Hana Huong and the Kung Fu Panda (REWRITE)

by Bobforthought

Summary:

13-year-old Hana Huong is the only human residing in the Valley of Peace, where the word "human" has never been heard of, and she's just trying to fit in. But when she comes to witness the announcement of the new Dragon Warrior, an unexpected choice leads her into an unexpected new bond.

Chapter 1: Author's Note

My KFP self-insert fanfic, which made its debut on Wattpad, is now more than a year old, and for the 1st anniversary, I've decided to change the story how I realised it should've been written in the first place.

Hana seemed a bit young for all this Kung Fu stuff. I decided that having her just be a sort of partner to Po would make the story a little bit better.

I hope you enjoy the parts of the story as I work on it.

For those who don't know about my OC, Hana is a 13-year-old human girl with blue eyes and straight, black hair that ends at her waist. She wears a traditional, white hanfu, consisting of an inner tank top, a long, white skirt that flows down to her ankles with a light blue ribbon tied around her waist, and blue shoes (she goes barefoot when indoors). She doesn't need a robe, jewellery or any hair accessories, because she's more comfortable without them.

Chapter 2: The New Dragon Warrior

The sunlight awoke Hana Huong from her sleep. The 13-year-old girl rubbed her eyes, got out of bed and stretched herself out. She then started changing into her traditional, white hanfu.

She put on the inner tank top, buttoning it up, then put on the long, flowy skirt that flowed down to her ankles, and tied it at her waist. She didn't need a robe, jewelry or any hair accessories, because she was more comfortable without them.

After preparing and enjoying some dumplings for breakfast, Hana put on her blue shoes and stepped outside into the Valley of Peace.

She was the only human to reside in this place. All the other inhabitants were animals, who didn't even know what a human was. Even Hana herself had never heard this term before.

"Zao-shang-hao, neighbors," the girl said to the villagers as she passed by. They simply ignored her.

Hana was a bit of an outcast in the Valley. Nobody really understood her, due to her being the only one of her kind here.

A little while later that day, while walking through the village, Hana came across a crowd of animals hurrying by. She walked up to the crowd.

"What's the rush?" she questioned. "We're going to the Jade Palace," answered one of them. "Master Oogway's about to choose a new Dragon Warrior today!"

At that thought, Hana became excited. Today was the day a member of Furious Five would become one with the Dragon Scroll, which was said to contain the secret to limitless power.

Hana looked up to the Furious Five - Monkey, Mantis, Crane, Viper and Tigress. The girl always loved their heroic nature, and dreamed of seeing them in person, and now, she felt her chance was near.

She quickly joined the crowd as they made their way up a rather long flight of stairs, all the way to the Jade Palace.

As soon as they reached the Palace, Hana took her seat amongst the animals, who were a bit bugged. She tried not to mind.

In the distance, she could see Grand Master Oogway, an elderly turtle who was the Valley's spiritual leader, alongside his mentee, Shifu, a red panda.

"Let the tournament begin!" an announcer called out, banging a gong. The crowd cheered as they awaited the pleading moment. "This is so exciting!" Hana giggled to herself.

"Citizens of the Valley of Peace," Shifu said to the crowd. "It is my great honor to present to you, Tigress, Viper, Crane, Monkey, Mantis... the Furious Five!"

Then, the aforementioned masters sprung up into the air, a sight that made Hana's heart leap with joy. "It's really them!" she cried, as she watched them strike an impressive landing in the middle of the arena, complete with Crane releasing a wave of air from his wings.

"Warriors, prepare!" Shifu called. "Ready for battle?"

Hana looked on in awe as she watched the Five take on a series of different contraptions, from Crane against the "Thousand Tongues of Fire", to Tigress against "Iron Ox and his Blades of Death".

When all the events were over, Oogway came up. "I sense the Dragon Warrior is among us," he said to the crowd.

Hana's heart was racing. She was eager to find out who would claim the Dragon Scroll.

The Five all lined up in the center of the arena. "Citizens of the Valley of Peace," Shifu announced. "Master Oogway will now choose the Dragon Warrior!"

Oogway slowly made his way over to the Five, ready to make the selection.

Hana was struggling to contain her excitement, when all of a sudden, she heard a boom from outside. She looked, and saw something smokey rocketing into the air. She could hear someone atop the thing, screaming.

The thing then exploded in a display of fireworks, amusing the crowd. Hana looked on as the smoke cleared, and saw a panda, a big, chubby one, with patchwork shorts, hurled into the air.

The panda then began to fall. He dropped into the arena, right between Oogway and the Five... and Oogway pointed at him. Hana was confused.

The panda awoke, and saw he was being pointed at. "Oh!" he said. "Okay, sorry, I just wanted to see who the Dragon Warrior was."

"How interesting," Oogway said as the panda fixed himself back up. "Master, are you pointing at me?" asked Tigress.

"Him," Oogway said. "Who?" The panda replied. He found that Oogway's finger was staying focused on him. "You!" said Oogway.

"Me?" The panda exclaimed.

"The universe has brought us the Dragon Warrior!" Oogway declared to the crowd.

The crowd celebrated the announcement, but Hana was still confused. Why was a sudden panda unexpectedly picked for the Dragon Warrior?

A group of geese came by and began carrying the heavy panda over to the Jade Palace. Deciding to look further into this, Hana decided to sneak out and follow them.

Picking up her hanfu's skirt to avoid tripping on the stairs, the human girl walked to the left of the panda as the geese carried him. "Excuse me," she whispered.

The panda took notice of Hana. "Hey, I've heard of you," he said. "You're that creature whose species nobody knows about!"

"Yeah, I am." replied Hana. "Why exactly are you following me?" the panda asked. "I'm trying to find out if there's any further details on this," the girl explained. "I'm Hana, by the way."

"Po, how's it goin'?" the panda introduced himself with a point.

"How long do you think this is gonna go on?" said Hana. "Next few minutes, probably," Po suggested as the two made their way to the Palace.

Chapter 3: An Accidental Choice

After a long way up, Po finally reached the interior of the palace, while Hana snuck in with him. He was dropped off, and the door closed, leaving the two inside.

"Excuse me!" Hana called out. "I think there's been a slight mistake."

"Yeah, uh," added Po. "Everyone seems to think that I'm, uh..." The panda's voice trailed off as he took notice of the room he and Hana were in.

"The Sacred Hall of Warriors, no way!" he exclaimed in awe. "Look at this place!" Hana was astounded as well. "I can't believe I'm here either," she said with a grin.

Po began to inspect all the amazing artefacts. He ran up to a large suit. "Master Flying Rhino's armour!" He said in awe. "With authentic battle damage!"

The panda then plodded over to a green sword, making sure not to touch it. "The Sword of Heroes!" he said. "Said to be so sharp you can cut yourself just by looking-OW!"

Po then turned to an apparently empty display. "The Invisible Trident of Destiny!" he said before looking at a cool-looking painting. "I've only seen paintings of that painting..."

Hana, on the other hand, examined the place more gently. "So many warrior artefacts," the human girl said in amazement. "They look so cool!"

Po ran around the place, amazed by all the artefacts, until something else caught his eye. He ran up to it excitedly. "The legendary Urn of Whispering Warriors..." he said. "Said to contain the souls of the entire tenshu army!" The panda looked inside the Urn's hole. "Hello..." he whispered into it.

"Have you finished sightseeing?" said a voice, as if one of the souls inside the Urn was speaking. Po gasped in surprise. "Sorry," he said. "I should've come to see you first."

"My patience is wearing thin," the voice said. "Oh!" said Po. "Well, I mean, it's not like you were going anywhere."

"Would you turn around?" the voice asked. "Sure," Po replied, before turning to the right and seeing Shifu not far from him. "Hey, how's it going?" the panda said before turning back to the Urn. "Now how do you get five..."

Po suddenly recognized who he just saw. "Master Shifu!" he yelped. In the process, he accidentally bumped the Urn off its pedestal and it smashed to pieces on the floor. "Uh-oh..." the panda said. The souls inside were released, letting out a ghostly moan.

"Someone broke that," Po said to Shifu. "But I'm gonna fix it, I'll... I'll... do you have some glue?" He scattered the pieces, trying to reassemble the Urn, but he hit its pedestal with his paw and it fell on his head. "Ow, splinter," he said.

"So you're the legendary Dragon Warrior, hmm?" said Shifu. "Uh... I guess so?" Po replied. "Wrong!" Shifu yelled, suddenly.

"You are not the Dragon Warrior," the red panda said. "You will never be the Dragon Warrior until you have learned the secret of the Dragon Scroll." He pointed up to a gold dragon at the ceiling with the aforementioned scroll inside its mouth. "Woah..." Po and Hana said in unison.

"So, um... how does this work?" Po asked. "Do you have a ladder, trampoline, or..." Hana giggled. "You think it's that easy?" she said. "That Shifu's just gonna hand you the "secret to limitless power"?"

"One must first master the highest level of kung fu," Shifu explained. "And that is clearly impossible if that one is someone like you."

"Someone like Po?" said Hana. "Yes," Shifu replied, turning to the panda. "Look at you!" He violently smacked some of Po's body parts with his staff. "This fat butt, flabby arms..."

"OW!" Po yelped. "Those are sensitive in the flabby parts," Shifu poked at his belly. "And this ridiculous belly," the red panda continued. "and utter disregard for personal hygiene."

"Now wait a minute, that's a little uncalled for!" said Hana. "She's got a point," Po added. "Don't stand that close," said Shifu. "I can smell your breath."

"Listen," Po tried to explain, pointing at Shifu. "Oogway said that I was-" Shifu pinched the panda's finger, then raised his pinky.

Po gasped in horror. "What's wrong?" Hana asked. "The WuXi Finger Hold!" Po whimpered. "Not the WuXi Finger Hold!"

"Oh, you know this hold?" said Shifu. "Developed by Master WuXi in the Third Dynasty, yes!" Po said. "Oh, then you must know what happens when I flex my pinky," Shifu replied.

Po gasped again. "No, no, no!" he begged. "You know the hardest part of this?" Shifu said. "The hardest part is cleaning up afterwards." The red panda chuckled afterwards. "Okay..." Po whimpered. "Okay, take it easy..."

"Now listen closely, panda," said Shifu. "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?"

"Yeah, we're clear, we're clear, we're so clear," Po replied. "Good," Shifu chuckled. "I can't wait to get started."

He then led Po out of the hall, while Hana followed close behind. The trio then arrived in the training hall, where they saw the Furious Five in action. Both Po and Hana were in awe as they watched the warriors.

The Five trained across a series of different training mechanisms, such as the "Jade Tortoise of Wisdom", a giant, tortoise-like, balancing bowl, the "Gauntlet of Wooden Warriors", a army of spinning, wooden crocodile mannequins, the "Field of Fiery Death", a floor made of flamethrowers, the "Seven-talon Rings", wooden rings with sharp talons sticking out, and the "Seven Swinging Clubs of Instant Oblivion", spiky, wooden clubs hanging over a floor of spinning serpent logs.

"Let's begin," said Shifu. "Wa-wa-wait... what?" Po said, looking at all the dangerous equipment. "Now?"

"Yes, now," Shifu replied. "Unless you think the great Oogway was wrong, and you were not the Dragon Warrior."

"Oh, okay," said Po. "Well, I don't know if I can do all of those moves." Shifu chuckled. "Well, if we don't try," he said. "we'll never know, will we?"

"Uh, yeah, it's just..." Po said. "Maybe we can find something more suited to my level."

"And what level is that?" Shifu asked. "Well, y'know, uh... I'm not a master," said Po. "But, uh... let's just start at zero, level zero."

"Oh, no," Shifu chuckled. "There is no such thing as level zero." Hana noticed a nearby punch dummy. "Hey, maybe he can start with that!" she insisted. "That? We use that for training children," Shifu said as Po trotted over to it. "and for propping the door open when it's hot. But if you insist..."

The Furious Five gathered around them to watch. "Woah, the Furious Five!" Po said in awe. "I can't believe I'm this close to you," Hana gasped to her role models with admiration.

"You're so much bigger than your action figures," Po said. "Except for you, Mantis. You're about the same." Mantis gave the panda a hard stare.

"Go ahead, panda," said Shifu. "Show us what you can do." Po looked on at the Five. "Um, are they gonna watch?" he asked. "Or should I just wait until they get back to work or something?"

"Hit it," Hana told the panda. "Okay, yeah, I mean, I just ate, so I'm still digesting," said Po. "So my kung fu might not be as good as later on."

"Just hit it," Shifu said, impatiently. "Alright," said Po. He turned to the dummy, and started to give it some trash talk.

"Whatcha got? You got nothin' cause I got it right here. You pickin' on my friends? Get ready to feel the thunder! Comin' at 'em with the crazy feet, whatcha gonna do 'bout crazy feet? Come on, I'm a blur, I'm a blur, you never seen bear style, you only seen praying Mantis, Monkey style, ooh-ooh-ah-ah! Comin' at ya, snickety-snake!"

Shifu was getting even more impatient. "Would you hit it?!" he yelled, snapping Po back to reality. "Alright, alright," he said. He stepped forth and gave the dummy a little bump with his fist.

"Why don't you try again?" Shifu insisted. "A little harder."

"Like this!" Hana said, giving the dummy a hard punch, making it rock back and forth. "Now you try."

Po hit the dummy extra hard, knocking it backwards. "How's th-" THWACK! The dummy sprung back, hitting Po in the face, and knocking out one of his teeth. He stumbled into the Swinging Clubs, balanced on the serpent logs, and ended up in a painful split.

Po turned his head around and was just in time to see one of the clubs swing right into him, sending him flying right into the Jade Tortoise. The panda repeatedly smacked against the sides as it rocked left, right, back and forth.

"This'll be easier than I thought," Shifu said as he, Hana and the Five watched.

The Tortoise spilled Po out and he ended up stumbling into the Gauntlet of Wooden Warriors, and repeatedly got hit by them as he made his way through, one of them smashing his crotch. "My tenders..." Po groaned.

He got back up and laid his arm on one of the mannequins, causing them to start pummeling him again. He managed to get out of the Gauntlet... and onto the Field of Fiery Death. "Uh-oh..." he said, before getting roasted and toasted.

Po slowly crawled back to the others, covered in ashes. "How did I do?" he asked Shifu. "There is now a level zero," said Shifu.

Chapter 4: Misfits

Later that night, the Five were heading off to their bunkhouse to rest up for tomorrow's training, while Po and Hana followed close behind. While they did, the Five discussed Oogway's choices of the Dragon Warrior and apprentice.

"There's no words," said Mantis. "No denying that," added Crane. "I don't understand what Master Oogway was thinking," said Viper. "The poor guy's just gonna get himself killed!"

"He is so mighty!" Crane said, jokingly. "The Dragon Warrior fell out of the sky on a ball of fire!"

"Technically, I came on a rocket-powered chair," Po said to Hana, overhearing the conversation.

"When he walks, the very ground shakes!" joked Mantis, getting a chuckle from the others.

"One would think that Master Oogway would choose someone that actually knew kung fu," Tigress said in annoyance.

"Yeah, or could at least touch his toes," joked Crane. "Or even see his toes," Monkey added.

Po tried to prove them wrong by lifting his belly and peeking over, but only succeeded in falling down.

In the bunkhouse, when the Five blew out their candles, Po and Hana walked in to find a vacant room. The floorboards were very creaky. Hana knew they would be no match for Po's weight.

"Po, follow my lead," the girl told the panda. "Slow and steady."

Po took very slow and gentle steps, but ended up breaking a hole in the floor. With an exasperated sigh, Hana pushed Po forward, trying to help him move as quickly and gently as he could.

She guided him into one of the rooms, but when they got in, Crane was in front of them, picking under his wing when he noticed them.

"Oh, hey, hi, you're up," said Po. "Am now," Crane replied.

"We were just, uh... some day, huh?" Po said. "That kung fu stuff is hard work, right?" Hana added. "Are your biceps sore?"

"I've had a long, and rather disappointing day, so, uh... yeah," said Crane. "I should probably get to sleep now."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," said Po. "Of course," said Hana. "It's just," Po explained. "Man, I'm such a big fan! You guys were totally amazing at the battle of Weeping River! Outnumbered a thousand to one, but you didn't stop, and you just..."

He tried to re-enact what happened, but ended up kicking a hole in the paper wall. He and Hana looked in the hole, where Monkey was trying to meditate in the next room. "Sorry about that," said Po, as Monkey gave them a look. "He'll fix that soon, don't worry," said Hana.

"Look," said Crane. "You don't belong here," Po sighed. "I know, I know, you're right," he said despondently. "I just, my whole life, I've dreamed of..."

"No, no, no," said Crane. "I meant you don't belong here, I mean, in this room. This is my room. Property of Crane!"

"Oh, okay, right, right," said Po. "So yeah, you wanna get to sleep, we're keeping you up."

"Got big things tomorrow," Hana added as she and Po stepped out of the room. "You're awesome," Po said to Crane before closing the door. "Last thing we're gonna say. Bye-bye."

Crane sighed disappointedly. Po peeped back in. "What was that?" he asked. "I didn't say anything," Crane replied. "Okay, alright," said Po. "Goodnight, sleep well." Hana closed the door. "Don't let the bedbugs bite," she said. Crane facepalmed in annoyance.

"Seemed a little bit awkward..." Po sighed. "Yeah, y'think?" Hana added. "We've still got a room to find. C'mon."

They carried on, but were stopped by another door opening. It was Tigress.

"Master Tigress!" Po said, nervously. "Didn't mean to wake you... just, uh..."

"You don't belong here," said Tigress. "Yeah, yeah, of course," said Po. "This is your room."

"I mean, you don't belong in the Jade Palace," Tigress said. "You are 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."

She closed her door. "Big fan!" Po called back, before beginning to sulk. Hana could tell the panda was facing a problem much like the one she was facing right now.

Po then left the bunkhouse, and walked his way over to a peach tree. Hana followed him all the way there, and found him behind the tree, helping himself to some of the peaches.

She walked over to the panda and sat down next to him. "I feel you, Po," she said. "The Five aren't into you."

"I know," Po sighed. "To be honest, I never really fit in. Being a panda got in the way." He poked his belly for emphasis, making it jiggle. "I can see that," Hana said. "But y'know what? I don't think you're that bad."

Po turned to her. "You don't?" he said. "Of course not!" said Hana. "Sure, the Five find you weird, clumsy and terrible at kung fu, but I think you're funny, likeable, and persistent."

"You really think so?" asked Po. "Exactly," Hana replied. "I also hear the Five are your role models."

"That's true, Hana," Po stated. "Very big fan."

The girl smiled. "I look up to them, too," she said.

Hana gave out a sigh, her smile faltering. "Honestly, growing up, I didn't have any friends either," the human girl continued, leaning against Po. "All the other citizens found me weird because I was the only... whatever I am."

Po gave her a soft smile. "I think you're pretty likeable as well," he said. "I am?" Hana replied.

"Well, sure," said Po. "You seem kind and helpful." Hana grinned and nuzzled the panda's soft body. "Well, I try to be like that to others," she replied.

Their little heart-to-heart was interrupted by a sudden voice.

"I see you have found the Sacred Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom."

The two turned around and saw Oogway walking to them. "Oh!" Hana said, greeting the turtle with a bow. "Ni-hao, Master Oogway."

"Is that what this is?" Po said, spitting out the peaches he was eating. "I am so sorry! I thought it was just a regular peach tree."

"I understand," said Oogway. "You eat when you are upset,"

"Upset? I'm not upset!" Po said. "Yeah," said Hana. "Why would he be upset?"

"So why are you upset?" Oogway asked. "I probably sucked more today than anyone in the history of kung fu," Po admitted with a sigh. "In the history of China, in the history of sucking!"

"Probably," Oogway said.

"And the Five," the panda continued. "Man, you should've seen 'em. They totally hate me!"

"Totally," Oogway said.

"How's Shifu gonna turn me into the Dragon Warrior?" Po sighed. "I mean, I'm not like the Five. I've got no claws, no wings, no venom... even Mantis has those... thingies... Maybe I should just quit and go back to making noodles."

"Quit, don't quit," said Oogway. "Noodles, don't noodles. You are too concerned for 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."

The turtle then left the two on their own. "Well, Po?" Hana asked. "You go rest up," Po told the girl. "I have a lot more work to do."

Chapter 5: The Legend of Tai Lung

The next morning, the Five woke up under Shifu's call. "Good morning, master," they said. Shifu waited for Po, but got no answer.

"Panda!" he called. "Panda, wake up!" Shifu looked in the sixth room, but instead, found Hana asleep on the bed. The girl was startled awake, and noticed Shifu. "Oh!" she said, getting up and stretching, before greeting Shifu with a bow. "Zao-shang-hao, Master Shifu."

"Where's the panda?" Shifu demanded. "I don't know," replied Hana. "He told me to sleep here, but I have no idea where he is."

Shifu chuckled. "He's quit," he decided.

He lead the Five to their training hall, while Hana followed behind them. "What do we do now, master?" Viper asked. "With the panda gone, who will be the Dragon Warrior?"

"All we can do is resume out training and trust that in time, the true Dragon Warrior will be revealed," Shifu insisted.

But when he opened the door, he didn't like what he saw. Po was trying to do a split on two balance boards.

"What are you doing here?!" Shifu yelled.

Po turned around. "Good morning, master," he said when he noticed Shifu, stretching himself out. "I thought I'd warm up a little."

"You're stuck," Shifu interpreted. "Stuck, no, what?" said Po. "No, this is one of my... yeah, I'm stuck."

"Help him," Shifu ordered Crane. "Oh dear," Crane said as he walked to Po. He grabbed the seat of Po's shorts, and pulled him as hard as he could, until Po finally tumbled out of his split.

"Thank you," Po said. "Don't mention it," Crane replied. "No, really," Po said. "I apprecia-"

"Ever," said Crane.

Shifu chuckled. "You actually thought you could learn to do a full split in one night?" he said. "It takes years to develop one's flexibility, and years longer to apply it in combat."

He demonstrated by throwing two stone tiles in the air. Tigress leapt up and smashed them both with her feet. Po watched in amazement as Tigress landed.

Chunks of the tiles fell to the ground, surrounding the Po. He picked one of them up. "Put that down!" Shifu demanded. "The only souvenirs we collect here are bloody knuckles and broken bones."

"Yeah!" said Po, putting his fist in his palm. "Excellent!"

"Let's get started," Shifu said.

Po went through a range of combat tests with the Five, and went down quite hardly, but no matter the challenge, he never backed down.

The panda was persistent until evening, when Shifu reached his breaking point. "I've been taking it easy on you, panda, but no more," he said. "Your next opponent will be me."

"Alright, yeah, let's go!" said Po.

Shifu walked up to Po. "Step forth," he ordered, and once the panda did, he grabbed him and spun him rapidly.

"The true path to victory is to find your opponent's weakness, and make him suffer for it," Shifu said as he pummeled Po, throwing, pulling on and kicking the panda. "To take his strength and use it against him, until he finally falls, or quits."

He eventually paused, holding Po by his nose. "But a real warrior never quits," said the panda. "Don't worry, master, I will never quit!"

Shifu had had enough. He threw Po into the air and struck him with a mighty kick. The panda flew right out of the door, and painfully bounced his way down the long flight of stairs.

Hana and the Five watched as Po tumbled down. "You guys think he'll be okay?" Hana asked, concerned. "Well, if he's smart," said Tigress. "he won't come back up those steps."

"But he will," Monkey reassured her. "He's not gonna quit, is he?" said Viper. "He's not gonna quit bouncin', tell ya that!" Mantis said, chuckling.

Later that evening, in the bunkhouse, Po, Hana and Mantis joined Viper in her room, where Po was undergoing acupuncture by Mantis, to recover from all the pain he suffered while falling down the stairs.

The panda wasn't happy with the feeling of lots of needles being stuck in his back. "I thought you said acupuncture would make me feel better!" he said to Mantis.

"Trust me, it will," the insect reassured him. "It's just not easy finding the right nerve points under all this, um..."

"Fat?" said Po. "Fur," Mantis finished. "I was gonna say fur."

"Sure you were," Hana giggled. "Who am I to judge a warrior based on his size?" said Mantis, pointing to his tiny body. "I mean, look at me."

"Maybe you should take a look at this again," Viper instructed, showing Mantis the diagram. "Oh, OK," said Mantis.

He tried to be accurate, but only ended up making Po yell in pain, putting the other members of the Five off their hobbies.

As the treatment went on, Hana spoke up. "Hey, Po? I know Master Shifu's trying to inspire you and all," she said. "But if I didn't know any better, I'd say he's trying to get rid of you."

"I know he can seem kinda heartless," said Mantis. "But y'know, he wasn't always like that."

"According to legend," Viper explained. "there was once a time when Master Shifu actually used to smile."

"NO," Po said in surprise. "Yes," Mantis said.

"But that was before," said Viper. "Before what?" Hana asked.

"Before Tai Lung," said a voice. Everyone turned to see Tigress, who had just entered the room.

"Uh, yeah," Crane said from the next room. "We're not really supposed to talk about him."

"Well, if he's going to stay here," said Tigress. "he should know."

"Guys, guys," said Po. "I know about Tai Lung. He was a student, the first ever to master the thousand scrolls of kung fu, and then he turned bad, and now he's in jail, and..."

Tigress walked up to Po. "He wasn't just a student," she explained.

"Shifu found him as a cub, and he raised him as his son, and when the boy showed talent in kung fu, Shifu trained him. He believed in him. He told him he was destined for greatness. It was never enough for Tai Lung. He wanted the Dragon Scroll, but Oogway saw darkness in his heart, and refused. Outraged, Tai Lung laid waste to the valley. He tried to take the Scroll by force, and Shifu had to destroy what he had created. But how could he? Shifu loved Tai Lung like he had never loved anyone before. Or since. 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."

Po suddenly pulled a crazy face. "OH, THAT IS IT!" Tigress yelled. She was about to claw the panda, but Mantis stopped her.

"Wait, my fault!" he said. "I accidentally tweaked his facial nerve!" Po collapsed on the floor, revealing a back full of needles.

"And may have also stopped his heart," Mantis added. Hana gave him a stare. "Fix him," she said.

Chapter 6: A Reluctant Student

Later that night, Po was preparing a noodle soup supper for Hana, the Five and himself (Tigress, on the other hand, preferred to eat tofu).

Hana helped Po out with the bowls, while Po talked of the weird happenings he faced back then.

"So I'm like, 'Fine, you may be a wolf," said the panda. "You may be the scariest bandit in Haijin Province... but you're a lousy tipper.'"

"Really?" Crane said, incredulously. "So, how'd you get out of there alive?" Hana asked as she held out the bowls for Po.

"I mean, I didn't actually say that, but I thought it... in my mind," Po said as he poured spoonfuls of the soup into the bowls. "If he could read my mind, he'd have been like 'What?'"

"Order up!" Hana said as she handed out the bowls. "Hope you like it," Po said as he and girl sat down. He looked in anticipation as Hana and the Five tried his soup.

"This is really good!" Mantis said. "Naw, come on, you should try my Dad's secret ingredient soup," Po replied. "He actually knows the secret ingredient."

"What are you talking about?" said Viper. "This is amazing!" Po felt proud of himself.

"Wow, you're a really good cook," Crane complimented. "I wish my mouth was bigger!" added Mantis.

When Hana tried the soup, she was stunned. "Oh, wow," she said. "This is the bestest soup I've ever tasted! You really have to cook this more often!"

"Thanks, buddy," Po replied, giving the human girl a little noogie.

"Tigress, you've got to try this!" Monkey said, but Tigress would rather more eat her tofu.

"It is said that the Dragon Warrior can survive for months at a time," the feline said. "on nothing but the dew of a single ginkgo leaf, and the energy of the universe."

"I guess my body doesn't know it's the Dragon Warrior yet," Po chuckled. "I'm gonna need a lot more than dew, and, uh... universe juice."

Po slurped his soup straight from the bowl. When he pulled it away, the others started to chuckle.

"What?" Po said. "Oh, nothing... Master Shifu," Mantis said, bowing down at him. The panda noticed a noodle had fell onto his upper lip, resembling Shifu's mustache, which gave him an idea.

He then kneeled down and started to imitate Shifu. "You will never be the Dragon Warrior," he said. "unless you lose five hundred pounds, and brush your teeth!"

The Five found this hilarious (Tigress, on the other hand, saw it as an insult), but Hana laughed the loudest. "What is that noise you're making? Laughter?" Po continued. "I've never heard of it!"

Hana couldn't help but get in on the action. She grabbed two bowls and held them over her head to mimic Shifu's ears.

"Work hard, panda, and maybe someday," the girl said, trying to hold back her own giggles. "You will have ears like mine!"

The Five continued to laugh at their impressions, but then their faces suddenly turned shocked. "Are the ears not working?" Hana asked. "I thought they were pretty good."

"It's Shifu!" Monkey whispered. "Of course it's Shifu," said Po. "What do you think we're doing?"

Monkey pointed to behind them. Po and Hana turned around, and Shifu was in front of them.

"Master Shifu!" they both yelped. Po quickly slurped the noodle up. Hana tried to hide the bowls by slapping them on Po's chest, to resemble bikinis, making the Five chuckle again.

"Ni-hao!" Hana said, nervously. "This, uh... isn't... what it looks like."

"You think this is funny?!" Shifu yelled. "Tai Lung has escaped from prison, and you're acting like children! He is coming for the Dragon Scroll, and you are the only one who can stop him!"

Po's bowls fell off. He chuckled at Shifu's words. "And here I am saying you got no sense of humor!" Po said, before realising Shifu was right. "What, you're serious? And I have to...? Uh, Master Oogway'll stop him! He did it before, he'll do it again!"

"Oogway cannot!" Shifu said. "Not anymore..." Everyone gasped in horror. "He's... gone?" Hana said.

"Our only hope," said Shifu. "is the Dragon Warrior."

"The panda?" said Tigress. "Yes, the panda!" Shifu replied. "Master, please, let us stop Tai Lung," Tigress demanded. "This is what you've trained us for!"

"No, it is not your destiny to defeat Tai Lung, it is his!" Shifu said, pointing his staff at... no one. "Where'd he go?"

"I'll go look," Hana offered. The human came outside and found Po fleeing the Palace, running to the stairs and screaming at the top of his lungs.

Hana chased the panda. "Po, come back!" she called out. "No!" Po yelled. "But you can't quit now!" argued Hana. "Yes, I can!" Po wailed.

Just as the panda reached the stairs, Shifu stopped him in his tracks. "You cannot leave!" he demanded. "A real warrior never quits."

"Watch me!" Po said. He tried to run past Shifu, but the red panda grabbed him with his staff and chucked him back into place.

"Come on, how am I supposed to beat Tai Lung?" said Po. "I can't even beat you to the stairs!

"You will beat him because you are the Dragon Warrior!" Shifu said.

"You don't believe that! You never believed that!" Po argued. "From the first moment I got here, you've been trying to get rid of me!"

"Yes, I was!" said Shifu. "But now, I ask you to trust in your master, as I have come to trust in mine."

"You're not my master," Po sighed. "And I'm not the Dragon Warrior."

"Then why didn't you quit?" Shifu said. "You know I was trying to get rid of you, yet you stayed."

"Yeah, I stayed," said Po. "I stayed because every time you threw a brick at my head, or said I smelled, it hurt."

"But it could never hurt him more than it did every day of his life just being him," Hana added.

"I stayed, because I thought," said Po. "If anyone could change me, could make me not me, it was you! The greatest kung fu teacher in all of China!"

"I can change you!" Shifu said. "I can turn you into the Dragon Warrior, and I will!"

"Come on!" Po said. "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 into the Dragon Warrior? Huh? How?"

Shifu stared quietly.

"HOW?!" Po yelled.

"I DON'T KNOW!" Shifu yelled. His anger slowly turned to sadness. "I don't know," he repeated.

"That's what I thought," Po said. Shifu slowly walked back to the Palace, while Po and Hana returned to the bunkhouse, the panda feeling heartbroken.

Tigress had overheard the whole thing from the Palace roof. She turned and leapt into the village. The feline knew that if she was originally meant to be the Dragon Warrior, it was her destiny to stop Tai Lung. "This is what you trained me for," she said.

She jumped and skipped across the rooftops, when she heard someone call her name. She looked and saw the other members of the Five following her.

"Don't try and stop me," she told them. "We're not trying to stop you," Viper said. "We're coming with you!"

Tigress agreed, as she led the Five to wherever Tai Lung was.

Chapter 7: A New Way to Train

Hana followed Po to his room in the bunkhouse. As she removed her shoes, she saw him sitting on the floor.

The human walked up to the panda, knelt down and wrapped her arms around his soft belly, giving him a hug. She knew what he was going through and could tell her friend needed some comfort.

"I'm so sorry Shifu's never trained anyone like you before," said Hana. Po sighed, appreciating the comfort. "I'm startin' to doubt I can actually handle Tai Lung," he said.

"You just need hope," Hana told the panda, still hugging him. "I have a feeling Shifu might be able to figure something out in the morning."

"You think so?" Po said. "I feel so," Hana replied.

Po then stood as the girl pulled away, and he got into bed. There was no room for Hana, but she had a better idea. She took a seat on Po's belly and sank into it.

Hana ran her hands across the soft fur. Po's pudgy, fuzzy body was very comfortable, leaving her feeling very content. The human turned, curled up and rested her head under the panda's chin.

"You're a lovely bed," Hana sighed. "Thanks, pal," Po replied, putting one of his large arms around the girl.

"Wan-an, Po," Hana whispered, closing her eyes. "G'night..." Po yawned, as the two fell asleep.

The next morning, Shifu was sitting near the peach tree, which had now wilted because of Oogway's loss.

Shifu was trying to figure out a good way to train Po, when he heard some brief yelling and shouting from the distance.

The red panda went to the training hall, but no one was there. He then noticed the yelling was coming from the bunkhouse.

He looked inside and was just in time to see Po punching and kicking holes in cupboards, and stealing food from them, while Hana stood to the side, impressed.

The girl then noticed Shifu. "Uh, Po?" she said, causing the panda to notice he had been caught. "What?" he said. "I eat when I'm upset, okay?"

"Oh, no need to explain," said Shifu. "I just thought you might be Monkey. He hides his almond cookies on the top shelf."

The red panda turned to the outside of the room, and awaited what would happen. He heard a whoosh, and then a clunk.

He returned to the room, and saw Po in a perfect split between the shelves, feasting on Monkey's cookies, while Hana was staring in disbelief at what she had just seen.

Po noticed Shifu again. "Don't tell Monkey," he said.

"Look at you..." Shifu said in awe. "Yeah, I know," said Po. "I disgust you."

"No, no," Shifu said. "I mean, how did you get up there?"

"I dunno," Po excused. "I was getting a cookie."

"And yet you are ten feet off the ground," said Shifu. "and have done a perfect split."

"No, this?" Po said. "This is just a..." His feet started to slip. "...accident."

The panda then fell off the shelves, and crashed into some inventory.

"There are no accidents," Shifu said. "Come with me."

The red panda then led Po out on a journey to train him, while Hana stayed behind, waiting for them. The girl couldn't help but wonder how Shifu was going to make Po a warrior.

After what felt like forever to Hana, the two pandas finally returned.

"You have done well, panda," said Shifu. "Done well?" Po repeated. "Done well? I've done awesome!"

"The mark of a true hero is humility," said Shifu. "But yes, you have done awesome."

Hana walked up to the two. "How did you train him?" she asked Shifu. "I simply figured that his hunger was the way to get through to him," the red panda said with a chuckle.

"Simply put, I've got a thing for food," Po said. "and that's what he used to train me." Hana was both amused and impressed. "Told you he'd figure something out," she replied with a smile.

Just then, a flapping sound was heard. They turned, and saw Crane weakly carrying the other members of the Five in his legs. They collapsed on the ground, brutally defeated.

The trio was horrified. "We were no match for his nerve attack," said Crane. Shifu was worried. "He has gotten stronger," he said.

"Tai Lung?" Hana said. "Stronger?"

"I thought we could stop him," said Tigress. "He could have killed you," Shifu said. "Why didn't he?" Mantis said.

"So you could come back here and strike fear into our hearts," said Shifu. "But it won't work!"

"It might," Po said. "I mean, a little, but I'm pretty scared."

"You can defeat him, panda," Shifu said. "Are you kidding?" said the panda. "They're five masters. I'm just one me."

"But you will have the one thing that no one else does," said Shifu. Po's time had finally come.

Chapter 8: A Misleading Scroll

Shifu took the group into the Palace, where Po was set to read the Dragon Scroll. "You really believe I'm ready?" the panda asked.

"You are," Shifu said. "...Po." It was quite surprising to hear Shifu mention him by name.

Shifu then grabbed his staff and walked to a lake of peach blossoms, where the Dragon holding the Scroll lay above.

Shifu then spun his staff, and the blossoms started to move. They floated all the way to the ceiling to the Scroll.

One of the blossoms landed on the Scroll, and it slipped out of the Dragon's jaws. Shifu caught the Scroll inches from the water.

He then grabbed it and passed it onto Po. "Behold, the Dragon Scroll," he said. "It is yours."

Po was excited. All his training had led to this moment. He reached for it, but hesitated. "Wait," he said. "What happens when I read it?"

"No one knows," said Shifu. "But legend says you will be able to hear a butterfly's wingbeat."

"Woah, really?" Po said. "That's cool."

"Yes," Shifu continued. "And see light in the deepest cave. You will feel the universe in motion around you."

"Wow!" Po said, excitedly. "Can I punch through walls? Can I do a quadruple backflip? Will I have invisibility?"

"Focus, focus," said Shifu, snapping Po out. "Read it, Po, and fulfill your destiny. Read it and become the Dragon Warrior."

"Woah!" Po said. The panda took the scroll and tried to open its container, but had some trouble. "It's impossible to open!" he mumbled.

Shifu opened it for him, popping the top off without any trouble. "Thank you," said Po. "Probably loosened it up for you, though."

He now had the Scroll itself in his paws. "Okay, here goes," the panda said. He opened the Scroll as slowly as he could. He couldn't dare look, and when he did, he let out a scream of surprise.

"It's blank," Po said. "What?" Hana replied, taking the scroll for herself. There was no text on it, just a solid, gold surface. "There's nothing on it!" the girl said, showing the Scroll to Shifu. "Look!"

"No," said Shifu. "I am forbidden to look upon..." But he couldn't help himself, and grabbed the Scroll.

"Blank..." he said. "I don't... I don't understand."

"Okay, so like," said Po. "Oogway was just a crazy old turtle after all?"

"No," said Shifu. "Oogway was wiser than us all."

"Oh, come on!" Po said. "Face it, he picked me by accident. Of course I'm not the Dragon Warrior. Who am I kidding?"

"But who will stop Tai Lung?" Tigress asked. "He'll destroy everything," Crane said. "and everyone."

"No," said Shifu. "Evacuate the valley. You must protect the villagers from Tai Lung's rage."

"What about you, master?" said Tigress. "I will fight him," Shifu declared. "I can hold him off long enough for everyone to escape."

"But Shifu, you can't!" said Hana. "What if he kills you?"

"Then I will finally have paid for my mistake," Shifu replied. "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."

He bowed to them. Everyone sadly returned the bow. Po felt terrible as Shifu went to await Tai Lung's arrival. Hana looked up at Po. "I'm terribly sorry," said the human. "Come on, Po."

Every villager packed their valuables and left the valley, aided by the Five. "We've got to get them out safely," said Tigress. "Viper, gather the southern farmer. Mantis, the north. Crane, light the way." Crane grabbed a lantern and flew in front to guide them.

Po and Hana came close behind, carrying the Dragon Scroll. The panda felt terrible. He had mastered so many kung fu levels, all for nothing.

Po led Hana to his home in the village, to pack his things. "Look, it's the Dragon Warrior," one of the villagers mockingly said as they entered Po's home, which Hana recognised as Mr. Ping's Noodle Shop.

Inside, Mr. Ping, the goose who ran the restaurant, was packing up, ready to move his workplace. "Hey Dad," said Po. Mr. Ping turned around. "Po!" he exclaimed, hugging his son.

"You're dad's a goose?" Hana said, confused. "Yeah," Po replied, sternly.

Mr. Ping put an apron around the panda's waist. "Good to have you back, son," he said.

"Good to be back," Po replied, sarcastically. "Let's go, Po," said Mr. Ping, pulling his appliances in a cart. Po added the Dragon Scroll to the cart and helped the goose pull it.

"So for our next shop, it's time to face it," said Mr. Ping. "The future of noodles is dice-cut vegetables, no longer slices."

Po wasn't listening. He had blown his one shot. Mr. Ping noticed how terrible the panda felt. "I'm sorry if things didn't work out for you," he said. "It just wasn't meant to be."

Po wasn't in the mood. "Po, forget everything else," Mr. Ping said. "Your destiny still awaits. We are noodle folk! Broth runs deep through our veins."

"I don't know, Dad," said Po. "Honestly, sometimes I can't believe I'm actually your son."

"Po..." Mr. Ping said. "I think it's time I told you something I should've told you a long time ago..."

"OK..." Po said, listening in anticipation.

"The secret ingredient of my Secret Ingredient soup!" Mr. Ping finished. "Oh..." said Po.

"The secret ingredient," said Mr. Ping. "is... nothing!"

"Huh?" Po and Hana said. "You heard me. Nothing!" Mr. Ping said. "There is no secret ingredient!"

"Wait, wait," said Hana. "It's just plain old noodle soup?" Mr. Ping nodded. "You don't add some kind of special sauce or something?" said Po.

"Don't have to!" Mr. Ping said. "To make something special, you just have to believe it's special."

Hana suddenly had a thought. "Po..." she said. "I think I just figured out why the Scroll's blank. If it doesn't show you your destiny, you just have to believe you have one."

"There is no secret ingredient..." Po said. He finally understood the Scroll. The panda then rushed to the Jade Palace. "Good luck, Po," Hana said, quietly, as she carried on with the evacuation.

Chapter 9: A Warrior at Last

As Hana walked away from the Valley with the other villagers, she couldn't help but worry if Po, and even Shifu would be alright.

All of a sudden, she heard a strange sound. The girl looked and saw a blast of yellow emit from somewhere in the village, sending a wave of wind past her, and everyone else.

They all returned to the village, where a large, yellow fog had spread. In the distance, Hana was able to make out a large silhouette with a hat and a cape.

"Look... the Dragon Warrior," said the villager who had mocked Po earlier, being honest this time.

Po then emerged from the fog, revealing the "hat" to be a wok and the "cape" to be an apron. The panda coughed off the smoke, removing the apron.

Po had survived Tai Lung. The villagers cheered for their hero.

A delighted Hana rushed over to Po, and sprung at him with a big hug, which the panda happily returned.

"I'm so proud of you, Po!" Hana said with a smile, before looking up at him. "But... how did you beat Tai Lung?"

Po grinned. "Got 'em with the WuXi Finger Hold," he told Hana. The human was surprised. "But Shifu didn't teach you that," she said.

"I figured it out, actually," said Po. Hana grinned with pride, and nuzzled into the panda's cheek.

Mr. Ping emerged from the crowd, amazed by Po's skill. "That's my boy!" he exclaimed. "That big, lovely kung fu warrior is my son!"

As Po let go of Hana, the panda smiled and hugged the goose as well. "Thanks, Dad," he said.

"I think someone else wants to honour you!" Hana said, pointing Po to the Five.

"Hey, guys," he said. Tigress walked to Po, and bowed down to him. "Master," she said. The other members of the Five, and the villagers, even Hana, bowed with her.

However, the word "master" reminded Po of something. "Master Shifu!" he exclaimed, as he and Hana rushed back to the Jade Palace to see if Tai Lung had killed him.

The two hurried up the stairs. It was very exhausting for Po, so Hana had to help him up most of the steps.

When they made it, they saw Shifu, lying on the floor, lifeless. "Master!" they both cried out, running up to him.

"Shifu, Shifu, are you okay?" Po said as he rolled Shifu over. "Po..." Shifu said, weakly. "You're alive... or we're both dead."

"No, Master, he didn't die," said Hana. "He defeated Tai Lung."

"You did?" Shifu said. Po nodded. "Wow..." said Shifu. "It is as Oogway foretold... you are a Dragon Warrior. You have brought peace to this valley... and to me. Thank you... thank you, Po... thank you..."

Shifu then lost consciousness. Po started to tremble. "No... Master..." said Po. "No, no, no! Don't die, Shifu, please!"

Shifu suddenly awoke. "I'm not dying, you idiot... uh... Dragon Warrior," the red panda said, starting to meditate. "I'm simply at peace... finally."

"Oh..." Po said. "So, um... we should stop talking?"

"If you can," Shifu replied.

The two then joined the red panda in his meditation, Po laying down next to him while Hana laid back on his belly. The trio were silent for a little while.

Po then opened his eyes. "You wanna get somethin' to eat with us?" he asked Shifu.

The red panda opened his eyes and sighed. "Yeah," he said.