bridge to the mountain. Tai Lung was almost upon them when Tigress cut the final rope, but he was too close—Tigress launched herself into him, kicking him back. The two felines end up in the middle of the bridge just as it starts to tumble into the canyon below as the other four of the Five grabbed the support ropes and held on for dear life. While Tigress maintained a combative pose, Tai Lung casually leaned on one of the ropes. "Where's the Dragon Warrior and the Warriors of Harmony?" Tai Lung asked. "How do you know you're not looking at her?" Tigress responded, making Tai Lung laugh as he saw through that lie. "You think I'm a fool? I know you're not the Dragon Warrior. None of you!" Tai Lung said, making Tigress growl, knowing her bluff was foiled as her comrades exchanged quick, worried looks, while Tai Lung walked along the rope without effort. "I heard how he fell out of the sky on a ball of fire... that he's a warrior unlike anything the world has ever seen. And six of the seven Warriors of Harmony, hailing from the town of Canterlot City." The Five exchange quick, confused looks at that. "Po and Pinkie Pie?!" Monkey wondered. "Sunset Shimmer and Fluttershy?!" Viper added. "Rarity and Applejack?!" Crane gasped. "Rainbow Dash and the others?!" Mantis asked. "So those are their names... Po. Sunset Shimmer. Rainbow Dash. Applejack. Rarity. Fluttershy. And Pinkie Pie. Finally, worthy opponents. Our battle will be legendary!" Tai Lung declared with his fist in the air as Tigress charged at him, beginning the battle. Tigress and Tai Lung exchanged blows as they hang from the bridge as Tigress puts up a very good fight, but soon Tai Lung began getting the upper hand. "We've got this. Help her!" Monkey said as Crane and Viper gave him and Mantis their support ropes. Tai Lung kicked Tigress, sending her slamming through dozens of board before stopping. While she was stunned, Tai Lung grabs the ropes and twisted them, making them close on Tigress's throat with the tiger beastman choking. At that moment, Viper lunged at Tai Lung, causing him to let go of the ropes, freeing Tigress and making her plummet down into the gorge... but Crane managed to catch her. Viper wraps herself around Tai Lung's neck and wrist and punches him repeatedly with his own fist, before Tai Lung manages to get a paw around Viper's 'throat'. "Monkey!" Viper choked, calling out to her ape friend. "Go!" Mantis said as Monkey handed over his rope and joined the battle, leaving Mantis to hold up the bridge and its occupants all by himself. "Ack! What was I thinking?!" Monkey leapt into action, kicking Tai Lung in the chest away from Viper and sending him crashing onto the slats. Mantis groans as he fights to keep a hold of the ropes while Tai lung got back to his feet and started running back to them, switching between ropes as Crane flew up with Tigress dangling from his legs. "Mantis!" Tigress ordered as Mantis whipped his end of the rope, sending a sine wave shooting toward Tai Lung. The rope whips Tai Lung in the face and he gets stunned, allowing the Five to see their chance. "Now!" Working as a team, the Five kicked Tai Lung's butt every which way. Then Crane wrapped Tai Lung in one of the ropes, and Tigress slashed the last rope holding him up, making Tai Lung plummet down... down... disappearing into the mist. A distant crunch implied that he has crashed into the far mountain as Mantis whipped his end of the rope, returning his buddies safely to the mountain. The Five look breathless, but relieved, but the relief is short-lived... Tigress notices that the other end of the bridge is circling the far mountain peak, making her eyes go wide with dread. The rope whips up, but Tai Lung isn't there, the with a crash, he suddenly appeared behind the Five, making them turn around, startled. "Shifu taught you well..." Tai Lung started as he struck Monkey in the chest, making him freeze and collapse instantly, as the other members of Five gasped in horror. "But he didn't teach you everything." Tai Lung finished as he lunged at the rest of the five... To be continued... > Chapter 7: The Secret of the Dragon and Harmony Scrolls > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Later that day, Shifu, Po, Celestia, Luna, Dragalchimaru and the Canterlot High students returned from the mountains, entering the palace courtyard, with Po, Rainbow Dash, Raptor and Pinkie Pie having easy springs in their steps. "I'll admit, you have all done well. Including you, Panda." Shifu admitted. "Done well? Done well?! We've done awesome!" Po, Rainbow Dash, Raptor, Soulfire and Makoto cheered as the panda beastman swung his belly around, knocking Shifu off balance, though he quickly regained his dignity. "The mark of a true hero is humility. But yes...you all have done..." Shifu started before he playfully punched Po in the side hard enough for him to stagger. "...awesome." Shifu finished, making everyone chuckle and laugh at that. But that laughter faltered as everyone heard an approaching flapping sound. An indistinct figure appeared in the clouds behind them... it was Crane. "Huh?" Po and the students wondered in confusion as Crane carried the rest of the five to the palace grounds, before crashing in a heap. His paralysed comrades were scattered in the middle of the courtyard, leaving Shifu, Celestia and Luna speechless. "Guys? Guys!" Po gasped as he and the other students threw their backpacks aside, rushing over to them, while Swampsuke walked calmly towards the stunned warriors. "They're dead?! No, they're breathing! They're asleep?! No, their eyes are open..." Po noticed as Crane was exhausted with his feathers ruffled and clothes dirtied. "We were no match... for his nerve attack." Crane explained, out of breath. "Not surprising." Dragalchimaru noted. "This isn't good at all." Celestia dreaded. "Agreed, sister." Luna said in agreement. "He has gotten stronger..." Shifu realized as he pressed some pressure points on Mantis's chest, freeing him. "No way..." Sunset uttered. "Who? Tai Lung? Stronger?" Po asked as Shifu started freeing Monkey while Po and Pinkie leaned over them. Monkey released suddenly from his paralysis... and delivers a punch to Po's head, which was blocked by Pinkie's palm. "He's too fast!" Monkey gasped before slowly realizing where he is. "Sorry, Po. Sorry, Pinkie." Shifu kneeled before Tigress and began to free her, reviving her with a gasp. "I thought we could stop him." Tigress said, feeling ashamed of herself. "He could have killed you." Shifu responded. "Why didn't he?" Mantis asked. "So you could come back and strike fear into our hearts. But it won't work." Shifu answered as he freed Viper. "Uh, it might... I mean, a little. I'm pretty scared." Po admitted. "M-Me too..." Fluttershy agreed with a scared squeak. "You and the others can defeat him, panda!" Shifu told Po. "Finally..." Swampsuke uttered, just itching to beat Tai Lung. "Are you kidding? If they can't..." Po started as everyone saw the Furious Five, exhausted and beaten. "They're five masters. I'm just one me. The same's for the students of CH." "But you all will have the one thing that no one else does." Shifu said, making the CH students and Po's eyes widen. Inside the Hall of Warriors, the Dragon Scroll rests in the mouth of the golden dragon on the ceiling. Po stares at Shifu... then looks up at the Scroll, then back at Shifu. The six scrolls from the vision Sunset Shimmer had were on pillars below, surrounding the golden dragon, as Sunset and her friends stared at the scrolls, then Celestia and Luna. "*Gasp!* No way... You really... believe I'm ready?" Po awed in disbelief. "Are you really sure about this?" Sunset asked the kung-fu masters. "Of course you and the others are ready, Sunset Shimmer." Celestia answered. "You are... Po." Shifu told Po as everyone looked at each other, for this was a big moment. Oogway's staff hanged in a rack surrounded by candles, with a portrait of Oogway performing his usual Tai Chi beneath the peach tree above it. As Po, The Five, Sunset and everyone else stood by, Shifu carries the staff over to the reflecting pool. Shifu bowed his head, then, with his eyes still closed, raised the staff up above his head, while Celestia and Luna were on opposite sides of each other and the reflecting pool. Po and the others watch, expectantly, when Shifu whirled the staff, making the peach blossom petals rise in a flickering, spinning cloud up from the pool as Celestia and Luna started doing kung-fu movements of the legendary dragon-style in sync. The gentle tornado rised up around the ceiling carving that holds the Dragon Scroll, when the two sisters suddenly jumped high, circling the pillars and grabbing the six scrolls. The petals loosened the scroll from the dragon's mouth, letting it fall, when at the last second, Shifu reached out with the staff and caught the scroll on the end of it, sending out a single, gentle ripple, calming the pool's water. He turned to Po, holding out the Dragon scroll as Celestia and Luna turned toward Sunset Shimmer, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie, holding the six Scrolls of Harmony. "Behold. The Dragon Scroll... It is yours." Shifu said to Po. "Behold. The scrolls of Forgiveness, Loyalty, Honesty, Generosity, Kindness, and Laughter... They're yours." Celestia told her six students. Po and the six students reached for the scrolls, but hesitated, even Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash and Applejack. "Wait... what happens when we read them?" Po asked. "If you could tell us, that is." Fluttershy timidly added. "No one knows, but legend says you will be able to hear a butterfly's wing-beat." Shifu answered. "Whoa! Really? That's cool." Po awed as some of the others agreed. "Yes. Even in the deepest cave, you will see light. And you'll feel the universe join within you." Luna added. "And you will be able to protect the balance, peace and harmony of the world." Celestia finished, exciting Po and the six students, even Fluttershy, however, overexciting the giant panda beastman. "Wow! Can I punch through walls? Can I do a quadruple back flip? Will I have invisibility—" Po was cut off by Shifu. "Focus... focus." Shifu said, snapping Po out of it. "Huh? Oh, yeah... yeah." Po realized. "Read it, Po, Sunset Shimmer, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and fulfill your destiny. Read it and become... the Dragon Warrior and the Warriors of Harmony!" Shifu declared. "Whooaa!!!" Po awed as he and the six students grabbed their own scrolls. The six CH students managed to open tubes without a problem, but were distracted by Po struggling to pull the top off of his. "It's impossible to open." Po strained again, then tried to bite off the top. "Come on, baby. Come on now..." Shifu held out his hand as Po gave him the tube, with the red panda beastman effortlessly popping the end off and passed it back to Po. "Thank you. I probably loosened it up for you though... Okay, here goes." Sunset and her friends nodded to each other and unrolled their scrolls the same time as Po unrolled his, causing a golden light to bathe in their faces, leaving Shifu, Celestia, Luna, Dragalchimaru and the other Canterlot High students in excitement as they were about to witness history. But when the seven of them looked at the contents of the scrolls after being opened... "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!" They screamed, startling Shifu, the two sisters, Dragalchimaru, the CH students and the Five, while the seven of them looked utterly terrified. "It's blank!" "What!?" The kung-fu masters asked in complete shock and confusion. "Here! Look!" Po urged as he tried to show Shifu what it was, but the red panda beastman turned his head away. "No! I am forbidden to look upon..." Shifu tried to say, but couldn't help himself as he took a peek, grabbing it out of Po's hands, turning it around, then upside down, closing and opening it again, astonished, while the six CH students dropped their scrolls, positively aghast, allowing everyone to see that the six Scrolls of Harmony were just like the Dragon Scroll; blank, reflective, golden paper. This discovery left everyone in shock. "Blank? I don't...I don't understand." Shifu turned away, contemplative, wondering what this could mean, while Po was deeply disappointed. "Okay. So like, Oogway... was just a crazy old turtle after all?" Po asked. "No. Oogway was wiser than us all." Shifu tried to retort, but was still focused on the scroll. "Oh, come on! Face it. He picked me by accident. Of course I'm not the Dragon Warrior. Who am I kidding?" Po deadpanned as he sat heavily on the floor, feeling dejected. Celestia, Luna and Dragalchimaru were deeply shocked by this development. What could it mean? But that's when it hit them. "Could this mean...?" They realized, before Swampsuke started to laugh madly. "Are you kidding me?! HAHAHAHAHAHA!!! The scrolls are blank?! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!" Swampsuke laughed before calming himself. "This has been a waste of time!" "But who will stop Tai Lung?" Tigress asked. "He'll destroy everything... and everyone." Crane dreaded as Shifu gazed down at his reflection in the moon pool for a long moment, then put the scroll back in its container, sealing it. He looked oddly calm as he turned around towards the others. "No." Shifu simply said as he handed the scrolls to Po and the six girls. "Evacuate the Valley. You must protect the villagers and the Canterlot High students from Tai Lung's rage." "What about you, Master?" Tigress asked Shifu. "I will fight him." Shifu answered, making Po, Sunset and her friends stare at him. "What?" They uttered. "I can hold him off long enough for everyone to escape." Shifu explained. "And I will do it, on my own, because you three must go to protect your students as I will protect mine." He told Celestia, Luna and Dragalchimaru, who agreed with a stern nod. "But, Shifu, he'll kill you." Po told Shifu. "Then I will finally have paid for my mistake." Shifu replied, leaving Po, the Five and the CH students devastated. "Listen to me, all of you. It is time for you to continue your journey without me. I am very proud to have been your master and your friend." Shifu said as he saluted them, and they saluted back. Po, Sunset and her friends were heartbroken as Shifu turned away. Crane steps forward and kindly puts a wing around Po and Rarity, pulling away. Po and the CH students resisted for a moment, then reluctantly left with the Five and the other three kung-fu masters. That night, the Five arrived at the base of the stairs, where the villagers and CH students were already scrambling to get out of the valley. "We've got to get them out safely." Tigress said as Monkey picked up a small child. "Come, little one. Let's find your mama." Monkey said to the young beastman as he leapt away to find its parents. "Viper, gather the southern farmers. Mantis, the north. Crane, light the way." Tigress ordered as she passed Crane a lantern and the Five split up and began helping the villagers evacuate. Po was left by himself as he slowly made his way through the bustling town as two pig beastmen trying to carry a stone dragon spotted him as he passed by. "Look, it's the Dragon Warrior." A pig beastman skeptically said, making Po glance at them as he approached the Noodle Shop, with Mr Ping inside, preparing to leave. "Hey, Dad." Po said, catching Mr. Ping's attention. "Po!" Mr. Ping gasped in joy as he hurried over and wrapped his arms around his son. Po bended down to reciprocate the hug, as Po's dad pulls away, having fastened an apron around Po's waist. "Good to have you back, son!" Mr. Ping said as he went back to packing things up. "Good to be back." Po listlessly agreed. "Let's go, Po." Mr. Ping said as he struggled to pull the cart full of belongings. Po took the burden for him, and they both left the shop, possibly forever as Po glanced back at the palace. "So for our next shop, it's time to face it... the future of noodles is dice-cut vegetables, no longer slices." Mr. Ping declared as he started to walk off, unaware that Po was slowing down. "Also, I was thinking, maybe this time we'll have a kitchen you can actually stand up in. Hmm? You like that?" Mr. Ping asked before turning around and noticed that Po had stopped following. He walked back to his son sympathetically. "Er, Po... I'm sorry things didn't work out. It just... wasn't meant to be." Mr. Ping said, trying to comfort Po as the panda beastman slumped against the cart. "Po, forget everything else. Your destiny still awaits. We are noodle folk... broth runs deep through our veins!" "I don't know, Dad. Honestly, sometimes I can't believe I'm actually your son." Po responded, leaving Mr. Ping taken aback. "Po, I think it's time I told you something I should have told you a long time ago..." Mr. Ping declared, making Po look up. "Okay..." Po agreed as Mr. Ping dramatically paused. "The secret ingredient of my secret ingredient soup!" Mr. Ping said. "Oh." Po replied, feigning excitement. "C'mere! The secret ingredient is... nothing!" Mr. Ping told Po, taking him completely by surprise. "Huh?" Po asked in confusion. "You heard me. Nothing. There is no secret ingredient!" Mr. Ping repeated. "Wait wait wait...it's just plain old noodle soup? You don't add some kind of special sauce or something?" Po asked, not getting the idea. "Don't have to. To make something special, you just have to believe it's special." Mr. Ping explained as Po looked at his father with dawning realization, picking up the Scroll and looking down at the golden reflective surface. For a moment, Po stared at his reflection on the scroll, then his eyes widen. "There is no secret ingredient..." Po realized, understanding what the secret of the Dragon Scroll was... Earlier, with Sunset and the others, they were the last ones to arrive at the bus, they were about to enter, before Principal Celestia decided to talk to them. "Sunset Shimmer..." Celestia called out. "Look... Principal Celestia... I'm sorry." Sunset Shimmer apologized. "We all are." Rainbow Dash added as the rest of Sunset's friends agreed. "Sunset, tell me; Do you remember when Twilight Sparkle first showed you friendship?" Celestia asked Sunset. "Yes, Principal Celestia, and I think I'll understand her and other people more if I figure out the secret of friendship-" Sunset was cut off by Principal Celestia. "That's just it, Sunset. There is no secret to friendship." Celestia told Sunset, confusing her and the other students. "What?" Sunset and her friends asked, not getting it. "If you believe friendship between others is special to you, then friendship is special." Celestia explained, making the CH students realize something as they opened the six harmony scrolls, looking into their reflections. Then it hit them. "There is no secret to friendship..." Sunset and all of her friends uttered in realization, having finally figured out what the secret of the Scrolls of Harmony were... There is no secret to being the Dragon Warrior or the Warriors of Harmony... To be continued... > Chapter 8: The Reunion and Final Battle > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- At the top of the stairs outside the Hall of Warriors, Shifu looked upon the valley, awaiting his fate, as he saw the lights from the evacuation make their way out of the valley below. In a blink of Shifu's eyes, after lightning flashed, Tai Lung appeared before him. "I have come home, Master." Tai Lung said. "This is no longer your home. And I am no longer your master." Shifu responded. "Yes. You have new favorites. So where are these... Po and girls? Did I scare them off?" Tai Lung mocked with a chuckle. "This battle is between you and me." Shifu told his former student. "So... That is how it's going to be?" Tai Lung asked, turning his back on Shifu. "That is how it must be." Shifu clarified, putting himself into a kung-fu stance, making Tai Lung look back at him... then attacked the red panda beastman, beginning the battle. Tai Lung punched Shifu clean through the doors of the Jade Palace as the red panda recovered himself quickly and faced his former student, while Tai Lung entered, with his face filled of pure fury. "I rotted in jail for twenty years because of your and the other masters' weaknesses!" Tai Lung shouted in anger. "Obeying your master is not weakness!" Shifu countered. "You knew I was the Dragon Warrior! You, Luna and other kung-fu masters always knew..." Tai Lung said, as he remembered that day, when in the Hall of Warriors, Shifu, Celestia, Luna and the other Kung-Fu masters presented Tai Lung to Master Oogway, with them looking expectant, but Oogway gave a look, leaving them dismayed. "But when Oogway said otherwise, what did you do? What did all of you do?!" Tai Lung asked in rage as he remembered looking at his masters back then, who averted their eyes. "NOTHING!" "You were not meant to be the Dragon Warrior! That was not my fault, or anyone's for that matter!" Shifu told Tai Lung, making the Snow Leopard beastman more angry. "NOT YOUR FAULT?!" Tai Lung repeated, feeling enraged as he knocked over the kung fu artifacts and threw them at Shifu. "WHO FILLED MY HEAD WITH DREAMS?! WHO DROVE ME TO TRAIN UNTIL MY BONES CRACKED?! WHO DENIED ME MY DESTINY?!" Tai Lung asked in absolute rage as Shifu dodged each attack, before the former student kicked a sword at him, and Shifu countered it, redirecting it into the floor. "It was never my decision to make!" Shifu answered, making Tai Lung growled, leaping for the next artifact, but paused as he recognized Oogway's staff. Realizing what this meant, he picked it up and faced Shifu with it in hand. "It is now." Tai Lung said, angering Shifu, who finally decided to go on the offensive, fighting the Snow Leopard Beastman, before getting pinned down by him with the staff by the throat. "Give... me... the scroll!" "I would rather die!" Shifu responded, making Tai Lung growl as they struggled for a few seconds, until the staff snapped in half. Shifu looked back at the pieces and a flutter of peach tree petals flew by, allowing himself to drop his guard and get kicked by Tai Lung into the wall. Shifu pushed him away and leaped from column to column, pursued by Tai lung, before eventually jumping to the rafters, with Tai Lung sending them both crashing through the roof. Lightning flashed as they were grappling in mid-air, with Shifu briefly getting the upper hand before Tai Lung got his paws around Shifu's throat as they crashed back through the roof, before the leopard beastman kicked each other apart. Shifu crashed into a column, letting him fall to the floor and landed hard as Tai Lung bounced off the wall, knocking a lantern to the floor, spreading blue flames everywhere. Tai Lung's arms were lit aflame as he charged at Shifu with a roar, who struggled to block his punches. "All I ever did, I did to make you proud! Tell me how proud you are, Shifu! Tell me! TELL ME!" Tai Lung ordered as *THOOM!* he attacked with a fiery punch, sending Shifu skidding across the floor and crashing against the reflecting pool. The flames extinguished and Tai Lung stalked forward as Shifu weakly lifted himself slightly. "I... have always been proud of you. From the first moment, I've been... proud of you. Even... Celestia... Luna... and the other masters." Shifu weakly started, making Tai Lung stop in his tracks. "And it was our pride... that blinded us. I loved you too much to see what you were becoming. What I... we... were turning you into... I'm... I'm sorry." Shifu apologized, making Tai Lung hesitate as the red panda beastman waited. After a long moment, Tai Lung's expression grew cold as he grabbed Shifu by the throat. "I don't want your apology... I want my scrolls!" Tai Lung said as he lifted Shifu up to the ceiling, before looking up towards the scrolls, finally seeing that they're missing. "What? WHERE ARE THEY?!" Tai Lung ordered as he slammed Shifu to the floor with enough force to crack the stone. "Dragon Warrior and Warriors of Harmony haven taken the scrolls halfway across the country by... now." Shifu strangled as he coughed. "You will never see those scrolls, Tai Lung." Shifu said, making Tai Lung unsheathe his claws as he tightened his grip on the beastman's neck. "Never! N-never..." Shifu wheezed as he started to pass out, making Tai Lung snarl, ready to end Shifu. "Hey!" A voice called out, catching Tai Lung's attention, who turned around to find Po standing in the doorway, gasping for breath, as Sunset Shimmer, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie caught up with him, followed by the rest of their friends and families. "Huff... huff... huff... Stairs... huff..." Po huffed, out of breath. "Who are all of you?" Tai Lung asked. "Buddy... I... am the Dragon Warrior! Huhhh..." Po said as he gave out a hard exhale. "And me, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie are the Warriors of Harmony!" Sunset added, leaving Tai Lung is in amused disbelief. "You all?! Them?!" Tai Lung asked the unconscious Shifu as he casted him aside. "He's a panda and the girls are humans." Tai Lung uttered to himself before turning back to Po and the others. "You're a panda. You six girls are only human. And what are you gonna do, big guy? Sit on me?" Tai Lung mocked in amusement. "Don't tempt me. Haha. No. We're gonna use these!" Po said as he held out the Dragon Scroll, the same being said with the HuMane 6 holding their six Scrolls of Harmony. "You want it? Come and get it." But from out of nowhere, Tai Lung punched Po across the room, grabbing the scroll knocked from Po's paws. "Po!" Sunset and her friends, excluding Swampsuke, gasped. "Finally..." Tai Lung said in anticipation as Po bounced off a nearby pillar and slammed back into Tai Lung. "AH!" Tai Lung yelled out as he was sent flying into a pillar, before recovering, astonished. Surprised that he had actually landed a blow, Po put on a brave face and strikes a pose as Tai Lung charged at him on all fours, making Po turn to run. "(Slow-mo) Oh... WOW!" Po yelped as Tai Lung quickly caught up to him and both of them bounced down the palace steps. "Po!" The CH students gasped. "Come on! We gotta help him!" Sunset urged as her friends agreed, all of them running down the staircase to the valley. As Po and Tai Lung fought each other while bouncing down the palace steps, with Po clung to the scroll before Tai Lung delivered a punch, sending him crashing onto the arena rooftops below and bouncing off into a tree, while the students caught up with the panda beastman. Tai Lung roared and pounced at them, only for the heroes to get an idea, speeding up Po's progress to roll off the tree, using the flora to whip back, smashing Tai Lung, briefly skidding across the rooftop and came right back at Po and the others. He knocked heroes down the long flight of stairs and chased after them. "Those scrolls are mine!" Tai Lung declared as they grappled for the scrolls, while Po was oblivious to the effects of crashing down stairs and in slow motion, his voluminous butt pressed down on Tai Lung's head, making some of the CH students feel a bit nauseous from seeing that. Then they crashed through the gateway to the village, knocking the scrolls loose. Po and the others were separated from Tai Lung and crashed into a noodle cart, giving Po an idea. Tai Lung went for the scrolls but Po, Rarity and Fluttershy snatched them away using noodle lassoes, making the scrolls fly towards him and bounce off his head. Tai Lung leapt for it, but Applejack, Sunset, Swampsuke and Po grabbed his tail and pulled him back down onto a cart which see-sawed Po and the CH students into the air, while the panda beastman slurped the noodles in mid-air. Up and over the rooftops, Po and the CH students landed in a grove of bamboo trees and into a nearby wok shop, while the scrolls landed inside lanterns, before tumbling out and roll to a stop in the street. As Tai Lung makes his move on the scroll, Po sent a wok into his face, and alongside Rainbow Dash, Raptor, Pinkie Pie, Makoto and Soulfire, turned the array of overturned woks into a shell game, sliding and moving them around at top speed to hide the scrolls. "Lightning! Whoo!" Po, Rainbow Dash, Raptor, Makoto and Pinkie whooped, making Tai Lung growl as he knocked the woks away and exposed the scrolls. "Ahhh!" Po gasped as he used his bamboo stilts to block Tai Lung, who tried to grab the scrolls. The leopard swiped stilts out of the way and grabbed the scrolls... bringing Po down on top of him with the CH students grabbing him as the scrolls were knocked out his paws and rolled down the street. Tai Lung threw the heroes into a fireworks booth as he chased down the scrolls. When all of a sudden... "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHA!!!" Po laughed as he and the CH students came speeding up on the cart, propelled by a motherlode of fireworks, slamming through Tai Lung and grabbing the scrolls, only to crash into a rock wall. The scrolls flied out of their hands and the Dragon Scroll landed in the mouth of an ornamental rooftop dragon while the other six scrolls landed on top of the dragon. Po and the CH students looked back at Tai Lung, who saw where the scroll has landed and restarted his pursuit. Envisioning the Dragon Scroll as a cookie, Po effortlessly scaled the building, alongside the other kung-fu students, who weren't breaking a sweat thanks to determination, leaving Tai Lung shocked. "The scrolls have given them power! NO!" Tai Lung raged as he took a giant leap and kicked the wall of the building, causing it to crumble. Po and the others struggled to reach the scrolls as they were chased by Tai lung, though managed to keep the leopard at bay by kicking dozens of roof tiles into his face. Amazingly, Po and the others skipped across the falling roof tiles to reach the scroll in mid-air and grabbed them, just as Tai Lung leapt up behind them and unleashes a punishing blow that sent the heroes smashing into the ground outside Mr Ping's noodle shop, with Tai Lung finishing the fight at the landing, delivering a final devastating punch, sending up a huge mushroom cloud. As the dust settled, Tai Lung was looming over the stunned heroes in the impact crater, as he picked up the scrolls, relishing at having the secrets to limitless power in his grasp at last. "Finally... oh yes... the power of the Dragon Scroll... and the Harmony Scrolls... are... MINE!" Tai Lung declared as he opened the Dragon Scroll, only for his triumph to turn to horror, staring at the blank surface, same with opening the six Scrolls of Harmony. "They're NOTHING!!" He dreaded as Po and the CH students slowly got to their feet, wincing. "It's okay. I didn't get it the first time either." Po said. "None of us did." Sunset agreed. "What?" Tai Lung asked in disbelief. "There is no secret ingredient." Po told Tai Lung, making him toss down the scrolls in anger, as Po and the others looked down at the scrolls and gazed at their reflections. "It's just you." Sunset added as Tai Lung looked at the scrolls, snarling and lunged at Po. "RRRAAAH!" Tai Lung roared. "AAAAGGGHH!" Po screamed as Tai Lung struck his nerve points in a last effort borne out of frustration, making panda beastman collapse to the ground, before he started giggling. Tai Lung looked down at his paw in confusion and struck Po again, and again, and again, but it seemed Po's body fat is keeping Tai Lung's nerve attack from having any effect except to tickle him. "Stop! Stop it! I'm gonna pee! Don't! Don't!" Po giggled, frustrating Tai lung as he delivered a double-fisted punch to Po's belly. The shockwave rippled through Po's entire body, making his arms come back and strike Tai Lung, sending the leopard crashing back into the noodle shop. Po looked at his paws, amazed at what he just did, with the CH students simply in awe at what Po pulled off. Tai Lung rose from the rubble and ran at Po again, only for the panda beastman to strike back, using an unorthodox panda-style technique, even getting Tai Lung to chomp down on his own tail. While Tai Lung was off his guard, the CH students started to fight him at once. "Let's see how you like this, kitty boy!" Raptor taunted as he and Rainbow Dash did a perfect counter, quickly dodging Tai Lung and struck him. "Gotcha!" Rainbow Dash said. "Sharingan!" Swampsuke called out as he blinked his eyes, turning his eyes into his clan's signature Dōjutsu, the Sharingan. Raptor, Soulfire and Swampsuke went into the beast forms as the HuMane 6 glowed brightly, gaining their pony ears, tails and wings (Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy). "Here comes a surprise!" Pinkie yelled as she jumped around Tai Lung and hit him with a punch, then a kick. Tai Lung recovered from that attack and noticed Rarity, charging at her. "I don't think so, you cur." Rarity denied as she blocked Tai Lung's fist with her palm and threw the Leopard Beastman over her shoulder. "Take this!" Soulfire and Makoto shouted as they punched Tai Lung form both sides. "Hope yer ready, partner, 'cause this is gonna hurt!" Applejack taunted as she attack Tai Lung's front with a Tiger Claw Strike. "You leave our friends alone!" Fluttershy shouted as she struck Tai Ling with a Snake Fist. "It's time to use your kung-fu style for the right reason!" Sunset declared as Swampsuke's Sharingan eyes studied and copied Tai Lung's techniques, followed by him and Sunset attacking Tai Lung with a Leopard fist. Then everyone attacked Tai Lung at once. Po attacked with a butt bump, while the HuMane 6 jump-kicked Tai Lung. "Chidori!" Swampsuke called out as he struck Tai Lung with his left hand covered in electricity, causing a bird screech from the blow. "Dragon Claw!" Raptor cried out as he attacked Tai Lung with his left arm-wing. "Force Palm!" Soulfire yelled as he thrusted his palm into Tai Lung. "Big Bang... SMASH!" Makoto shouted as she punched the air, making a giant electrical arm punch Tai Lung. All of those simultaneous attacks sent Tai Lung crashing into a building, who then emerged, now looking really mad, as he attempted one more lunge at Po and the others. But they prepared themselves, and when Tai Lung was in front of them, the CH students uppercutted him at the same time Tai Lung was swiftly met by Po's IRON BELLY, launching him into the air! After Tai Lung disappeared into the clouds, the heroes waited, and waited, until finally, Tai Lung reappeared in the sky and crashed into the ground. Tai Lung climbed out a leopard shaped hole, battered, but still defiant, as he staggered toward Po and the others. "All... of you... can't defeat me... you... you six are just pathetic... little... girls... and you... you're just a big... fat... panda!" Tai Lung defied as he lunged towards them one more time, *SCHWING!* only for Po and the HuMane 6 to grab his finger, making Tai Lung's eyes go wide. "I'm not a big, fat panda... I'm THE big, fat panda!" Po declared. "And we're not pathetic, little girls... We're THE pathetic, little girls!" Sunset added with her friends giving a nod in agreement, as Po and the HuMane 6's pinkies popped up, making Tai Lung gasp. "The Wuxi Finger Hold!" Tai Lung realized. "Oh, you know this hold?" Po asked, quoting Shifu's first encounter with him. "You're bluffing... you're bluffing! Shifu didn't teach any of you that!" Tai Lung said. "He didn't." Rainbow Dash responded, making Tai Lung look hopeful. "We figured it out." Sunset finished, making Tai Lung's eyes widen. "Skadoosh!" Po and the HuMane 6 simply said as they flexed their pinkies, causing an explosion of golden, rippling energy flow throughout the Valley of Peace, sweeping past the Furious Five, Celestia, Luna, Canterlot High students and the fleeing villagers, astonishing them as they looked toward the village in the distance. Sometime later, everyone returned to the village, which had been engulfed in a cloud of golden dust, before one of the pig beastman villagers spotted figures in the distance. "Look! The Dragon Warrior and the Warriors of Harmony." Approaching the crowd was an obscured figure who looked very much like the warrior from Po's dream, followed by other unknown figures. It was revealed to be Po, having his hat as an upside down wok and his scarf as a torn apron, followed by the HuMane 6, Swampsuke, Raptor, Soulfire, and Makoto. Po coughed and removed the apron, as everyone stared at Po and the others for a moment, then cheered the Warriors, before Po's father emerged from the crowd while the villagers tried and failed to lift Po on their shoulders. "That's my boy! That big, lovely kung fu warrior is my son!" Mr. Ping cheered as he and Po ran toward each other and hugged. "Thanks, Dad." Po said in gratitude as the wok fell off his head and rolled on the ground until Mantis stopped it, with the Celestia, Luna, Dragalchimaru and the rest of the Five are with him. The Five were no longer staring at the panda beastman with disdain, making Po and the other heroes take notice. "Hey, guys." Po greeted as Tigress stepped forward. "Masters." Tigress simply said as she bowed in respect, smiling at Po and the CH students who defeated Tai Lung, everyone else following. "Master." "Master?" Po and the other heroes wondered, feeling modest, but secretly pleased, before remembering something important. "Master Shifu!" They realized as they raced past the villagers and toward the Jade Palace, climbing the steps, then more steps, before arriving breathless at the Jade Palace, seeing Shifu still lying in the scroll room, his eyes closed, making the heroes rush to his side. "Master! Shifu! Shifu! Are you okay?" Po asked in concern as Shifu weakly opened his eyes. "Po... Everyone... you're alive... or we're all dead." Shifu said darkly. "We didn't die, Master Shifu. We defeated Tai Lung!" Sunset told Shifu. "You did?" Shifu asked in astonishment, answered the heroes nodding with smiles, as he smiled himself as Shifu became filled with inner peace. "Wow... It is as Oogway... foretold. You are... the Dragon Warrior. You have brought peace... to this Valley... and... and to me. Thank you... thank you, Po... thank you... thank you... thank..." Shifu trailed off as he closed his eyes and became still. Po stared at him for a long moment and started freaking out. "No... Master! No, no, no! Don't die, Shifu, please..." Po was cut off when Shifu snapped his eyes open. "I'm not dying, you idio... ah... Dragon Warrior." Shifu responded as he closed his eyes once more, smiling serenely. "I'm simply... at peace. Finally." That relieved Po, although the CH students knew that. "Oh... So, um, I should... stop talking?" Po asked. "If you can." Shifu answered. Po lay down and started meditating next to Shifu, master and pupil lying next to each other. Then Po started fidgeting and tried to keep himself from saying something to Shifu, but found it difficult, opening his mouth like he's about to say something, but he stopped himself. He fidgeted for a moment before eventually... "You wanna get something to eat?" Po asked, making Shifu open his eyes and sigh deeply. For a long moment he said nothing, and then... "Yeah." Shifu simply answered, making the CH students laugh at the moment. "Come on, you two, let's get back down to the valley." Sunset said as everyone in the Jade Palace started heading back to the Valley of Peace. To be continued... > Epilogue: Celebrations and Visits from Time-to-Time > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Later, after everyone got down to the Valley of Peace... "You know what this calls for?" Pinkie asked, but all of her friends from Canterlot High rolled their eyes. "What?" They asked with a smile, already knowing the answer. "A PARTY!" Pinkie said as of later, a party started and was moving in full swing. "Whoa! You weren't kidding about your parties being fun, Pinkie!" Monkey said in surprise. "My parties always bring a smile to everyone's faces, and I think it helps master Shifu smile too!" Pinkie added. "WHAT?! That's amazing! Even Master Shifu can smile in your parties?!" Monkey asked in complete astonishment. "Yep." Pinkie simply answered. "Up top?" Monkey asked as he held his hand up high. "High five!" Pinkie high-fived Monkey, only to feel something quite shocking. "GAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!" Pinkie yelled as Monkey started laughing, revealing a hand buzzer in his palm. "Heeheehahahahahaha! That was a good one!" Pinkie laughed. "Thanks, Pinkie!" Monkey said in gratitude. "Come on, we should get back to the others." "You're right!" Pinkie agreed as she and Monkey went back to their friends. "I'll admit, you really are the Dragon Warrior, Po." Tigress said. "Wow. Thanks, Tigress. That means a lot to me." Po bashfully admitted with a blush. "Hehe, I think I know what Po's thinking." Sunset whispered to the other HuMane 6, as they snickered and giggled, knowing a future relationship will happen. "As much as I think we should rebuild the valley, I think we need to this time to unwind from what has happened." Shifu admitted, seeing his students and the CH students have fun with each other, giving a chuckle and cracking a genuine smile, which Pinkie noticed. "** Master Shifu's smiling!" Pinkie gasped. "No way!" Po awed. "Heh, I'm actually glad that Master Shifu can smile again." Tigress said with a smile. "Man, you guys are something else." Crane admitted. "No wonder you're six of the seven Warriors of Harmony. You're awesome!" Mantis said. "Yeah, we are." Raptor and Rainbow Dash boasted, making their friends roll their eyes in amusement. "Hey, don't get cocky, you gotta have patience." Mantis warned. "At least you're not wrong about that." Viper agreed. "Um... Viper? Do you think I can be brave like you?" Fluttershy asked. "Of course you can." Viper answered with a warm and gentle smile. "Listen Crane, I know Pinkie can be random at times, but her parties are always fun." Rarity said. "I don't doubt that." Crane agreed. "Hmph. Just be glad I'm here." Swampsuke scoffed, while on the inside had a genuine smile. "I'm glad we'll be here for a few more days." Soulfire said. "Yeah! We'll have a lot of fun doing training and other stuff!" Makoto agreed with her fist pumped into the air. "Hey, DJ! Hit it!" Pinkie declared as Vinyl Scratch nodded as she inserted a disc onto her DJ booth, playing a song. Kung-Fu Fighting Sunset: Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh Rainbow Dash (Raptor): Everybody is kung fu fighting (Huh! Ha!) Your mind becomes fast as lightning Although the future is a little bit frightening (little bit frightening) It's the book of your life that you're writing (life that you're writing) Rarity (Po): You're a diamond in the rough A brilliant ball of clay You could be a work of art (ha) If you just go all the way (look out) Pinkie (Po): Now what would it take to break (she) I believe that you can bend Not only do you have to fight (hoo) But you have got to win Makoto (Soulfire): Everybody is kung fu fighting Your mind becomes fast as lightning Although the future is a little bit frightening (little bit frightening) It's the book of your life that you're writing (life that you're writing) Fluttershy (Po): You are a natural (ooh) Why is it so hard to see? (Yeah) Maybe it's just because (ooh) You keep on looking at me (huh) Applejack (Po): The journey's a lonely one (ooh) So much more than we know (yeah) But sometimes you've got to go (ooh) Go on and be your own hero Sunset (Swampsuke): Everybody is kung fu fighting (kung fu fighting) Your mind becomes fast as lightning Although the future is a little bit frightening (little bit frightening) It's the book of your life that you're writing (life that you're writing) Rarity (Po): You're a diamond in the rough (ooh) A brilliant ball of clay (yeah) You could be a work of art (ow) If you just go all the way (yeah) Pinkie (Po): Now what would it take to break (ooh) I believe that you can bend (yeah) Not only do you have to fight (hoo) But you have got to win HuMane 6 and Makoto (Po, Swampsuke, Raptor and Soulfire) Everybody is kung fu fighting (kung fu fighting) Your mind becomes fast as lightning Although the future is a little bit frightening It's the book of your life that you're writing The beastmen of the Valley of Peace and students from CH saw the performance and applauded and cheered. Later, at the bus... "It was really awesome to meet you guys." Po said. "Same with all of us meeting you and the others, Po." Sunset responded as she went into the bus, with the vehicle heading back to Canterlot City. "Well, better head back to the Jade Palace." Po said as he went back to the Jade Palace to meet up with Shifu and the Furious Five. After he did, before anyone could leave, the reflection pool started to glow, before three figures jumped out of it. "So where did this mirror take us to now?" The first figure asked, revealed to be... Crane?! "Wait a minute, we're at the jade palace? Why are... Oh." The second figure realized, revealed to be Viper?! The two groups just stared at each other, completely confused of what's going on. "Well... This is a surprise." The third figure admitted, revealed to be a sky blue-skinned man with yellow hair, wearing black pants, gloves and shoes, white tank top and a blue vest. "What the?!" Po gasped in absolute awe, amazement, shock, surprise and fear. The End...?