Hey everyone, as you all may know this is an AU (slight AU) so there will be differences in the story from this point on. They won't be anything drastic and they will still follow the flow of the original movie, but there will be changes. Hopefully, they will be good and work out.

Anyway, here is the next installment!

…

Chapter 18: Peach Pit

I couldn't believe it, everything that we worked for…everything that Zhen and I were trying to accomplish these past few days…gone…in an instant…

I thought I was hearing things, but I know I wasn't the only one…Zhen heard it too! Po just said he knew about our plan to lure him to the Chameleon! In fact, our suspicions are confirmed when he said it again right afterward with that same, laid-back, smile of his, "yeah, I know the both of you are working with the Chameleon…"

I immediately got defensive, standing in front of my best friend, Zhen, as she dropped the broom. I was ready to defend her till my last breath…

We should just take that dang staff and go…now! The chateau isn't far; surely he wouldn't be able to keep up with us, right!?

"H-how did you find out!?" The corsac fox just had to know, still in disbelief. Po stepped forward a bit as we backpedaled, saying nonchalantly, "I saw it in my vision."

V-vision…o-on the boat!? It had to have been…the way he suddenly became suspicious of us once we got into the city. The unfinished question before the guards took us. The scrutinizing nature of his questions and looks once we made it to the Den of Thieves…

I-is he playing tricks with us, is he simply doing this out of enjoyment!? Knowing just how dangerous he is-I have to think of something before he can take us down!

"V-vision!? Oh, come on, Po…really!? It was just a dream!" Zhen snapped back, her confidence came back…but it was merely a method to try and get him off our trail.

"I know it wasn't a dream. I AM the Dragon Warrior after all" he brandished himself with the staff and Zhen and I looked at each other nervously as he continued, "I didn't know what to make of it at first, but I guess it all made more sense once we got here. The fact you and Han seem to have a history together…and he, and pretty much everyone else in here, was out to get you…Han wasn't the one who took you in, was he?"

Zhen shook her head. I managed to catch her act and I looked at her with piercing eyes, putting my hands on my hips as if to silently scold her. She just looked at me with a shrug before the fox looked back at the panda, armed with another question, "b-but…you could have let us be taken away by those officers…you KNEW we were up to no good, why help us?"

"It didn't sit right with me."

She shook her head, narrowing her eyes to him, "so what…are you going to try and stop us now, is that it?" The vixen growled at him as I got into my combat pose.

Po stepped just a bit closer…his demeanor showed no intent to retaliate on his part, "people can change. It's not too late to make a change."

"Not this skit again" Zhen rolled her eyes as I nodded with a scowl.

"Look, the Chameleon has got to be stopped. She's going to lay waste to China, you guys!" Po explained.

We both let those words sink in. My gray companion slowly shook her head. The Chameleon, why on earth would she do such a thing!? That's not in her interests, she just wants to be respected…to become the greatest Kung Fu master of all time! Why would she want to destroy everything!?

Zhen and I refused to believe his words, believing them to be simple mind games, but he gave a stern expression, "take me to The Chameleon."

The fox's ears went straight up at that as I jumped up too. That's absurd…even though he knew of our plot to lure him…he WANTS us to march into the palace as though nothing has changed!?

The Steppe fox was certainly baffled by what was going on, still…reality sank in, and now that she and I had become acquainted with him…we began pleading with the panda, "She's more powerful than you will ever be…you can't stop her" I nodded to support her claim, yet he still insisted.

"I can try…besides, she hurt a lot of people back at the Valley of Peace" Po said.

"Why should YOU care about that, YOU didn't get hurt!" Zhen shook her head in confusion.

"Doesn't matter if it was me or not, she's the bad guy…girl" he corrected himself in comedic fashion.

Suddenly, the gray fox pushed me away…stepping forward to face the Dragon Warrior…not caring if he could end her at that instant. I could sense that fury building up inside her…that frustration and I feel it building in me too, "she raised us since we were kids…taught us almost everything we know…and you're asking us to betray her!?"

Inside, Po understood. He really did. He thought about the words that Master Shifu tried to teach him about resolving conflict peacefully and he finally put it to use, "we don't have to fight. I can try and help put some sense into her."

Zhen and I were still…looking at each other. Po wasn't going to budge…he was determined, no matter what. None of us wanted anyone to get hurt…we've heard the stories of Tai Lung and Lord Shen…and countless others slain by him. What if Chameleon suffered the same fate? We both didn't want that…

Still, the gray fox next to me made her choice: she's going for the staff…taking it by force! It didn't matter anymore if he needed to give it to her to unlock its power… she was taking it to the Chameleon!

As she rushed for him, he stopped her in a flash with his hand out to her. I ran to her, expecting a powerful fist to knock her back. Instead, Po opened his furry palm to her and in the middle of it there was something…

The vulpine stopped in her tracks to see what was in his paw…and then looked at him with sudden confusion, "a chewed up peach pit?"

He nodded as I joined her side…I examined the strange object like a bird having to turn its head to see. He began explaining why exactly he was carrying such a thing around, "one of Master Oogway's peace tree of heavenly wisdom."

We just look at him with scrutinizing gazes, he's lost it…hasn't he? I mean…what was all of this about!? Deception tactic, some kind of Valley of Peace sham…what!?

"It's supposed to remind me that every pit holds the promise of a mighty tree."

Zhen takes a step back…realizing what it means, "maybe it'll do the same for you two…"

He offers it to her and the fox silently takes it. She looked up at him, "I-I don't even know what to say...what if...all that we have done...what will happen to us? What if we can't change?"

As we both examined it quietly, we heard him say, "A wise spiritual leader once said, how can you know something will happen unless you try to make it happen? Who knows, maybe this will work out for everyone involved."

A few more seconds of staying in her thoughts made the vulpine make a big decision. I had nudged the fox and she looked into my pleading eyes. I was awaiting her decision: should we fight him, take the staff and run, or take him to the Chameleon?

She chose none of those things.

Zhen handed the peach pit back to him and said with a light smile, "if you're smart, you'll leave town by sunrise." The fox lightly smacked my back with her bushy tail to get me to go but I hesitated. Po wasn't sure how to react…he wasn't expecting this either.

The panda gave a look of disappointment but also one of understanding, he didn't hold it against her…he simply nodded back.

Before any of us could say anything, Han rolled over to us..uncurling to face the three of us, "okay, the coast is clear. If you're leaving it should be right now…or else!"

We all nodded. Just as we were leaving, Han put a soft paw against my side and I looked down to him. He seemed to have a solemn look on his face, "why you have to leave with her, huh? At least with you, you simply follow her…"

I looked away, I think at that moment I was feeling too many emotions…like we just WASTED so much of our lives just now on so many levels. I force him off me and I walk away to join Zhen's side. The Pagolin looks with sad eyes…looking away before he composes himself and begins directing the other thieves to begin their night operations.

…

And so, just like that Zhen and I, and Po parted ways. We left him to his fate…hoping he would take the next charter out of Juniper City to return to his quiet village home.

Yet, it didn't sit well with Zhen…and it definitely didn't sit well with me.

While on our way through a quiet street, surrounded by tall white walls, I stopped her…standing in front of her as Zhen's ears folded back in response. I put my hands on my hips and stared down at her…absolutely furious at what she had just done in the den. She simply scoffed, "what's your problem…" she said before she began walking past me. I groaned loudly…running to get in her way again, "oh, let me guess…you wanted me to take the staff?" She asked before I nodded.

There's no reason to prolong the inevitable…are you trying to be needlessly cruel to the panda? You know VERY WELL that he will try and confront Lady Chameleon no matter what! At least when we're with him he could be our literal prisoner! You KNOW she will go out looking for him!

Zhen simply brushed me aside…walking ahead of me before I did nothing but SCREAM…scream for her to stop. The vixen stopped finally and turned to face me with an angry scowl, "you don't think I'm frustrated too!? Even I don't know what I'm doing anymore!" Her ears drooped before she quietly sighed in defeat, "betray the Chameleon…how can I even bring myself to do that? Even if we're walking away from this, she'll be furious about everything! We failed her…FAILED HER…because we decided to let a big, stupid, panda tug our strings…"

I couldn't take it anymore…I grunted in frustration…I'm NOT going to let everything we've done be for NOTHING! I will NOT fail the Chameleon!

I began running away opposite her way. Zhen looked back at me with remorseful eyes…the fox could see that I was headed straight for Chameleon's chateau on the mountain…

She didn't stop me…and she didn't know what to do honestly. Zhen's mind was in a fierce battle…a mess of contradictions…of ideas that fought against one another to come out on top (as if they were fighting to get out of a hole and only one can crawl out…)

After a few minutes, she made it to a balcony she knew all to well. It's the same one she and I spent time in as kids…before ending up in the Den of Thieves. Now, like the pipe we used to live in inside Han's sanctuary, it was overgrown and crumbling. The gray fox quietly sat on the edge for several minutes…looking at the backdrop of Juniper City…thinking back on the days before Chameleon.

Zhen reached into her pocket to suddenly find the Peach Pit…somehow it found its way in there. Did Po manage to give it back to her so stealthily? It didn't matter…his words soon echoed in her mind…and they all seemed to point to one thing:

People can change.

She examined the peach pit carefully before looking toward the chateau that dominated the city from above. She soon gave a sigh…

Po, meanwhile, tried to figure out how to get to the Chameleon's lair all by himself. He decided to take this opportunity and gather himself…after all, he was alone now. The Furious Five wasn't with him, Master Shifu wasn't with him…no one he knew had his back. Still, he knew what needed to be done…but not after a quick stop for some tea and snacks!

On the road that would lead to the path up the mountain, he stopped by a small corner shop: quietly thinking of a way to get to the villain quickly and quietly.

Suddenly, however, he managed to hear a voice call out to him, "hi son…" the voice was familiar…it couldn't be!

The panda turned and looked to be met with his two fathers and he immediately brought a paw to his face, shaking his head, "you guys followed me here!?"

"It was his idea…" Li was the first to say before the goose grunted at him and the former yielded, "okay, okay…it was both our ideas!"

"We only followed because we love!" Mr. Ping smiled, making a heart shape with his wings.

Po simply rolled his eyes, looking away, "dads, you've gotta leave. I'm about to confront the Chameleon." He explained as their eyes widened in surprise.

"W-wha!?"

"Son…you can't…have you seen all the snakes running around!?" The other panda exclaimed before the other nodded, "yeah, well…I thought I could depend on someone to help me solve this mess, but now it's just me…" Po sat against a wall, "I thought I could help a person change…do the right thing…"

As he quiets down, Mr. Ping waddles over to his son and places a wing on their shoulder, "everyone is afraid of change, Po…even me! There was a long time, not so long ago when all I wanted to be was the greatest noodle chef in the valley."

The young adult looked down at his goose father and asked, "so what happened?"

Suddenly, the former started hopping…stating the obvious, "I became the greatest noodle chef in the valley!"

"It's true" they heard the third member, Li Shan said as he leaned against the concrete wall.

"But I also became a father, and nothing…nothing's ever been the same since…" Po looked down at the father who had adopted him when he was a kid and gave a wholehearted smile back before they continued, "change doesn't always have to be a bad thing…why do you think I always change the menu at the restaurant?" Po simply shrugged at that but the former lightly grabbed him…bringing the message home, "because if things stayed the same…sooner or later they would lose their flavor."

Po fully understood just as his other dad stepped in to pat him on the back, "he's right, Po. Since I left my village, I've become a bit of a warrior. Strong, brave!"

Po simply laughed at his father's bravado, taking a sip of his tea before offering his dads, "you guys are definitely the strongest dads I know." Once they had their drinks, the Dragon Warrior sighed, looking up toward the chateau in silence.

…

I make my way up the path to Chameleon's palace…never stopping for breath…never wondering why I was doing this. I was still loyal to her cause…ever since I was a child. I wasn't about to let every opportunity to know who I am, where I come from, what I lived and fought for…be for nothing….

Some guards had spotted me and had their weapons drawn, but upon closer inspection of my person they let me through…knowing who I am.

Once I breached the main gate I was met with Lady Chameleon who is standing across her golden throne. Her back is facing towards me as I stop in place and bow silently. I expected her to turn around to face me, but I suddenly felt a sharp pain in my head as I groaned loudly from the pain!

Really, how hard is it to lure a big, stupid, panda into my domain?

I yelled as the reptilian guards watched in silence. I clutched my head…feeling those awful worms dig themselves into my head again! I wish I could say stop…stop this, please! I only wanted to warn you, master!

So the panda knows, and he's still in the city. Zhen has failed me, but perhaps YOU can still redeem yourself, Mei.

I felt the last of her mental strike fade and I gasped for air as if she just choked me…I felt her footsteps nearby as she climbed down the steps of her throne to stand next to me, "the blood moon approaches. Tonight is the beginning. Not even this delay will stop my grand destiny! I will send my army down. Mei…take a regiment, find the panda. Do NOT fail me again!" She hissed before I stood up and nodded: placing my fist against my chest as a salute. I silently rallied a large group of reptilian guards with a finger to follow me out.

Lady Chameleon ordered her men to turn around and take the cages she had gathered back to the city, to the main village square. She wouldn't have time to do it in the large training chamber as she planned. Instead, she decided to give the city a spectacle…to witness a new reign of terror!

"B-but we just finished moving most of them up here!" One of the reptilian foreman said.

"Silence! Do as I bid!"

The reptile jumped and bowed, "yes, at once, Lady Chameleon!" They said before directing the other lizards to turn around and head back into the city.

She walked to an open window where she could see me rushing down the path with my squad, and a long, sinister, smile formed on her face, "your downfall awaits, Po."

…

And thus comes the slight divergence from the movie. What do you think will happen now that Mei is out to get the staff from Po and Zhen possibly has had a change of heart? Let me know what you think, take care!