Naidvar's TiPo Oneshot Collection!

Enlightenment

Po, the newly declared Dragon Warrior, wearily stumbled up the final step which would present him with the most heavenly sight of all; personally being able to observe the glowing leaves belonging to the Sacred Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom. The anxious panda choked on his breath and sputtered after such a climb, he never knew trying to find a snack late at night would be such a challenge!

He carefully reached up for a peach before cusping it with his paw, a soft evening chill ran up his spine as the leaves gently rustled above him in unison. He plopped the peach down alongside his body and stared at it with curiosity glistening inside of his jade orbs. He initially felt guilty, this was the very same peach tree Master Oogway had planted all of those generations ago... He wasn't even sure if he was allowed to eat the fruit beared by the tree. Unfortunately, he had no other choice but to hunt for food after his nerves had played like a harp which adhered to no rhythm.

The panda let out a deep sigh, despite meeting his childhood heroes and being declared as the Dragon Warrior... He felt empty. Not only was this emptiness consuming his soul thanks to the lack of seeing his father, he knew he had been humiliated in front of those who he idolised by that dreaded Master Shifu. His face fell crestfallen after he witnessed his childhood idol, Master Tigress, laugh at him after the infamous tenders incident.

He may have cooked them an impressive meal for lunchtime, one that settled his nerves as well as their own, but he knew it wouldn't repair his dignity in an instant; he hadn't even gotten to dinnertime yet! Po was honestly considering walking down from the steps that led up to the Jade Palace and quitting at an instant. His mind swiftly snapped away from that when he realised he finally had a chance to prove to the valley that he was more than a clumsy, fat and unintelligent panda. He knew all of those years he spent reading books about foreign countries and their cultures hadn't gone to waste, not to mention the countless scrolls of wisdom he's read from Master Oogway alongside other great masters across China.

Unfortunately for the Dragon Warrior, these thoughts would collide and form a monsoon inside of his mind... On one hand, he had a chance to prove himself. On the other hand, he didn't know why he felt the need to prove himself. Po merely wanted to live his life with his father and cook noodles, his mind further shook as if a thunderous earthquake was rattling through it as his stomach demanded more peaches. He reached up and swooped through the tree, grabbing as many peaches as possible whilst balancing them on his arm before eventually letting them accumulate in his paw; shoving them all in his mouth once he was done.

'What are you doing, Po?' He thought to himself, his usual optimistic voice that read out the very characters he read inside of scrolls was replaced by the condescending and spiteful tone of Master Tigress... He even had to scan his surroundings to make sure he wasn't being spoken to by her personally. After his nerves calmed, he began chewing on the peaches he had shoved in his mouth and delved further into his thoughts. 'You've got a whole life ahead of you, one filled with kung-fu... This is your dream! You love your father too, you love your craft of cooking noodles... However, you should be the one in charge of your own destiny, not your father!' Po felt his face flinch as his body was rattled by his own repetitive thoughts.

"Who is Tai Lung anyways, why am I the one who has to defeat him... How on earth am I a universal prophecy?" Po began to whisper out loud, his voice was hoarse as he climbed to his feet and plucked more peaches off the tree. He could feel his stomach beginning to settle, not due to the lack of nerves but due to it being filled with delicious peaches. "I just... Don't understand. This is it, this is my dream... Yet I've been humiliated, bruised and told by Master Shifu that he'll make me regret my choice to fill the shoes of the Dragon Warrior. He even wants me gone from the palace by the morning, do I dare defy his orders?" Po's ears rustled as they detected the mild rhythm of Master Oogway's infamous plodding, he rapidly sat down before stuffing his mouth with peaches in pure panic.