The Furious Five had arrived at the Thread of Hope, when they saw Tai Lung. The huge wolf snarled and raced across the bridge.
"Cut it," Tigress ordered. Each of the five severed a rope, but Tai Lung was too close. He was jumping across. She couldn't let him do that.
Leaping up, she kicked him back and the rest of the five pulled the ropes tight again as the two wolves landed in the middle of the bridge.
"Where's the Dragon Warrior?" Tai Lung growled.
"How do you know you're not looking at her?" Tigress snapped.
"You think I'm a fool?" the huge wolf laughed, "I know you're not the Dragon Warrior-none of you. I heard how he fell out of the sky on a ball of fire. That he's a warrior unlike anything the world has ever seen."
"Po?" Monkey asked.
"So that is his name. Po. Finally, a worthy opponent. Our battle will be legendary," Tai Lung announced, but Tigress wasn't so easily insulted. Snarling, she exchanged punches with the huge wolf, flipping him over the side of the bridge. With a roar of fury, he launched himself into the air and came down at her, but she flipped the bridge and exchanged kicks with his punches. Grabbing her leg, he tried to throw her off, but she sank her sharp claws into his paw. She hung from the bridge too, but he aimed a lot of his kicks at her ribs and she could feel them weakening.
"We've got this. Help her," Monkey told Viper. She yelped in pain as he continually kicked her ribs and head, smashing her through the bridge and delivering a powerful blow that sent her crashing through a few dozen steps. Twisting the ropes so he choked her, Tai Lung fell back as he was attacked by Viper. Tigress felt a thrill of fear as she fell, but relief as Crane caught her. Viper coiled herself around Tai Lung so he punched himself, but he soon used his strength to grab her.
"Monkey," she hissed.
"Go," Mantis affirmed, but being the only one to hold the ropes, he gasped, "What was I thinking?"
Monkey gave Tai Lung a mighty kick, freeing Viper. Tai Lung raced along the ropes, but Tigress called, "Mantis," and he snapped the ropes, sending Tai Lung tumbling. "Now," Tigress commanded and they all charged Tai Lung. Monkey kicked him back, Viper snapped his head, Crane tied him up, and Tigress flung him away. Mantis hurled them all back and they landed, panting, and watching Tai Lung scream as he hurtled away, tied up. Suddenly, he swirled the ropes and sent himself flying over their heads and landing.
"Shifu taught you well," he growled, lunging forwards and giving Monkey the nerve attack. "But he didn't teach you everything," he added at their gasp of fear. Tai Lung roared a challenge.
Back at the Jade Palace, Master Shifu and Po were arriving. "You have done well wolf," he told him.
"Done well? Done well? I've done awesome!" Po swung his belly into the small white wolf.
"The mark of a true hero is humility, but yes, you have done," he punched him, "awesome."
They laughed, but stopped as Crane collapsed with the frozen five tumbling next to him.
"Huh?" Po yelped, "Guys? Guys? They're dead! No, they're breathing. They're asleep? No, their eyes are open."
"We were no match for his nerve attack," Crane told Master Shifu.
"He has gotten stronger," the wolf murmured as he unfroze Mantis.
"Tai Lung? Stronger?" Po barked as Master Shifu unfroze Monkey and the wolf punched Po in the face on accdident.
"Ow!" Po yelped.
"He's too fast! Sorry Po," Monkey apologized.
"I thought we could stop him," Tigress whimpered as Master Shifu unfroze her. He couldn't bare to see his daughter in pain, but they had do hurry.
"He could have killed you," the white wolf accused.
"Why didn't he?" Mantis asked.
"So you could come back here and strike fear into our hearts, but it won't work," Master Shifu replied, unfreezing Viper.
"Uh, it might. I mean, a little. I'm pretty scared," Po stammered. No, not now. The Dragon Warrior must prevail.
"You can defeat him wolf," Master Shifu told him, and this time, nobody objected.
"Are you kidding? I-if- they can't. They're five masters. I'm just one me," Po whimpered.
"But you will have the one thing no one else does," Master Shifu told him.
By the Moon Pool, they looked up at the Dragon Scroll.
"You really believe I'm ready?" Po asked.
"You are, Po," Master Shifu replied, and this time he truly believed.
Taking up Oogway's staff, Master Shifu spun it, abruptly stopping it and exhaling, causing the floating peach petals to fly. Twisting and flipping, he sent air currents that lifted the petals in a twirling pattern towards the Dragon Scroll, until one finally landed on it. This was one of Master Oogway's last teachings. As the scroll fell, the small white wolf caught it with the staff and turned.
"Behold, the Dragon Scroll. It is yours," he held it out to Po.
"Wait. What happens when I read it?" he asked.
"No one knows, but legend says you will be able to hear a butterfly's wingbeat," Master Shifu replied.
"Whoa, really?" Po gasped, "That's cool."
"Yes, and see light in the deepest cave. You will feel the universe in motion around you," Master Shifu told him.
"Whao! Can I-can I-can I do a quadruple back flip?" Po asked.
"Focus," he replied., "Focus, focus, focus.
"Oh, yeah," Po calmed down.
"Read it Po and fulfill your destiny. Read it and become the Dragon Warrior," Master Shifu said.
"Whoa. It's impossible to open. Come on baby. Come on now," Po tried to open it with his paws and jaws, but he couldn't. Master Shifu could. "Thank you. Probably loosened it up for you though. Okay, here it goes," he said, opened it, and screamed. The Furious Five flinched and gasped, but Po relaxed. "It's blank," he muttered.
"What?" Master Shifu yelped.
"Here, look," Po offered.
"No, I am forbidden to look upon-" the white wolf started, but changed his mind, and took it. How could it be blank?
"Blank. I don't-I don't understand," he stammered.
"Okay, so like, Oogway was just a crazy old wolf after all," Po growled.
"No, Oogway was wiser than us all," Master Shifu protested, turning away.
"Oh, come on. Face it, he picked me by accident. Of course I'm not the Dragon Warrior. Who am I kidding?" Po whimpered, sitting down.
"But who will stop Tai Lung?" Tigress whispered.
"He'll destroy everything and everyone," Crane replied.
No. He couldn't let that happen. Handing Po the scroll back, he barked, "No! Evacuate the valley. You must protect the villagers from Tai Lung's rage."
"What about you Master?" Tigress asked, but he knew she already knew.
"I will fight him," he admitted.
"What?" Po yelped.
"I can cold him off long enough for everyone to escape," he told him. He wasn't going to let any more die for one wolf's mistakes.
"But Shifu, he'll kill you," Po protested.
"Then I will finally have paid for my mistake. 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," Master Shifu smiled sadly at them, and bowed. They bowed back, and the small white wolf turned and walked back to the Moon Pool, lost in his memories. They finally left, and for once and for all, without him.
"We've got to get them out safely," Tigress meowed amongst the fleeing villagers.
"Come on little one. Let's find your mama," Monkey told a little peach colored pup.
"Viper, gather the southern farmers. Mantis, the north. Crane, light the way," Tigress ordered.
Po ashamedly followed Tigress, worrying for his master he would never see again.
"Look, it's the Dragon Warrior," one of his friends mocked.
"Hey dad," Po greeted his father.
"Po," the little wolf ran over and hugged him, "Good to have you back son."
"Good to be back," he sighed.
"Let's go Po," Mr. Ping said, pulling his cart, but Po helped instead.
"So, for our next shop, it's time to face it. The future of noodles is diced, cut vegetables, no longer slices," the small wolf said, "Or so I was thinking, maybe this time we'll have a kitchen you can actually stand up in. Hm? You like that?" He turned, but Po was no longer following him, head bent sadly. "Po, I'm sorry things didn't work out. It just wasn't meant to be," he stammered. "Po, forget everything else. Your destiny still awaits. We are noodle folk. Broth runs deep through our veins," Mr. Ping said, but Po couldn't forget his mentor, who hadn't even let the villagers know he was saving them.
"I don't know dad. Honestly, sometimes I can't believe I'm actually your son," Po sighed.
"Po, I think it's time I told you something I should have told you a long time ago," Mr. Ping said.
"Okay," Po hopefully replied.
"The secret ingredient of my Secret Ingredient Soup. The secret ingredient is nothing," he said.
"Huh?" Po yelped.
"You hard me. Nothing. There is no secret ingredient," Mr. Ping told him.
"What? What, it's just plain old noodle soup? You don't add some sort of special sauce or something?" he asked.
"Don't have to. To make something special, you just have to believe it's special," Mr. Ping laughed. Po opened the Dragon Scroll again. He finally understood.
"There is no secret ingredient," he realized.