Well, I certainly didn't expect so many people to have come across my little story so quickly. I figured it's take way longer for people to even notice it, let alone send me positive feedback. so, thanks for joining me on this little adventure, and trust me, there's quite a bit more to come.

I do not own Kung Fu Panda or any associated characters. However, Traveller, Zarach and the Skaal are mine.

As the sun set behind the distant mountains, Po finally worked up the courage to approach Tigress. Both the tiger master and Viper had disappeared after their conversation with Traveller, only recently returning. Neither of them had spoken to anyone since they had come back.

Tigress had been meditating a fair distance from the Jade palace for some time now, the cool waves of a small pond lapping dangerously close to her feet in the slight breeze. Po paced back and forth nervously, mentally preparing himself before cautiously approaching the tiger.

Other than the occasional lash of her tail, Tigress did not move. Nor did she show any signs that she heard him approach.

"So, uh Ti…"

"Not now, Po."

Po flinched slightly at the sound of her voice. It wasn't angry like he had been preparing himself to expect, instead she sounded exhausted and… sad. She had not turned, remaining in her cross-legged position. Po couldn't help himself; he had to keep going.

"What happened in there?" he asked quietly. He was now close enough to the tiger that he could reach out and touch her, and he was seriously debating doing just that.

Tigress made no reply except to curl her tail around her feet.

"Come on, Tigress! You've been avoiding me ever since we got back from stopping Shen. I just want to help you here."

Tigress stiffened, then replied in a low voice dangerously close to a growl.

"Now is not the time, panda."

Po sat down beside her, and tried to crane his neck so he could look into the tiger's eyes. Unfortunately, they were closed, and his friend still did not even turn towards him.

"Look, when I was having problems back in Gongmen city, you wouldn't stop until I told you what was going on. I'm not gonna stop either."

Tigress seemed to relax slightly, though she still did not open her eyes. Then Po added,

"I want to help. You're my friend."

Tigress's eyes snapped open, whipping her head around and glaring at Po causing the panda to roll backwards in fear.

"I said," Tigress growled menacingly. "Not. Now. Po!"

The tiger master had half risen already, and Po scrambled back, clumsily getting to his feet and running off towards the Jade Palace. Tigress opened and clenched her fists a few times, breathing in and out slowly until she had settled down. She sat on the grass again, returning to her former position.

Why did that set me off?

"I just said I was her friend, why did that set her off?" Po wondered aloud to himself, ambling around the outer wall of the palace. "It's gotta have something to do with that Traveller guy. It looks like he really got to her." The Panda's eyes narrowed and he tapped his fists together. "Well, I'm gonna find Traveller and get some answers from him."

There was a sudden, insistent growl from his stomach and Po sighed.

"Right after I have a snack."

Tigress once again attempted to return to her meditations, but it was even more difficult than it had been before. Wave after wave of thoughts and emotions crashed into her, shattering what little focus she had managed to acquire.

Despite this, she continued attempting to meditate, focussing every ounce of energy she had into dispelling her thoughts and calming her mind.

Then she heard voices. It sounded like Shifu and Traveller, coming opposite the direction that Po had left in. They were speaking quietly, but they soon came close enough that Tigress was able to hear them regardless.

"-about the Imperial army? We could send word to the Emperor…"

"It's a good idea, but one we cannot rely on. I admit I know nothing of the strength of the Chinese armies, but I know the strength of the Skaal. I find it unlikely that your forces would be able to do more than slow Zarach down. Besides, could they reach here before the Skaal do? If they come, all the better. But we must act as though they were not."

"We must evacuate the valley, then. We cannot let the villagers come to harm."

"I agree, but we must do so sensibly."

"What did you have in mind?"

"There are many geese in the valley, yes? They can easily fly away, perhaps with some of the artifacts you were talking about earlier? And they can bring messages to your Emperor to get reinforcements."

"A good idea. And we'll send the others out to the nearest military base-"

"No."

"No? What do you mean, no?"

"Those blessed with flight are one thing. But a huge trail of refugees? They'll travel slowly. Easy prey for Zarach's forces."

"But if they're coming here-"

"Zarach will undoubtedly have scouts. If he finds the villagers, he'll want to know why they are evacuating. And your people will not survive the encounter."

"Then we will go with them and protect them."

"There are eight of us. We cannot be everywhere at once, and Ziringol's forces will greatly outnumber ours. We cannot guarantee their safety."

"We can't just do nothing!"

"We will not. We can evacuate the village into the Jade Palace."

"Into the… I see. Yes, that could work."

"Far easier to defend than a line of stragglers, wouldn't you agree?"

"Indeed. You certainly seem to know what you're doing."

"It is not the first time I've had to evacuate a village from some threat. And it will likely not be the last."

There was a pause in the conversation. Then Shifu said,

"Very well. I will have my students begin evacuating the valley first thing in the morning. Traveler… Thank you for coming."

"Do not thank me yet. We still have a long way to go ere this threat is over."

Tigress had been listening to the whole conversation with half an ear, but as silence reigned again she finally gave up on her meditations. She opened her eyes and looked to the heavens at the mass of stars that had appeared as the day's light died. She leaned backwards, supporting herself by putting her arms behind her, paws sinking slightly into the soft earth.

There was the soft sound of footsteps on the grass, and though outwardly she appeared still and emotionless, inwardly she was silently begging that the steps continue onwards.

Apparently the universe wasn't in the mood to listen to her tonight, as the light footfalls stopped just out of arm's reach and there was a soft sigh as Traveller settled his weight onto the grass. Tigress did not turn her head, but let out a warning growl which the other ignored. A quick glance revealed that he was not looking at her, he was simply staring up into the night sky just as she was.

They sat there for a several moments, during which Tigress became increasingly agitated. Had it been anyone else, she would have sent them scurrying with one of her "Death Glares" as Po called them, but she decided it would just be a waste of her time.

Finally he spoke.

"You know, I'd almost forgotten how much I missed the stars."

Tigress said nothing, startled by this odd topic. The Eldar continued, his head still not turning towards the Tiger master.

"The last place I was there were no stars. Outside on a night like this, no matter how clear the sky, no matter how dark the night, you would never find a single light in the heavens. Tell me, what do you see when you look at the stars?"

"Constellations." She replied shortly, but felt the agitation that had built up slowly fade away despite her pseudo-hostile reply. Traveller let out a slight chuckle at her evasiveness.

"When I see the stars, I see hope. Tiny candles sparkling across the void. Against such immeasurable darkness they should seem insignificant. Yet each light diminishes the darkness until the void becomes their backdrop. For those pinpricks of light, the darkness accentuates them, rather than destroys them."

Tigress's left ear flicked in surprise.

"That is an… interesting way of seeing it, Master Traveller."

"Master?" Traveller began laughing, and finally Tigress looked at him. His eyes were shut and he held his sides as he laughed even harder, though it was a quiet and soft laugh, not unlike the sound of wind rustling in the grass.

The tiger master's eyes narrowed and she unconsciously unsheathed her claws. Her companion's mirth eventually settled, and he wiped a tear from his eye, only then noticing Tigress's outraged features. Still smiling, he raised his hands in a placating gesture.

"I am no master. You earned your title, you have dedicated your life, your heart and your soul to the ways and teachings of Kung fu. I learned the techniques, the fighting styles from various masters of their craft. But I follow my own path."

Still seated, he turned so he was facing Tigress, then placed his fist into his open palm and gave a slight bow. "Master Tigress."

Tigress's outrage turned to confusion and her claws slid back into their silken sheaths. "I…I do not understand."

Traveller sighed, then looked about for a moment, finally selecting a smooth, well-polished stone from the grass. He held it up where Tigress could see it.

"Look at it like this. To me, martial arts are a means to an end. A tool."

He dug a small hole in the ground with the rock while Tigress looked on.

"And as a tool I can use it as such. To build…"

He took the rock and smashed it onto a stick lying between him and the tiger, snapping it.

"Or to destroy."

He took the rock in his other hand.

"While to you, and your companions, it is a way of life. It is a path, but also the destination. A means of seeking perfection. It means something to you. You believe in it, and as such…"

He threw the rock into the pond. It skimmed over the surface, not even touching the water, and when it did it skipped across the water's surface four times, and on the fourth skip it landed softly in the grass of the other side.

"It rewards you with things that I can only dream of. I do not understand the mysteries of Chi, nor the power of meditation. Perhaps were I to truly cast my burdens aside and focus all of my energy into understanding I could. Perhaps I will even try some day."

His face grew serious as he looked into the amber eyes of the tiger.

"Many titles have I, but do not call me by ones I have not earned."

Tigress could only nod, seriously re-evaluating her opinion of the man. Perhaps it was simply her inner turmoil, but she had difficulty getting a read on the man.

Traveller stood, and gave Tigress a slight smile.

"Rest well, Master Tigress. There will be much to do come the morn."

And he turned and walked in the vague direction of the Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom, his black cloak swishing through the grass as he walked, leaving Tigress alone by the pool.

"Come on, where is he?" Po grumbled around a mouthful of dumplings. While his raid of the larder had been a complete success, his search for Traveller had proven far less so. He'd been wandering around the Jade Palace for nearly a quarter of an hour with no luck.

"You'd think the guy in the black cloak would be more noticeable…" Po continued to mutter, extending the current self-conversation he had going.

He'd been avoiding the pool where Tigress was meditating, but now he approached it warily, hoping to find his own quarry and not an irate tiger. Fortunately for him, Tigress was nowhere to be found upon his arrival. Unfortunately, neither was the Eldar.

"She must have gone to bed already. Come on Po, think! Where would we find Traveller now?"

Po narrowed his eyes in concentration, rubbing his large head with his paws attempting to find a solution to his problem.

"Aha!" He exclaimed, suddenly brightening. "The peach tree! That's really high up, maybe I'll be able to see him from there!"

He began a light jog in the direction of the tree, hoping to finish his task soon. He was tired already and yearned for his small bed.

As he found his way to the path towards the sacred peach tree and began to ascend it, he began to hear voices coming from from the tree. He couldn't quite hear what they were saying, so he slowed his pace and tried to move more quietly, straining his ears in an attempt to catch the conversation.

It was Traveller's voice that he first recognized. The other speaker's voice sounded female, warm and inviting though it had a slight rasp to it. The two were speaking quietly, so Po was nearly at the top of the hill by the time he could make out what they were saying. So he crouched low to the ground and listened in.

"-And now they've come here." There was a deep sigh from Traveller. "Usually I get more of a respite between fights with that bastard."

"You didn't come across them on purpose?" The woman questioned.

"No. Their method of travelling is untraceable. And believe me, I've tried. This was supposed to be just a rest stop, to take some time and enjoy the scenery. Now..."

"You push yourself too hard, Traveller." The woman said gently.

There was silence for a moment, then Traveller spoke again, his voice weary.

"Perhaps. I had to describe the Skaal to the people I'm with now and… there are women here."

"Oh… oh, love…"

Po's ears perked up at this.

He must be talking about Tigress and Viper! Maybe he'll… hold on, love?

The panda cautiously attempted to sneak up the path, peering his head over the hill-rise in an attempt to see who Traveller was speaking with.

The man was standing next to the peach tree, his back to Po. The black cloak he wore fluttered in the same wind which ruffled the hair on his unhooded head. There was a bright blue light emanating in front of him and Po caught a glimpse of a ghostly figure standing before Traveller.

He couldn't make out much, between the slight shifting glow and Traveller blocking most of her body, but she was short, coming up only to just under Traveller's chest. Though she was short, she was stocky and well-built, making her nearly as wide as she was tall. She had the same kind of strange hair that Traveller did atop his head, though her's was longer, reaching down to her shoulders. The same hair covered her chin, protruding ever so slightly from the skin beneath it. Other than that, she appeared to be much the same as Traveller himself, which made sense he supposed. Po was more interested in how it seemed that the woman was a spirit.

Can Traveller talk to dead people too? he wondered, momentarily forgetting his anger at the man in a fanboy-induced attack. I wonder if he can teach me any of these things. That would be so awesome!

The two had been silent for a few moments, then finally Traveller spoke up again.

"I think… I think that when this is over, providing I survive, I will come home."

The ghostly woman seemed to perk up at this.

"Really?"

Traveller nodded.

"It has been too long since I came home and… I want to see our son grow up. Too often I miss out on such things with all the work I must do."

"Will you stay?"

"For a few decades at least. There is so much to be done but… I cannot allow myself to burn out. Besides, you two are the reason I fight. It is good to remind myself of that."

It looked like the woman was about to speak, but then a third, much younger voice spoke up instead.

"Dada?"

A second ghostly image appeared next to the woman, this one much shorter than the other two, not coming up even to Traveller's waist. He was obviously a child, and Po felt a sudden rush of warmth upon seeing the little one. He adored children, and though this one was far different than any other he had seen, it did not change the feeling.

"Hello, little one." Traveller said, the weariness gone from his voice.

"Dada!" The child squealed, attempting to run towards Traveller, but he was held back by his mother.

"Look, don't touch." the woman laughed. "He's not all the way home yet."

"Ohhhh." The child said, his brows furrowing in concentration as he studied his father. Then his face cleared.

"So he's a dream?"

"I am the best dream." Traveller chuckled. "And I have a surprise for you."

The child squealed in delight, bouncing up and down excitedly.

Traveller leaned down close and said in a loud stage whisper,

"I'm coming home soon."

If his child had seemed excited before, it paled in comparison to the joy that spread to his small face.

"You will?"

"Absolutely. So just hang on in there for a bit longer, my little Ransom."

The child beamed happily up at his father, then began rummaging around in his dirty tunic. The other two looked on as he finally found his prize and held up a small object towards Traveller.

"Look look look!"

Traveller bent down to examine the proffered item.

"It's a little shield. Did you… did you make this?"

Ransom bobbed his head up and down vigorously, a huge grin plastered on his face. Traveller straightened and looked back down at the woman.

"You've been taking him to the forge already?"

"You've been gone for quite some time." She replied quietly.

"I suppose I have." Traveller stood in silence for a moment, while Ransom kept switching his gaze between the two parents, a puzzled look on his face.

"I will return soon." Traveller said firmly. "As soon as this business with the Skaal is done. But for now, I should get some rest. There is much to do come the morn."

"Aww, but Dada…" The little one whined, reaching up for his father who smiled at him.

"Now now little one, I'm sure you should be off to bed yourself. The faster you get to sleep, the sooner I will return."

His attention distracted, Ransom turned and ran, squealing with delight as he did so. He only took two paces before he disappeared.

"Goodbye love. Be home soon."

"I will."

Then the woman faded away as well, leaving him alone by the Sacred Peach Tree.

Po sat there on the steps completely flabbergasted. Of all the things he had expected when confronting Traveller, nothing like this had ever crossed his mind. So shocked was he, that he did not even notice that Traveller had turned around until he was looking down at him.

"How long have you been here?" Traveller asked quietly, and there was a slight edge to his voice.

"Who me? Not long, I mean, I was just kinda… wandering… around…"

Po's voice trailed off under the ancient eyes of the Eldar. Then he sighed.

"Alright, I've been here for a while. I was coming to talk to you but you were.. busy."

"I see."

They stood there for a few moments, the panda squirming slightly under Traveller's gaze. Finally he blurted out,

"What was going on over there?"

"I have the power to connect to those I develop a bond with over long distances." Traveller explained smoothly. "Though where I come from, it's rude to listen in to private conversations."

Po scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.

"Yeah… sorry about that." Then he looked Traveller in the eyes, or tried to at least. He couldn't maintain the connection for too long. "Can you teach me to do that?"

Traveller quirked an eyebrow.

"Ignoring the fact that I'm not happy about your eavesdropping, I am afraid that it's not something I can teach. It is a part of who I am."

"Like your memory thing?"

Traveller nodded.

"You Eldar guys get a lot of cool stuff."

"There was something you wanted to talk to me about?"

Po started.

"Oh right! You really upset Tigress earlier. What happened in the Hall of Warriors?"

Traveller was silent for a moment, as Po crossed his arms with what he hoped was a stern expression on his face. Finally he said,

"That is something you should ask her."

"Yeah, I did that already. She doesn't usually talk to people about this kind of stuff."

There was an ever so slightly bitter and regretful tone in Po's voice, but if Traveller picked up on it, he didn't say so.

"If she wishes you to know what I told her, she will tell you. It is her decision, not mine. You should respect that."

"Oh come on! I've never seen Tigress as… as shaken as when she ran out of that hall! How am I supposed to help her if no one tells me anything?"

"You seem to care for her a lot." Traveller noticed.

"Well… well yeah. Of course! I mean, she's my best friend, and seeing her like that just…"

Traveller raised a hand, interrupting Po's semi-panicked rambling.

"I understand. Believe me when I say I had no desire to cause your… friend any distress. I merely told them of the dangers that they will face from the Skaal. Beyond that, I cannot say."

Po stared at Traveller for a moment, then deflated.

"Alright, I won't push it. You don't seem like a terrible person."

"Not everyone would agree with you." Traveller's eyes hardened. "If you truly want to help Tigress, kill every Skaal you see.