The Last Chance

30. Welcome to the Valley of Peace

There were loud voices of cheers in the village. Shifu and Po had left the palace and walked down the stairs to the forecourt. Po realized his five friends on the gate who looked down the mountain. With a nervous smile on his lips, he came closer.
"Hi, guys."
First, they didn't move, but then one after aother they looked at him with silence glance.
"Uhm." Po rubbed his neck. "It's still cold this morning, isn't it?"
They avoided his glance and looked down ahead again. Po sighed deeply and went step by step and stopped next to them. The panda tried to get a look from Tigress and waved his paw again.
"Shifu said, we shall be silent," Monkey whispered at him.
"Oh, okay."
Po rubbed about his mouth and kept his mouth closed.
Music instruments played from far away. Now the palace pigs made ready their instruments to welcome the rulers.
"Po."
Po winced and looked at the serious face of Shifu. "No bad behavior, you know what I mean. No small talk, just respectfully dignity."
"Okay, master, okay. I will do. I... wow."
The fanfare band came closer and climbed up the stairs of the mountain.
"Wow, they are really coming to us!"
"And if something goes wrong," Gong the gazelle said who appeared like from nothing. "It will be devastating for you, Mister Shifu."
Shifu trembled with anger. "Master Shifu," he muttered.
"Oh, look," Viper said. "They are going to climb up the mountain stairs."
"Now it is an important day for us and for the village," Shifu said. "And to keep the peace in this place. From now on, we forget what happened the last few days and will concentrate only on them and their welfare, alright?"
"Yes, Master Shifu."
"Especially for you, Po."
"Yes, Master Shifu, Sir."
Shifu nodded. "Let's go."

They assembled themselves in front of the palace stairs. Po kneaded his fingers. Meanwhile, the most valley people had reached the palace yard. Mr. Ping came with a little wagon and swung dolls of pandas.
The Furious Five and the Dragon Warrior stood in the yard in front of the stairs to the palace and were waiting for the arrival of the visitors.
After a while, two big shadows appeared at the top of the mountain stairs.
"Those stairs," one of them said. "We should invent something moveable."
At the top of the stairs stood a big elephant and a big hippo. Both took a deep breath and continued their walk inside the yard. Gong went beside them.
Po nibbled on his nails and watched them with big eyes. Both big animals came to a hold.
"Allow me to introduce," Gong said. "Dong, ruler of the west valley."
The elephant bent down his head.
"And Gang, ruler of the east valley."
The hippo imitated the gesture of his colleague ruler.
Po smiled and waved at them. "Hi, I'm- Ouch!"
Po rubbed his knee because of a sidekick of Master Shifu.
"Uh, I mean, it's an honor for me, let me welcome you. Welcome to the Valley of Peace."
"It's an honor for us to meet the long-awaited Dragon Warrior," both answered.
"The pleasure is all mine."
Now Master Shifu bent down. "Welcome in the Jade Palace. Now let us fulfill the tradition for our long-awaited peace festival."
With that, the both rulers walked up the palace stairs. Po followed them, including his friends.
Suddenly, Tigress winced and turned around. There was something. She had been sure something had dashed along the palace walls. But she could see nothing. With a bad feeling she walked up the stairs.