I don't own Kung Fu Panda.

"I'm ready."

"Clean it all, Po."

"I don't think this is a good idea."

"If it worked before, this should be no problem. Throw it, Monkey."

"If you make a mess, you'll clean it."

In the training hall, Po stood at the middle while Monkey, Mantis, Viper and Crane remained at the entrance. Monkey held a dumpling with his left hand and on his right a bowl full of delicious white, Mr. Ping trademark dumplings. Monkey set the bowl on the floor in front of him and grabbed a second dumpling. "Prepare for my fury throw!"

"Do it!" Po duplicated his stance of inner peace as he did on the battle against Shen. "Peace mode on."

Monkey howled and threw two dumplings at great speed towards Po, who immediately extended his arm and let both dumplings flow through his body, as he did against Shen's cannon balls, and instead of send them back, he ate them. "It worked!" Po celebrated. "Again! Only this time, throw all at the same time."

Monkey smirked and prepared his ammunition for next round. In a matter of seconds, his arms spun four times, and threw eight dumplings through the air. Po set his eyes on all targets, slowed his breathing, and took action. "Peace on…" he whispered as his body shifted into slow motion. His hands grabbed each dumpling as it came by, and let them go through his arms and towards his mouth. In a blink, all eight dumplings disappeared. "Skadoosh."

Crane's beak fell open, and Monkey back flipped from excitement. "Oh man. Let's do it with forty this time!" Mantis added.

"That's enough for today, guys. I think we established Po is capable to take care of multiple targets."

"C'mon, Viper. Don't be Tigress." The small master said as he jumped on Monkey's shoulder. "Let's be immature for a little while, I want to know if he can also catch noodles falling from the sky."

"That's a great idea." Monkey's eyes sparkled at his friend suggestion. "Let's grab them from the kitchen." And so, both masters ran off to their destination, while Crane and Viper stayed behind.

Po walked to his remaining friends. "Have you guys heard about Tigress, anything?" Crane and Viper looked at each other and shake their heads. "It's been three months since we defeated Shen and two since she left."

"I heard Shifu sent her to a secret mission." Crane informed.

"But, why not all of us? And not only her. We roll as a team, right?"

Viper nodded. "Maybe in this case, Shifu only needed one of us."

"But, why leave in silence…" Po groaned. "I hate secret missions."

"One thing I know, she can take care of herself." Crane assured his friend, as he placed one wing over Po's shoulders. "She has done this before. Leave for a secret mission quietly, and for later to come back safely."

"I know she has probably done this before. It's just, this is the first time one of you guys leave since I turned Dragon Warrior." Po sighed. "And, I get worried, because I don't know where she left; how she is; or when she will get back. Too many questions, and no one to answer them since Shifu won't talk to us about it!" Po threw his arms in the air as he ended. "I want my friend back." In defeat he slumped to the floor.

No letters were sent, no signs made. One day she walked through the halls, and without any notice, she disappeared and left her scent to linger around. Po could only take a couple of days or weeks, but two complete months outran his patience. Not once or twice he tried to ask Shifu about her whereabouts, he lost count after he ran out of numbers of two digits. What would he do? If his father disappeared, and didn't left notes, or sent any kind of messages, Po would go out there and look for him. The same for this situation, if Shifu hadn't prohibited it, after his master found him running off from the Jade Palace, Po would be out looking for Tigress, his friend.

Viper serpentine towards her friend, and slid around him in a hug. "We are also worry, as we always are…" and before she continued, Monkey and Mantis came back from the kitchen. "We got the noodles!" Monkey said as he ran pass them. "What else do you think Po can catch?" Po heard Mantis ask Monkey, whatever the answer was, he didn't hear it as both disappeared through the entrance doors.

"You should relax, Po. Go and do something, keep your mind entertain." Crane advised, and flew away through the entrance doors, as well.

Down in the Valley of Peace, one establishment was at full capacity. Mr. Ping's Noodles Restaurant burst with customers.

"One noodle soup with vegetables, please!"

"Two dumplings, Dragon Warrior size!"

"One, I mean three noodle soup, for me."

Order after order, Mr. Ping rushed from one side of his kitchen to grab vegetables, soup out from the cauldron, and dumplings from bowls. Everyone wanted to eat in his restaurant, all in hopes of meeting the Dragon Warrior. That day was a lucky day. Po arrived at the entrance.

"Son! You are here!" Mr. Ping ran out from his kitchen.

"Hey, Dad." Po waved at his father, and soon many villagers surrounded him, he attended each of them and walked towards his father. They hugged and went inside the kitchen.

"Are you hungry? Do you want some noodles?" Mr. Ping took a plate and started to pour soup into it.

"Nah. I'm good."

"You okay? What's wrong?" Mr. Ping turned and dropped the plate above a table. "You never refuse food. Did Shifu over trained you today?"

"No, Dad." Po laughed. "Actually I haven't done much training, lately."

"Why is that?"

"Is just. I have a question."

"Go ahead, I'm all ears, son." A grin of the size of Mr. Ping's head appeared on his face.

"When I left for Gongmen City…" Po asked as he started to place more noodles inside the cauldron, while his father observed him. "How did you managed to stop worrying about me?"

"Well, son." Mr. Ping thought of those moments, after Tigress told him his son would get back before he could say noodles; how fast he had said it; and how his son hadn't come back. He spent weeks without knowing about Po. Days, when he couldn't answer his customers, where is the Dragon Warrior, and when will he come back. "I never did. At every moment, I was worried. A father can't stop himself from doing it. When someone you care about disappears, your biggest worries come to life." Po's father grabbed some vegetables and started to cut them. "The only thing you can do is be positive and of course, patient."

"I was afraid you would say that."

"Why? What's wrong, son?"

"I haven't heard about Tigress since two months ago. She went in a secret mission, and while she probably isn't in any danger. I still worry."

"No wonder, she hasn't come by to eat with you." Mr. Ping finished with the vegetables and placed them inside the cauldron. "Have you ask, Shifu?"

"Yes! And he doesn't say anything." Po served a noodle soup inside a bowl, and lent it to a customer. "That's why I came here, for your advice."

"On how to make Shifu spill the noodles?"

Po groaned. "No… On how to stop worrying."

"Oh, Po. It is natural, you care for her, and she is your friend. Of course you'll worry. There is no stopping it." Mr. Ping saw Po's face reaction, a frown with a tingle of disappointment, so he kept talking. "What you can do is distract yourself. I have lots of customers, today. A small help would be appreciated." He smiled at Po.

"I'll help, dad." Po smiled back.

"Splendid! You know the drill. Noodles at table two, five, six and seven." As he said the table numbers, a bowl of noodles flew and landed over Po's arms. "Once you finish come back for more, business is booming today."

"Sure, Dad." Po went outside the kitchen and with grace and ease he handed each bowl to its table.

"What a great day to do noodles!" His father said in a lilt.

Up in the Valley, inside the Jade Palace, Master Shifu meditated in the Hall of Warriors. Like his previous master, Master Oogway, Shifu stood at the center of the Moon Pool while he balanced at the top of his staff. Eyes closed, smooth breathing, and disciplined movements. He let the energy flow through his body, and stayed in complete balance.

Inner peace.

A strong stance held his ground, as mighty as an oak, Shifu changed positions and not a single time did he wobble.

Inner peace.

His ears shifted at a sudden noise. The Panda. He opened one eye and searched his surroundings. False alarm. He closed his eyes again. After days of noise, some quiet arrived; whatever his students were doing, he was glad it involved tranquility and serenity. He needed the rest since recent events made his stress levels rise, something had happen, and with many hours of meditation, he still couldn't place a finger on it. Danger lurked around China once more.

He breathed through his nose, the air transformed into energy, and it traveled to his head, down to his stomach, up to his abdomen and finally out through his lips. A rattle came from outside the palace, he popped one eye open. Another sound, a flap. He sighed relieved, and went down from his staff with a backflip towards the outside of the pool.

In a burst the doors from the Jade Palace opened. A small, black bird flew inside towards the Hall of Warriors.

"Zeng, what news do you bring?" Shifu spoke in a calm manner.

"Terrible… news… Master… Weasel…" the messenger puffed every word. "Died."

Shifu taken aback by this, wide-eyed at the messenger, though his voice remained centered. "When did this happen?"

"Last week." Zeng regained his composure. "I flew back as soon as I got the news. He died at his academy, but no one knows how it happened. Some think it was natural cause. His age didn't favor him."

"Impossible. He was a healthy master, and far younger than most expected. It couldn't be by natural cause."

"That was all I got, Master." Zeng bowed.

"Go and get some rest, tomorrow you'll send a message, so you will need your strength back."

"Yes, Master Shifu."

"Thank you for the information." Shifu bowed back at the young bird. Once he was alone, Shifu walked to the outside of the Palace and straight to the Peach Tree. He sat down at the border of the hill, his short feet dangled above the long fall. He stared at the sunset. One of the five guardians, was dead, and it wouldn't be the last one. Shifu knew this day would come, but he hadn't expected it this soon.

Master Weasel, an old friend of his former master, dead and without any sign of aggression. Shifu thought, the weasel had been taken by surprise, but what technic could have such stealth that even a Master and almost creator of it, never noticed it.

"Guide me, Master." He whispered at the sky. "Who could have done this?" He knew why the killer assassinated Master Weasel, and most likely had acquired his prize. "What should I do? Tell me." A small breeze pushed back his fur. "They are not ready, even with the Dragon Warrior's inner peace." Another light wind brushed him back. "Not the Panda?! Then who?" The wind talked once more, your older student. "Her? But she isn't the Dragon Warrior." This time the breeze almost knocked him to the cliff. "I know, I know. It's not my place to control her destiny." Shifu sighed in defeat. "I hope you're right, Master."

Shifu stood up and turned towards the path to the Jade Palace. "Although, I could just tell the Panda to do it. He does find a way to always resolve problems, in an unorthodox manner, but resolves it nonetheless." A wind draft moved the tree arms and a peach came down on his head. Shifu grimaced at the small pain. "I got it, not the Panda." Before he left, he grabbed the fallen peach.

Most likely, they had a couple of days before they made their next move. Things were happening fast, and wouldn't wait for them to rest. For now, he had to wait for her student to come back. Whatever information she had could be of great importance.

He got back inside the Jade Palace and decided to mediate once again above the Moon Pool. He needed to rethink the situation, prepare a plan, and do something since there wasn't much to do until his student came back. He threw his staff at the middle and jumped above it. He closed his eyes and breathed energy through his nose.

He regained his calmness until a loud clatter stopped his concentration. A yelp came from far away followed by another clatter and a shriek. The Panda. Shifu moaned, and tried to concentrate once more.

"Po, we think this is enough for today." Inside the Training Halls, Mantis, Crane, Monkey and Viper observed the Dragon Warrior hit the wooden dolls.

"I can't stop." Po hit another doll and sent it to the other side of the room. "I got to keep my mind occupied."

"You can't keep training this long, even you know it." Monkey nodded at Mantis answer.

"But, you guys said this could help me relax."

"Yeah… two hours ago." Monkey snorted.

Crane signaled Viper to make a move. "C'mon, Po. Let's go and eat something before we go to sleep." Her friend placed herself in front of the place his hand was about to hit.

"Some warm and delicious noodles. I can almost taste them in my mouth." Mantis almost dropped saliva on top of Monkey's head.

"Hey… Be careful I just washed myself." Monkey grunted.

"Don't you want some noodles and dumplings, Po?" Crane asked. Po dropped his head and walked towards the exit.

"Alright, all this talk is making me hungry." Po smiled.

His friends laughed. "There is our friend." Said Monkey as he embraced Po with one arm over the shoulders. Mantis jumped over Po's shoulder in the exchange. All five warriors walked to the kitchen. The moon looked down at them and the stars glowed as light for their eyes. They exchanged jokes of their day, and talked about their night meals. Lots of this, lots of that. If Mr. Ping had heard, he would had hit each with his spoon, they also laughed about that idea.

Just as they were about to reach the students barracks, Po saw a dark figure slide on the corner of eyes. "Did you guys saw that?" All of them turned.

"See what?" Mantis jumped from Po's shoulder to higher grounds.

The figure appeared, and moved with hops from one bush to another. "There it is!" Monkey screamed

"Is someone attacking the Palace?" Viper asked as her eyes surveyed the figure's movement. "Should we attack?

Po squinted his eyes. There was no logic for someone to attack and let himself be seen. Hadn't he saw them walk right passed him? If he had, his intentions weren't bad, or maybe the figure was distracted. Either way, Po started to jog in the direction the mystery guy went. The rest of his friends followed him close behind, in case he needed backup. As Po closed in the distance between him and the figure, he noticed a certain familiarity, the way this guy jumped. He was agile, fast and delicate on his trust from one place to another. Maybe it wasn't a he. When the figure reached the entrance towards the Palace, it started to walk. That's when he recognized the figure, but there was something different, she walked with a limp. Tigress was injured.

Here you go, guys. I hope you liked it, as much as the first one. I don't think I'll be updating this fast, time will tell. Have you guys seen Kung Fu Panda 3? I just saw it this week, and let me tell you, it left me disappointed. The humor was top notch, but the overall story didn't jump as high as my expectations. What do you guys thought about it? Liked it hated it? And back to this story, again, I hope you like it, and if you do let me know, by leaving a review, follow or fav. Thanks for everyone's reviews and favs, they brought a smile out of me, thanks! I leave now, see ya in the next chapter! Have a great weekend.