Kung Fu Panda: The Hunt For The Heir (OC x Tigress fanfic)

Chapter 1: The Hunter

It was just another morning at the Jade Palace. Repairs were finally fully underway following Kai's attack on the Palace and everything was once more being put back into its rightful place. Statues and artefacts were being restored and plans were being made to replace them, or even revamp the entire Palace if possible. However, for Shifu, his main concern right now was accounting for all the Palace's many artefacts, damaged or otherwise. In his retirement he'd decided to take on the responsibilities of Curator of the Jade Palace, collecting new artefacts and cataloguing the ones they already had. Of course, collecting new ones may involve some form of adventure but he didn't want to just rest on his laurels for the remainder of his life. The Palace's walls had already been repaired for the most part, and now the interior was being carefully pieced back together and even given a new lease of life in recognition of the new Grand Master, Xiao Po.

Speaking of which... "WAHAHAHEY!" came the exclamation of Shifu's... Prized student. Yes, the student he was most "SKADOOSH." Proud of. Currently he was reciting his victory over Tai Lung to a group of fascinated and enraptured builders who were on their break.

However, it was a victory that still felt quite bittersweet to Shifu. He managed to face his past mistake and although he just about lost his life in the process, he'd pulled through and finally gained the inner peace he'd always strived for in life. It didn't stop him from heavily regretting Tai Lung's descent into darkness and wondering if he could have done more to stop or save his fallen student and son, but at least it no longer occupied his every waking thought as it did before Po defeated him. Realising he had become lost in his thoughts, he was taken by surprise when he was addressed. "Master?" came the voice of the de facto leader of the Furious Five, Master Tigress.

Another of his regrets, albeit in a very different way to Tai Lung. After what happened with Tai Lung he'd been so closed off to her and possibly stunted her emotional growth as a young woman due to his coldness and distance from her. He hadn't been the father she'd needed in her youth. Shifu opened his eyes and turned to her, putting those thoughts aside for now. "Tigress." he nodded to her. "What news?" Shifu asked her to report.

She pressed her fist into her palm and bowed before Shifu respectfully. "The Pandas have sent some of their people to live in the cities, and invited some of China's citizens to come and live with them. They appear to be reintegrating into China very well." Tigress informed her Master, who was pleased about this. It was about time the Pandas returned to the world rather than living in exile due to Shen and his misguided rage and hatred.

Shifu nodded in appreciation of this news. "Thank you, Tigress." he smiled to her genuinely. "That is excellent news indeed."

She gave him a smile back and nodded in return. "Of course, Master. I was glad to hear it as well. Are all artefacts accounted for?" Tigress asked Shifu about his own duties, who looked to his list, which had a comprehensive catalogue of all artefacts that the Jade Palace contained prior to Kai's attack on it.

Many were ticked off, some had a line next to them, which signalled they were away for repairs currently in the Valley due to damages inflicted during Kai's attack. "There are some left I need to make sure are here. Other than that, yes, almost all of them are here. Or at least haven't left the Valley." he explained to Tigress, who seemed thankful that they hadn't lost more to Kai's attack on the Palace.

However, as if on cue one of the goose servants, Zhu, quickly ran over to Shifu, almost slipping on the newly polished floor in his haste. "Master Shifu!" he exclaimed in a panic. Shifu held his hand up for Zhu to stop and take a breath, which he did. "The Prophetic Scroll of The Masters... It's gone, as is The Sword of Heroes!" he yelled out all in one breath. "We've looked everywhere, even asked around the Valley... Nothing. No one has seen either of them." Zhu informed the two Masters, looking between them quickly for direction on the matter.

Shifu quickly looked over his list again. There was no tick or line next to their names... "No... Oh no no no no no..." he mumbled to himself while staring at the list in disbelief... It wasn't possible...

Tigress was quick to try and console her Master. "Perhaps they were destroyed?" she suggested to him as a possible explanation for them being unaccounted for. Although not ideal it would likely be better than them being in the wrong hands. Paws, talons... Etc.

Shifu looked at her for a second and shook his head. "No, no... The Sword of Heroes is unbreakable, and the Scroll has ancient seals to protect it from any damage..." he informed his student, taking a deep breath and keeping calm, reminding himself of his inner peace to make an informed decision.

Tigress was quick to respond to Shifu. "Perhaps they should have had seals protecting them from theft as well." she suggested to him with a simple shrug.

Shifu looked at her in surprise, but her face and tone was as stoic as usual. Was that a joke? He may never know. "With all of us busy here at the Palace, we may need help tracking these artefacts down..." he spoke thoughtfully, pinching the top of his moustache and running his thumb and index finger down it.

Tigress cocked her brow in question at her Master. "Help? From who? Another Kung Fu Master?" she asked her mentor, wondering who could be trusted to find such important artefacts. Many names sprung to mind for her, all of them Kung Fu Masters or at least students of the art who could be trusted such a task.

Shifu still seemed rather thoughtful in how exactly to approach this. "No... No not exactly." he said and walked over to a shockingly intact cupboard with an intricate design of a turtle on it. He took out a scroll from inside and using Oogway's pendant, opened the lock on the scroll. Within the scroll were names and pictures that Oogway had written and drawn himself of various friends and allies of his he'd made over his long life. "There was someone that Master Oogway used to hire to find and collect artefacts that were of great importance to The Jade Palace... Oogway once told me that he would entrust this person with the Dragon Scroll itself if he had to." Shifu told Tigress, who was shocked to hear that Oogway had such faith in someone who apparently wasn't even a Kung Fu Master...

Upon further reflection, she realised he was in a sense the perfect place to hide the Scroll, as he was not a Kung Fu Master the Scroll and its power would likely not have much appeal to him and if he is not someone known to be linked to Kung Fu then no one would suspect he would have any reason to possess the Scroll... It was genius, which was something Oogway was of course known for. "Who is it Master?" she asked him.

Oogway read through the list and finally settled on one particular name, although the picture was simply that of a hooded figure with striking blue eyes. No discernible features marked what kind of animal he was. "The Hunter, is what Master Oogway refers to him as here. He only ever dealt with Master Oogway directly, not even I saw more than a glimpse of him from time to time." Shifu said as he seemed to be contemplating what to do. "It says here that Oogway used contact him via message at the Dà Hónggōu Tavern... Mail Box #3... Code phrases... Hmm." Shifu's face contorted into slight confusion as he read down. "Seems needlessly complicated..." he grumbled mainly to himself.

Tigress herself also seemed a bit confused. "Why would Master Oogway use code words in his letters to this... Hunter?" she asked Shifu thoughtfully.

He nodded to himself, thinking it through a bit more and coming to a conclusion. "Perhaps in case the message was intercepted. Discussing artefacts in letters like this in a way that can be read by anyone would not be wise. However, speaking in code and asking to meet in person to discuss it is one way to erase suspicion." Shifu pointed out to his student.

Tigress nodded at that in realisation of the intention behind the coded letters. "Subtle and unassuming. Master Oogway's signature style." she remembered the old Master and how cryptic and not overly forthcoming the turtle used to be. He liked to let you figure it out yourself most of the time while providing as much guidance as he thought you needed to find the right direction.

Shifu agreed with what Tigress had said about his Master. "Indeed. He was the wisest of us all. Zhu, bring me parchment and a fresh quill." he requested of the servant, who bowed and quickly left to do as Shifu had ordered. Tigress was slightly sceptical of the promise this avenue possessed, but if this 'Hunter' had Oogway's trust and confidence then the least they could do was offer him the same courtesy the old Grand Master had. "Tigress, would you be so kind as to inform the others about this grave loss, and that we're requesting outside help?" he smiled at her, and she bowed and walked over to the others to do just that. Shifu smiled at his conduct, feeling he had made quite a bit of progress with being more kind and understanding towards others. He had been trying to be more open and loving towards his students, particularly Tigress. He just hoped that in his pain and heartache he hadn't completely closed her off emotionally and she could eventually learn to open up more freely again like he had.

He shook his head of these worries and thoughts of his impact on his surrogate daughter, and instead focused on penning this letter as Zhu came back with the supplies he had requested. He thought about how to word the letter... 'Hunter, I write to you in the hope that you can help...'