The Lion and the Peacock

To The Valley

One week has passed since Leo first started walking again. Leo wasn't back to training, yet. Shifu, despite being impatient by nature, gave him time to heal. Although, Shifu had said, I won't be mad if I catch you in the Training Hall without Milu's permission.

Everyday Leo would slowly walk around the palace. Milu would be a few paces behind him, ready to catch him if he stumbled. Personally, Leo hated having an escort, but he knew it was for the best. Milu offered having a cane made for him to steady his balance, but just the idea of walking around with a cane made Leo gag. He didn't tell Shifu that.

While Leo was outside in the courtyard one day, Po approached him, his breath shallow from a recent training exercise. "Hey..Master Leo.." He panted.

"Hello, Po." Leo said, "How's training?"

"Good.." Po nodded absentmindedly, "I wanted to talk to you about something. It's um..private." Po looked nervously at Milu. The wapiti, taking the hint, nodded and approached Leo,

"If you are in pain, just call for me." Leo nodded, and Milu walked away, probably to write in his doctor's journal. Leo led Po to a bench underneath a cherry tree.

"Let's sit."

"So..um. It's actually about something that happened in Gongmen Tower. With Lord Shen." Po said, sitting down heavily next to Leo.

Leo nodded, "Continue."

"You said that..Lord Shen destroyed a panda village? I never knew there was a village. Can you..tell me about it?" Po asked nervously, as if just the mention of his kind would set something off in Leo.

"Yes," Leo hummed quietly, "I had only heard about it in tales from Master Oogway, but I heard it was a peaceful village. The villagers were incredibly content with their lifestyle. They hardly left, not even for trade. They farmed and grew their own food. It was several days walk from Gongmen. "

"I wish I could see it." Po sighed sadly. Leo nodded in agreement,

"If I remember right, it would only be a day's journey by boat from here." Leo acknowledged.

"Really?!" Po perked up eagerly, "Do you think I could go?" He then added quickly, "Well, you could come to, since you know the way."

"I've never been there..but I know where we can find it." Leo said, getting up, "In the ancient scroll archives there should be a map of China. It might have the panda village on it."

"Ok! Let's go find that map!" Po shouted, "Woo hoo!" He dashed ahead.

"Wait, Po!" Leo said, jogging after him, "Milu will surely kill me if I overexert myself."

"Oh, sorry." Po giggled sheepishly.

...

The map of China wasn't hard to find. Most of the scrolls in the archives were Kung Fu Fighting techniques, including the 1,000 Scroll of Kung Fu. Leo sighed sadly as he passed them. Only two animals have mastered those scrolls. Him and Tai Lung. How he missed his brother.

But Leo shook the sadness from his head. He had work to do. Leo spotted the map, identifiable by the red and yellow ribbons tying it closed. "Po, I found the map. Come here."

Po, who was busy ogling at one of the many scrolls of Kung Fu, hurried over, "Where is the village?"

"Here." Leo pointed to a dot on the parchment, "One day by river. We will be there and back before the week is out." He smiled at Po.

"Yeah! I can't wait!"

"What are you two planning?" A sudden voice called from the entrance of the archives. Leo looked up and spotted Master Shifu. Po eagerly beckoned Master Shifu over,

"We're going to the panda village! The one that Shen.." Po's voice grew quieter, "destroyed. I..want to see where I came from."

"And what do you have to do in all of this, Master Leo?" Shifu turned his gaze towards the lion. Leo chuckled, almost nervously,