When I woke up, I felt as restless as before, and in a routine, made my way down to where the Furious Five slept. The panda's trail out of the room was long gone and I felt a slight dread inside. What would I be able to do against Tai Lung with Oogway gone, the panda disappeared, and my students longing to fight the snow leopard? The gong rang, but to my surprise, nobody answered. Listening carefully, I realized they were all gone. But why?

Ungh! They had gone to fight my student…of course. Scenting parchment, I quickly went into Tigress's room and picked up a note. Reading it with the tips of my fingers, I flattened my ears with annoyance.

'Master,

As you must know by now, we have left. We will defeat Tai Lung and we promise we'll be back.

From (obviously) Tigress, Crane, Mantis, Crane, and Monkey.

P. S. Please do not kill us if Tai Lung doesn't!

P. S. S. You never ordered us not to find and fight him.

P. S. S. S. Technically

Sighing, I rolled my eyes and began to worriedly head to the Peach Tree. If my students fought, they would almost surely die. Though I wasn't usually very optimistic, I hoped that they would survive this. The cool morning air ruffled my fur and I wondered if the panda had been here, he could have made a difference, if not as a warrior, a mildly disturbing distraction.

"Hiya!" a voice yelled, interrupting my gloomy thoughts, and I lifted my ears hopefully at the panda's voice, accompanied by crunching and cracking sounds, was coming from somewhere inside the palace. Walking slowly through the palace's corridors, I paused by the continuing noises, now directed from the pantry. "Hiya! Aha!" the panda shouted, smashing through a cupboard to pull out some food, munching greedily. He paused as he spotted me. Confused, I angled my head at the creaking of a cupboard door near the ceiling, food rattling from a hanging basket, and another cupboard door on the wall above the panda. How did he reach those places? I turned to him as he suddenly belched. "What? I eat when I'm upset, okay?" he defensively responded to my incredulous expression.

"Oh, no need to explain. I thought you might be Monkey; he hides his almond cookies on the top shelf," I said, swiftly improvising. I decided, at least for now, not to tell him where the Furious Five had gone. The best way I could help them was to train him, and that wouldn't work if he was racing away from the thought of me not even believing the Furious Five could defeat my student. Slowly padding away, I hid behind the door. I'd already figured out that he had a lousy sense of smell unless it was associated with food. Several rattles and crashes ensued as I was hidden, and I quickly ran around the corner. To my astonishment, he was up in a corner by the top shelf. I remembered climbing up there with Ming Yue to raid the food supply for a party among students, and for his immense size, he could only be doing a split to balance.

"Don't tell Monkey," he pleaded after noticing me.

"Look at you," I breathed in amazement. Food really influenced his mind that much?

"Yeah, I know, I disgust you," he muttered continuing to devour the cookies.

"No, I mean…how did you get up there?" I elaborated. He had some of the potential skills and qualities to be the Dragon Warrior, I realized. I just needed to let them grow.

"No, this? This is just an accident," he yelped, voice shaking as the boards beneath him finally broke beneath his mass. "Aow!" he gasped in pain as he collapsed to the floor, dropping his cookie, which rolled to my feet.

"There are no accidents," I replied, quoting Oogway. "Come with me," I added, picking up the cookie and beckoning him with it. I knew just the place to get his confidence and skills higher…no pun intended.

Groaning, he pulled himself up and struggled after me as I led the way. Taking many different things, I packed them into a backpack and handed it to him. Limping slightly, I headed up the mountain if front, as he struggled to heave the pack up the trail. It took a while before we reached the top, and I tried to ignore him and enjoy the nature for a while. Eventually, we did reach the top, and he was panting something fierce.

"I know you're trying to be all mystical and kung-fuey, but could you at least tell me where we're going?" he gasped with exhaustion. Still ignoring him, I went over to sit and meditate on a rock. Pulling off the backpack, the panda collapsed in the grass by the stretch of water in front of me. "You dragged me all the way out here for a bath?" he protested indignantly. I sighed and came out of my meditation as the water splashed.

"Panda, we do not wash our pits in the Pool of Sacred Tears," I growled. I decide to ignore the fact that my sister, friends, and I once swam in it. After all, we had been kids.

"The Pool of Sacred Tears?" he stammered in surprise, guiltiness, and awe.

Sliding stiffly off the rock, I informed him, "This is where Oogway unraveled the mysteries of harmony and focus. This is the birthplace of Kung Fu."

Oogway told me long ago about the legendary Yin Yang symbol, spreading harmony, peace, and unity in its image. He painted one once and let me feel its image. It was a sign of equilibrium.

Leaping high suddenly, I kicked into the air, flipping unto what would be considered the dot of the symbol, and stood proudly, high above the ground. I remembered Oogway something like that once, and had marveled at his control and speed, unnatural for a tortoise. But then again, he wasn't any ordinary tortoise. Feeling strengthened and unified with the origin and originator of the martial art, I spoke in a loud voice. "Do you want to learn Kung Fu?" I asked.

"Yeah!" he quietly gasped at the awe-inspiring image I created before him.

"Then I am your master," I announced.

"Okay," he agreed, sniffling with happiness.

"Don't cry," I ordered softly, but curtly, raising an eyebrow at his…interesting reaction.

"Okay," he stammered, giving one last quick sniffle. Beckoning him to a field of grass after I leapt down, I let him practice his 'moves' while I took a few things from the backpack and hid them behind me.

Hopping up onto a rock, I addressed him, "When you focus on Kung Fu, when you concentrate, you stink." He seemed putout by my comment, but I continued. "But perhaps that is my fault. I cannot train you the way I have trained the 'five. I now see the way to get through to you is with this," I said, showing him the bowl of cold, but reasonably good dumplings. Because of Oogway, I was a surprisingly good cook.

"Oh, great, 'cause I'm hungry," he sighed with relief, shuffling closer. Did he really think it was that easy? Another problem was that he was both too trusting and gullible or that he truly underestimated everything.

"Hmhmhm. Good. When you have been trained, you may eat," I told him, turning away and popping on into my mouth. "Let's begin," I mumbled slightly with my mouth full. Dropping sown into the grass, I led him to begin our intense training.

Three nights passed and we worked hard. I trained him with many different activities, involving food for each. As we progressed, he became smarter, quicker, stronger, and dare I say agile? I remembered several techniques because they failed so amusingly though. To increase his balance and strength, I made him to sit-ups on a tree above a chasm that was really only a dozen feet off the ground. I stood on the edge of the branch, making him pull up harder to smell the bowl of dumplings.

"Whoa!" he yelped in surprise as the branch cracked slightly and I flipped to land on a mountainous rock in the chasm. Letting go of the bowl, I heard the panda catch it triumphantly with surprisingly fast reflexes. His victory was short-lived' however, for he yelled and fell to the ground as the branch cracked the rest of the way. With Oogway's staff, I caught the bowl and the dumplings fell one by one to and in it.

After enticing him up with a bowl of salad once I ate the dumplings, I handed him the bowl and a pair of chopsticks. He threw them away and I grinned before rushing to get a bamboo pole, and attacked him with it. He yelped in pain as I hit him several times before smashing the bowl so the salad fell to the dirt.

Later into the afternoon, I took a dumpling and began to bounce it back and forth on my legs, feet, arms, and even my head, in a keep away game as he clumsily lunged for it.

Near nighttime, he did pushups over a pile of coals, stretching his tongue to try and eat another bowl of food on the ground. The fat panda never did get a single lick. And that was only the first day! It was tiring to think up and do all these activities, but I was having a little fun and he was progressing.

The second night, he finally got so hungry that he tried to steal some soup from a pot that I had cooked and was purposely leaving out there unguarded. Streaking behind him, I hit him with a pole, but he managed to block well. Eventually, I smacked his unguarded stomach when he filled the bowl. Jumping to stand on top of the pole, I caught the soup and sipped it.

He kicked the pole angrily, but I jumped over the flipping stick so that it hit him hard in the head. Landing back on top, I glanced mockingly down at him.

The third morning, we practiced on top of cliffs for balance, later did one-finger pushups, and battled with poles. He learned surprisingly quickly in the three days I taught him, much more than Tigress had in two months, although, she had been young. I began to feel confident that with the Dragon Scroll, it was a possibility that he would defeat Tai Lung after all.

The next day, I decided to test him one last time before we left for the Jade Palace. He waited as I made nearly a dozen dumplings, set them in a bowl, and placed them, two pairs of chopsticks, and two extra bowls on a conveniently table-shaped rock. I sat down and motioned to him.

"After you panda," I said, smiling.

"Just like that? No sit-ups? No-no-no-no-no ten mile hike?" he stammered with obvious disbelief.

"I vowed to train you and you have been trained. You are free to eat," I replied, gesturing once more. He didn't seem fooled and sat down suspiciously before picking up his chopsticks and pausing.

"Enjoy," I added, smiling again.

Happily, he put a dumpling to his mouth with his eyes closed. He was so gullible… Grinning, I flashed past his face, whisked the dumpling away, and consumed it. Soon he'd get the point of this.

"Hey," he protested, but seemed somewhat confused to see me sitting in my seat.

"I said, 'you are free to eat.' Have a dumpling," I offered, trying not to burst into laughter at his complete bewilderment.

Clicking his chopsticks nervously, he took another. Now, I would make it more obvious. Flipping onto my left arm, I swung and kicked the dumpling out of his grasp. Landing quickly, I snatched it and ate it.

"Hey," he yelped again, indignantly this time.

"You are free to eat," I growled meaningfully. This time he got it.

"Am I?" he challenged me.

"Are you?" I growled back. Flipping my chopsticks around and around in one swift motion, I snapped them to a halt and grinned with my ears flat. He was slightly intimidated by that, but the smart thing to do had never stopped him before.

"Hweeaaah," he lamely countered, clacking his twice. He seemed to know this would get him nowhere with me, so he slammed the bowl with his fist, sending the dumplings into the air. I ate ten of them mid-jump so fast that I was sorry not to have savored them.

Lunging at the last one, he fell heavily as I bounced up and grabbed it too. Just as I was about to eat it, he sprang up and flicked it away so that it landed in one of the extra bowls. I laughed slightly with amusement as we battled for it with our chopsticks. Several times, I began to swirl the bowl to protect the dumpling before completely turning it over. Smirking, I overturned all of them and began to swap their places with each other, over and over.

"Whoo!" he yelled excitedly as he found the correct one. Fighting for control over it, I sharply jabbed his fingers extracting a series of yelps from him. Annoyed, he tried to knock my chopsticks out of the way, but I twirled them around multiple times, and snapped them against his hand, causing him to retreat. Using his other hand, he struck the bow so the dumpling went into the air and the bowl, off to the side.

"Hiya!" I growled, throwing a chopstick to nail it to a tree. Using my small size to my advantage, I easily launched off his back and gave a small grunt of effort as I jumped for the tree branch. Thinking quickly, he grabbed my leg with his chopsticks and forced me to the ground. I gave a grunt of pain, as it was my bad leg, but I changed position and flipped him anyway. He did it back to me, but I dived under his legs with his arm, letting go so I was behind him, and he was knocked flat on his back. The dumpling began to fall and I gave a growl of annoyance as he flung me away by my tail and leaned for the dumpling with his mouth open.

Shutting his mouth with my remaining chopstick, I jumped as he knocked my arm up and tried to sweep my feet. With slight amusement, I kicked it away. Now, I had the advantage of speed. Racing pat him, I dropped my chopsticks and grabbed a pole I had left behind one of the large boulders earlier.

Fighting with the pole was easier, but we managed to always block each other. His moves were excellent. Striking at his leg, I was astonished when he calculated the moment perfectly and stepped on it, leaped over my head, bounced the dumpling triumphantly off his stomach, and triumphantly landed to catch it. He had won!

Pleased with his progress, I gestured to him to show that I would allow him to eat his prize. To my surprise, he threw it back into my hand.

"I'm not hungry," the panda said proudly. Grinning, I threw it off to the side. "Master," he added, putting his fist to his palm and bowing in respect. Surprising him, I returned it.

"Let's go home," I told him smiling. Packing up, we silently walked back. As we went through the gates, I decided to break the silence.

"You have done well panda," I congratulated him.

Both amused and indignant, he exclaimed, "Done well? Done well? I've done awesome!" Excitedly, he swung his belly at me.

"Ooof!" I yelped, caught off guard. Trying to regain my composure and dignity, I replied, "The mark of a true hero is humility." Oh, what the heck? "But yes, you have done-" I continued before slamming a fist into his side, "Awesome." Laughing a little at each other with good-natured humor, I suddenly paused and we both turned.

"Huh?" he yelped in surprise and dismay, and I felt the motions catching on as I scented the Furious Five. To my shock, Crane collapsed, panting, to the ground, with the others stiffly tumbling with him. They had caught up with Tai Lung, but he hadn't killed them. Why? Feeling both panicked and relieved, I stood still with shock. "Guys? Guys? They're dead! No, they're breathing. They're asleep? But their eyes are open," the panda exclaimed in confusion as he walked around them.

Stiff with dread, I limped past Crane. "We were no match for his nerve attack," he exhaustedly explained. Leaning don to Mantis, I quickly stroked his nerves with my fingertips in a scratching motion.

"He has gotten stronger," I half murmured to myself in sickening horror.

"Who? Tai Lung? Stronger!" the panda yelped, panic creeping into his voice.

Releasing Monkey's frozen nerves with quick jabs, I heard him accidentally punch the unfortunate panda in the face.

"He's too fast!" Monkey cried in shock before speaking to the panda, "Sorry Po." That was his name? I hadn't ever called him by his name because I never actually knew it. Weird how things just seemed to turn out…

Moving on to Tigress, I swiftly tweaked her nerves.

Gasping in pain, she groaned sadly, "I thought we could stop him." Her movements told me one of her left ribs was broken. I couldn't help her right now though.

"He could have killed you," I sternly burst out instead, but was very much relieved that they all were still alive.

"Why didn't he?" Mantis moaned.

"So you could come back here and strike fear into our hearts, but it won't work," I snapped, twisting and leaping along Vipers spine and the frozen nerves inside. She let out a small sigh of relief, as she was able to relax again.

"Ha…are you kidding? I-th-they can't! They're five masters! I'm just one me," he protested and I knew it was time.

"But you will have the one thing no one else does," I contradicted.

Leading them all to the Moon Pool, I hoped that Tai Lung's defeat would no be too cruel.

"You really think I'm ready?" the panda asked nervously.

"You are…Po," I assured, finally using his name, though I had never known it.

Knowing a self-portrait of Oogway hung over some of his candles, I turned to it for support, but as expected he was as silent as a paining could be. Taking his staff, I hoped that this was not a mistake. Walking to the Moon Pool, I stopped momentarily.

Recalling how he had taught me how to bring the Dragon Scroll down, I used one palm to spin the staff before stopping sharply and exhaling loudly. Using my palm and the staff, I created a current o wind. Swinging the staff to the left, I turned, twirling and flipping in the same direction along the side of the water. Waving the staff lightly, I coaxed the peach petals from the water, upwards to the ceiling.

Ping! The echo bounced to my ears as a petal landed on the Dragon Scroll container. Listening carefully, I leaned to catch it with the end of Oogway's staff.

"Hua!" I exclaimed as I leaned on my right foot to catch the scroll in the split end of the staff. Another light ping sounded as it ever so lightly touched the water, and I flicked my ears forward.

"Behold he Dragon Scroll. It is yours," I told Po, presenting it to him.

"Wait. What happens if I read it?" he nervously asked.

"No one knows, but legend says you will be able to hear a butterfly's wing beat," I replied with awe. Even I couldn't do that.

"Whoa, really?" he gasped.

"Yes, and see light in the deepest cave. You will feel the universe in motion around you," I added.

"Ha, ha, wow! Can I punch through walls? Can I- can I do a quadruple back flip?" he excitedly asked, punching the air enthusiastically.

"Focus," I growled.

"Will I have invisibil-?" he continued.

"Focus," I said again, "Focus."

"Oh, yeah, right," he paused.

"Read it Po, and fulfill your destiny. Read it and become the Dragon Warrior," I proudly commanded him.

"Whoa!" he gasped and took it carefully, tugging at the container. "It's impossible to open. Come on baby, come on now," he panted, struggling with it, and even trying to use his teeth to open it once.

I slowly reached out a hand and he sulkily handed it to me. Popping the top off a lot quicker, I handed it back to him.

"Thank you. I probably loosened it up for you though. Okay, here it goes," he said slowly, opening the scroll.

Listening intently, I wondered what would happen and how Oogway put so much power in a scroll.

"Aaaaieeeaaahhh!" he screamed, making me flinch and pin back my ears. The Furious Five gasped and I waited, heart pounding, for whatever was to come next.

"It's blank," the panda told me.

"What?" I yelped. Impossible! I stared at him in confusion. The legendary scroll couldn't be blank!

"Here, look," he offered.

"No, I am forbidden to look upon-" I began before thinking, well; I couldn't see it anyway, technically speaking. Taking the scroll, I tilted my head in confusion as I opened and closed it over and over, but scented no ink or any change whatsoever. How could this be? "Blank. I don't…I don't understand," I muttered. How could Oogway do this to me? He must have known right from the start. This meant Tai Lung's rage and betrayal was for nothing, the villagers would surely die for it, and Oogway had just let it happen.

"Okay, so…like, Oogway was just a crazy old turtle after all," Po exclaimed with dismay.

"No, Oogway was wiser than us all," I muttered, trying to push my doubt away. He had developed the art of Kung Fu, was my master, full of wisdom, and yet he had allowed

this to happen. Even more, he made sure it would happen. Why? Was he losing his mind in his old age?

"Oh, come on! Face it, he picked me by accident! Of course I'm not the Dragon Warrior. Who am I kidding?" he sighed, dejectedly sitting down on the floor.

"But who will stop Tai Lung?" Tigress murmured to him, trying to get him to change hi mind.

"He'll destroy everything and everyone," Crane sighed.

No. I couldn't let everyone suffer for my mistake. I thought my punishment for creating one such as Tai Lung was that the villagers would kill him. Now I knew it was that he was allowed to live. "No!" I growled, handing the scroll to Po and facing my students. "Evacuate the valley! You must protect the villagers from Tai Lung's rage," I ordered.

"What about you Master," Tigress quietly mewed and I knew she was silently begging me to change my mind. I always thought I would do anything for her, but this I could not.

"I will fight him," I replied firmly.

"What?" Po gasped in dismay. I flinched a little. He was big and dumb sometimes, but he always meant for the best and was a loyal, caring friend. I realized Oogway chose him as the Dragon Warrior because he had a pure heart, never ruled by the faults in most.

"I can hold him off long enough for everyone to escape," I explained, not adding that I would remain here forever.

"But Shifu, he'll kill you," the panda protested unhappily, and I could feel shame and guilt rolling off of him. And I would let Tai Lung kill me. It was the only way I could set things right.

Turning to face him, I calmly told him, "Then I will finally have paid for my mistake. With my death, perhaps Tai Lung would finally be satisfied. "Listen to me, all of you. It is time for you to continue your journey without me. I am very proud to have been your master," I spoke, smilingly softly. Putting a fist to my palm as they did, I closed my eyes briefly.

Turning so they couldn't see my face, I waited and limped slowly to the edge of the Moon Pool. For once, I was glad that Ming Yue was not here to see this. She would insist on fighting too. The Furious Five sadly turned away, pulling Po with them. Go, I silently urged him, there is nothing you can do for me. Finally, they left, and I was alone by the pool, standing by the water, and lost in memories that I couldn't even see.