Prince from the South

Chapter 2

It was almost sunset when I finally woke up, Definitely not a pleasant experience as it felt as someone was constantly stabbing my side with thin needles. I opened my eyes to find myself  inside a room, with the panda sitting across the room, " What took you so long dude?" He says, letting out a yawn. "T..what?" I stutter, clutching my side, looking down I've been stripped to only my blood stained tunic and trousers, "W.. where's my sabre, my musket? my......everything?" I say looking at him. 
"Oh the sword thingy? I dunno just go ask Tigress, Master Tigress, or someone I have no idea and what's a musket" he questions "was it like that wooden metal thing that you used to blow that guy's face off?"

"Precisely, and don't you dare even scratch them panda" I say, quite furious of the fact that he doesn't even know where my sabre is.

"Oh I forgot, The name's Po, the Dragon Warrior. Protector of the Valley of Peace" He says, standing heroically, "like a bean bun dude? they're great!"

"So this is the Valley of peace?" I say to myself, as I calm down ." I'm Lei, Lei Song, and no thanks Po I'm already content with my severe abdominal pain" 

"well more for me I guess" He says, and gobbles down each and every bean bun in a matter of seconds. "So Po, what do you do as the dragon..... w.... warrior" I question, "Well, I  do kung fu, fight bad guys'n stuff so.. yeah" He says coming to a conclusion. "So all of you are masters eh?" 
"Well am I a master, I mean I do have the title of the dragon warrior,  but am I a master? good question dude, Oh I forgot" The panda jumps of his seat, shaking the whole room and rumbles outside, closing the door behind him.

I was left to contemplate my life choices, just slept there, occasionally making weird shaped with my paws and clutching my side when ever it hurt. I almost fell asleep when the Panda returned, with a peculiar red panda in front of him

"It seems that you've survived the whole ordeal" He says with a smirk

"Surprisingly I have, master....?"
"Master Shifu, gate keeper of the Jade palace" 

"Jade palace? heard of it before." 
"And you must be Lei Song, must be from a high caste family?"
"H.. how do you know my name and about my family?"

"Po told me, and I just happened to know your last name, What brings you to the valley, Lei?" he asks, handing me a bean bun. "Eat, you'll feel better"

"I'm looking for master Oogway, for a particular reason" I say, accepting the bean bun. "And what may this particular reason be?" 

"Something that I'd rather not discuss" I say, letting out a soft sigh, as he looks back at Po

"Very well, Lei. Have some rest, Master Viper had already treated your wounds, you'll be better. eventually" He says, exiting the room as I take a bite from the bean bun

"Sooo, how does it taste?" Po asks, eager to hear my opinion.

In all honesty it tasted really good, "Pretty good actually, you made them Po?" I ask, taking a bite again.

"Yeah, and I told you they were great!" He says, throwing another bean bun into his mouth. "No offence dude but  are you like a, wolf or something?"

"I was expecting that" I say, "I'd like to hear you guess it"
"Oh fun, lets see.... hmmm, you're not a wolf so you're like a Panther-wolf hybrid?" 

"No, because that's impossible, try again." I answer, as I find him rather amusing.

"A... coyote? or a fox? I dunno dude, I give up" He says in defeat,

"W... well you were quite close with the first one, not a Wolf- panther hybrid, but a Wolf-Dog hybrid, or a'least that's what my godfather  told me"

"Godfather? well what happened to your parents?" He questions. "I wasn't particularly told much about my parents, all that I know was they died when I was young"

"Aw sorry dude, well at least you've got your godfather... right?" 

"I... I did" I say, woefully. "Well that's how life works, ain't everything fair ya know? Also, Panda, I want to have a word with master O... Oogway" I say, clutching my side as I try to get on to my feet.

"Woah buddy... lemme, lemme help you" He says, Helping me up.  The panda looks around and finds a pole leaned against a corner. "Hey, how about this stick" he says handing me the pole. "I wouldn't call it a stick, but it's sturdy enough"

I followed the panda at my own pace through the Jade palace, observing the intricate carvings and sculptures, the numerous kung fu artifacts in the "Hall of warriors". We exited the palace onto the courtyard, the sacred peach tree as I've heard stood tall, reminded me of the cherry blossoms that I was quite fond of and there he was.

"I was expecting you my boy" The turtle says "It is an honour to meet you Master Oogway" I say, trying my best to bow in front of him. "Please, don't hurt yourself, sit down" he says, as a gust o wind clears the floor of dust.

"Now, Lei, what brings you here to the Jade palace?" He asked me

"Well master, I remember my godfather who told me about you and how I should learn from you, to find my purpose in life, to learn about my past once he passed"
"And it's been a long time since then, has it?"

"Y... yes master"

"And what may be your concern?"
"I just, I just don't know what to do, I have no purpose in life. I don't know any of my relatives either and I... I"

"Ah... my boy" Oogway cuts me off and places his hand on my shoulder. "A young warrior seeking purpose, your purpose does not lie in the hands of others, take for example, the peach tree" He stands and with a tap of his staff a peach falls right into his hands, breaking in to halves, leaving only the seed

"I can not tell when the seed would sprout, nor should I tell what the peach shall become, You may wish for it to be a cherry tree, or to produce bayberries. It can only be a peach. It comes from within" he says, handing me the seed.

"I... I don't understand master?" 

"Peaches, Cherries, Bayberries, You won't find your purpose unless you look within you, Inner peace.... my boy. Everyone has their purpose, my purpose is to teach you to find your purpose in life"

"W.. within m.. me?" I stutter "yes, within you" he reiterates. "to be honest master it was some miracle that I actually ended up in the valley of peace. I was heading n..north and I-"
"Well, when one tries to veer off their path of life, destiny has the tendency to steer them back in, as enjoy saying, There are no accidents" he says walking away as a peach drops onto my paw,

"there are no accidents?" I say to myself as I take a bite off the peach. I look around to see the palace empty, oddly silent except for Oogway slowly making his way down the stairs to the courtyard. It seemed as if everyone had left the palace, except for me and Master Oogway.