Lion's Oneshot of Kung Fu Panda Oneshots

Where I Come From

It was something that was plaguing Crane for a while. Crane kept thinking about it until he finally decided to voice his curiosity. Crane glided down the mountain of the Jade Palace. He always liked doing this. The wind whistling past, the cool and warm currents of air touching his feathers making them tingle. Crane chuckled a bit at the simple phrase for what he liked about this. He liked falling. But the good thing about being a bird is his wings. He safely and gently touched down on the stone street of the village. He walked down the way to the shop. A few people bowed to him out of respect. Crane simply waved and gave a short hello and hi's. Crane actually didn't need to see where he was going. He knew this place very well. Especially where he was going. He could smell it in the air. The alluring and tasty smell of one of the village's finest wonders. When Crane stepped into the entryway of the shop, he smiled. The shop was always crowded with customers and this time was no different. The strong delicious smell of noodles hit Crane's nose like an arrow. He could see fleeting specks of a black and white figure ducking in and out of the kitchen delivering food. This was the wonder of the village. Besides the Jade Palace, this was the second place to see for any tourists. Mr. Ping's Noodle Shop. Luckily for Crane, he came during Po's break. The big panda awkwardly walked over to Crane, making sure not to step on one of the customers. "Hey, Crane. What's up? Bandits?" He asked.

"No, I just wanted to talk to you," Crane said easing the panda's fears. The shop didn't have much room for the two.

"Let's go in the back," Po suggested. Crane agreed. They walked to the back of the shop. The back of the shop had three walls surrounding it almost like a large square. The side on the left of the door was open to the street. Normally, this place was only used for receiving ingredients and food. There were a few empty crates to sit on. Some of the crates had food in them, which Po sat next to them on the ground. Crane decided to sit on one of the empty crates. "So, what did you need to talk to me about?" Po asked. Crane didn't hesitate with the question in his mind.

"Po, why do you still work here? You have the job of Dragon Warrior and you still help prepare noodles. Why?" Crane asked. Po stopped chewing on the fruit he had in his mouth for a moment. He swallowed and thought about it.

"There are a couple of reasons," Po explained. "One, my father still needs some help. Sure he can run the shop on his own like he always has, but I want to help him where I can."

"Are you afraid that he'll get too old to serve noodles?" Crane asked. Po chuckled.

"My dad wouldn't give up making noodles if his life were in danger. He would still make noodles even if every bone in his body ached," Po replied. Crane smiled.

"What other reason did you have?"

"I want a break from Kung Fu," Po replied. Po noticed Crane's shocked expression, which is usually just his mouth drops. Po always laughed a bit at the noise Crane's mouth makes when it drops. "Not that way. I mean, when I want to take a break from training I come here. It's a little less stressful."

"How is serving people who are crowded into a small shop and yelling orders not stressful?" Crane asked. Po only shrugged his shoulders.

"It's not the best thing for some, but for me it's perfect. For example, you like to paint when you're relaxing. Viper likes to do her ribbon dancing. Monkey likes coming up with good jokes and Mantis likes to just rest," Po replied.

"What about Tigress?" Crane asked. Po shrugged. They all just assumed that Tigress trained more if she got some relaxation time. None of them knew what she did for relaxation. "What else?" Po thought about it for a while and then said.

"I don't want to forget where I came from." That confused the bird a bit.

"What do you mean?"

"I don't want to become an arrogant annoying cocky jerk that thinks he's the greatest thing in the world. In order for me to remember who I am, I have to stay humble. I don't want to seem high and mighty. That would disconnect me from the villagers and the people I have to protect," Po explained. "It's more of a... thing for being yourself than trying to be someone you're not. Even when I grow old and I have to pick the next Dragon Warrior, I want to be the same, Po. Though I'm a bit clumsy and clueless sometimes, I try my best to be normal."

"Wow, I didn't think of it like that," Crane said thoughtfully. Po just shrugged as he ate the fruit in his hand.

"So that's why I stay here and work here. That and-" Po paused to swallow the piece of fruit in his mouth. "I do get a bit of money on the side."

"You're the Dragon Warrior. Money shouldn't be a problem," Crane said.

"I do, but I don't want my Dragon Warrior money to be my Po money. They have to be different," Po explained. Crane was a little confused but decided to leave the situation of funds to Po. Crane stood up.

"Well, thank you, Dragon Warrior, for answering my question," Crane bowed respectfully. Po smiled.

"Crane, you don't have to be so proper, but you're welcome," Po replied.

The End