Kung Fu Panda 4

by Frost2001

Post KFP 3. Trouble is brewing. People change, friendships deteriorate, romances blossom & end. Nothing is certain but pain & suffering...how could it get worse? Throw in an infuriating yet captivating lioness, an old enemy with a tainted past, & an abundance of personal problems, and Po's got a lot on his plate. Adult themes & some profanity. PoxOC1 TixOC2 & hinted TiPo.

7. Chapter 6: Hardship on the Horizon

A/N: Hey guys I'm back! This chapter took a while. You see, I've got the main plot all figured out. What slows me down is just figuring out the sub-plots and miniature themes and events that help develop the story as a whole. I want this story to turn out well and I don't want it to be a shallow plot.

Anyways, I'm sure that you guys want to go ahead to the story so I'll cut off my rant.

As always, read & enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Dream Works or Kung Fu Panda. I only own this specific plot and my OCs.

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Chapter 6: Hardship on the Horizon

Gongmen City

As usual, and more so since the defeat of Shen, the streets of down town Gongmen were bustling with activity. Being a principal trading center of the nation, naturally, the city attracted migrants and merchants from far and wide. Currently, Shifu and Nicki were making their way through the masses of citizens towards the newly built residence of the Council of Masters. Walking in silence, the duo looked rather uncomfortable. Neither of the two had shared a word since the old master's attempt at conversation. Somehow, Shifu didn't think this would have been the case had Po been present.

Arriving at the palace, the grandmaster was stunned by the spectacle before him. Towering high above him, a hundred feet in the air, stood the citadel. It was an architectural feat that rivaled the Jade Palace itself. Constructed from a blend of stone highlighted with imperial topaz, the impressive palace matched the golden color of the sun in the midday sky. Encompassing the structure was a high standing stone block wall with walkways along the top. In addition to this, the corners of the surrounding fortification held watch towers; each mounted with some type of weaponry. Upon closer inspection, Shifu recognized the deadly ordinances; Shen's cannons. Raising an eyebrow at this, Shifu stored this piece of information for later study.

Continuing on, they arrived at the entrance, only to be stopped by two bull guards at the door.

"Halt! Who goes there?" one of the bulls ordered.

Nicki rolled her eyes, "It's just me and Master Shifu."

The two guards' eyes widened in shock. Soon after, they both dropped to their knees in respect.

"Forgive us for our insolence Grandmasters!" one of them pleaded.

"Yeah what he said!" the other added.

Nicki tightened her lips as she glanced uncomfortably towards Shifu to watch his reaction.

Shifu sighed, albeit in an amused manner, 'Being a grandmaster does have its perks now and again.'

Waving them off, the grandmaster entered through the doors, followed by Nicki. The leopardess led the way to the meeting room. As they were walking down the hall Nicki broke the silence.

"The others arrived hours ago. They are waiting in the conference hall," she informed Shifu curtly. The older master nodded in understanding. Eventually, the two arrived outside the conference hall. Nodding in respect, Nicki quickly left to her dorm.

Composing himself, Shifu then entered through the doors into the room. Walking through the doors, the red-panda soon saw the other six grandmasters chatting around the stone table. As Shifu had entered, the others had stopped chatting and looked up from their conversation. Master Ox was the first to greet him.

"Master Shifu, it's wonderful to see you again!" the ox smiled as he gave a respectful nod to the older master. Shifu gave a smile and bow in return to him.

After the others greeted Shifu, a grave aura filled the air. Swiftly, Master Croc shut all the steel window shutters, locking them. Master Hawk closed and locked the double doors. The room was pitch black until Master Ox lit a brazier that sat in the center of the table, illuminating the chamber.

"Now, onto serious matters," Master Ox looked around the table grimly. He folded his hands as he glanced over to Master Panther. Nodding, the feline cleared his throat.

"In the Xinjiang province, there have been signs of criminal activity on the rise. Has everyone here noticed the same in their respective provinces?" he began. Everyone nodded, albeit Shifu. The feline continued, "I believe a criminal organization is forming across China under the control of an individual."

This was terrible news, but it was something that the masters had anticipated for a while now. Shifu cut in before the feline could continue, "The Valley of Peace has been utterly peaceful. No crime whatsoever."

Master Panther frowned at this, tapping his chin in thought.

Before the cat could speak, Master Hawk interjected, "I believe it's because the Valley of Peace is along the south eastern region of China, the crime seems to be spreading from north to south and west to east," he proposed. The others nodded in consideration while Master Panther still pondered.

"Or perhaps, the eminence of the Furious Five, more importantly, the Dragon Warrior is warding off the crime for now," Master Panther stated after a few moments of thought. Shifu hummed in interest. Maybe leaving Po at the valley had been a good move on his part.

"We are getting off topic, we must discuss the matters at hand," Master Cobra urged.

The others drew their focus back to the snake master.

"I agree with Master Panther, a criminal organization is forming, but I believe it's more than that," he warned them. The others grew interested as they leaned in to get a better listen.

"What would that be?" Shifu inquired.

The cobra frowned in thought, "I believe this criminal organization is corrupting the Kung Fu academies throughout the country. Killing us from the inside out," he proposed.

Master Croc wasn't convinced.

"You mean spies?"

Master Cobra nodded in confirmation. Everyone soon broke out into a loud chorus of arguments. They were soon silence by a steel ax loudly burying into the stone table. Master Gorilla, a hulking figure, who had been silent throughout the entire affair, had finally had enough.

"Please, arguing amongst ourselves will do nothing but aid the enemy," he boomed in a deep voice. Embarrassed of their childish behavior, the other masters soon grew quiet. The ape turned to Master Cobra.

"What makes you think we are being infiltrated?" he asked calmly. The serpent sighed and cleared his throat, "I've had to release several of my students in the past few weeks, for breaking into the restricted weapon storages, and I caught others sneaking out during the night and meeting with shady figures," he admitted. The gorilla's eyes widened at this, he turned to the others.

"Has anyone else experienced situations similar to this?" he prompted. No one said anything at first, but one by one each master confessed.

"My students have been late to training, because of lack of sleep," Master Panther admitted.

Master Hawk had a frown on his face, "I've noticed that several of the Sapphire Palace defense blueprints have gone missing."

A deep crease in Master Gorilla's brow formed. This was unexpected; never had an enemy of China been cunning enough to commence a mass infiltration of the Kung Fu Palaces before. They were dealing with a new enemy; a dangerous enemy.

Master Gorilla looked solemnly at the others, "I think I know the leader of this criminal syndicate." Everyone jerked their heads towards the ape.

"Who?" Shifu asked.

Master Gorilla closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Sighing, he massaged his temples in unease. He looked back at the others.

"I was on my way to the Zoru-Sai Prison in Mongolia several months ago," he began.

Flashback

Trudging his way through a snow storm, Master Gorilla was wrapped in a heavy wool coat. Most creatures would have died of hypothermia by now, but the large ape barely felt the chilling winter wind.

He was heading towards Zoru-Sai Prison. Zoru-Sai was where the worst of the worst were kept. It made Chor-Gom look like a playground. Master Gorilla was traveling for the annual checkup on a specific prisoner. The felon was a former member of the Kung Fu Council; a traitor.

Master Gorilla had been on the path to Zoru-Sai for several weeks now. Normally, the journey was a week at the maximum, but his wagon had collapsed. After his wagon had broken, the gorilla had no choice but to walk. He had not eaten for days, only being able to drink from melting snow in his mouth. After journeying for so long in the dark blizzard, Master Gorilla wasn't sure whether it was day or night; he only rested when he needed to.

An hour later, he finally made out the dim light of the torches from the prison. Picking up his pace, the middle-aged gorilla waded through the snow towards the front doors. As he drew nearer, he noticed that no guards were at the front gate. Worried by this the ape strode over to the doors and swung them open. The spectacle before him was utter chaos; all the prisoners had escaped from their cells and were battling with the guards. The guards were heavily outnumbered and outmatched.

Master Gorilla couldn't react before a guard sprinted over to the door.

"Save yourself!" he screamed, before slamming the doors, knocking the gorilla off his feet.

Rising again, the master ran over to the door, only to be knocked off his feet again.

Boooooom!

A fiery explosion ripped through the prison, sending the charging master flying dozens of feet back into the cushioning snow. He was in a daze for several minutes. Grunting in pain, the gorilla sat up. The sight that awaited him was devastating. Zoru-Sai prison was demolished; the remaining structures were ablaze. Undoubtedly, no one survived, including the prisoner he'd come to check.

'So much death,' the gorilla master thought grimly.

The blizzard had calmed and the whipping winds silenced themselves, almost in reverence for the dead. He continued to gaze at the burning building until the fire had finally died out, leaving him in the dark once again. Rising slowly, Master Gorilla gave a final glance towards the ruins of the prison, "Rest in peace," he said gently. He would need to inform the morticians back in his city of this occurrence.

Turning his back, the ape started his journey back home, before the blizzard started again. What the master didn't notice was a slight shift in the rubble of the ruins. As the gorilla's body vanished in the distance, the rubble began to shift more noticeably.

Moments later, an orange and black striped hand shot out of the rubble, somewhat blackened from the fire.

Flashback End

"The morticians arrived and recovered all the bodies from both guards and prisoners. All except one," the gorilla finished.

The council's eyes widened in realization; Shifu frowned.

"You can't mean he survived that?" the red-panda. The others nodded in disbelief. Master Gorilla gave them all a grave look and confirmed their fears.

"Daemon is alive and out for blood, as I have feared," he conceded in a whisper.

Everyone grew quiet at this. Daemon had been the best of them; the most skilled, the swiftest, the strongest, the deadliest.

Originally, Daemon had been like Tai-Lung in many ways; young, ambitious, and obstinate. He strove to be the greatest warrior in all of China. Overtime, Daemon had become a conceited warrior, who strove for power and control.

A prophecy emerged, foretelling his downfall if he didn't veer from his dark path. This did nothing but deepen his resolve to become all-powerful. Unlike Tai-Lung, he couldn't have cared less for the Dragon Scroll. Daemon's goal was not the scroll, but something far more deadly; the Elixir of Immortals. Created by a researcher in the Imperial staff, it was an attempt to replicate the effects of the ambrosia of the gods. In his obsession to become the superior warrior, he forced the researcher to give him the elixir.

Eventually, the Master's Council stepped in to detain their former friend. They were no match for him before, much less after the elixir. Only Oogway himself was able to stop the rampaging warrior…but at a cost.

Flashback

Nighttime had swept over the Imperial Palace. Bloodied bodies of guards littered the grounds both inside and outside the walls. A figure was seen moving in the palace's courtyard.

In the enclosure, Daemon stepped deftly over the unconscious bodies of the rest of the Council. He looked down at their figures in disdain, barely a scratch on him.

"Tsk…Tsk… I was hoping for somewhat of a challenge," he bemoaned. The Council of Masters were the most elite warriors in the entire nation; preceding the Furious Five. Daemon had disposed of them within minutes, leaving them unconscious. Unlike the Imperial guards, he respected them; there was no need to kill his former friends. They weren't a threat to him. They were just another pitiful obstacle, blocking his path from the Emperor. Once the royal family was disposed of, no one would dare question his power—he'd rule all of China— and after that, all of Asia. The tiger was brought out of his thoughts by something…someone. Stopping in his tracks, Daemon sensed a new presence behind him.

"Enough of this madness Daemon!"

Daemon's demonic yellow eyes widened in recognition of the voice. It was the voice of someone who could finally present him a challenge. A sinister smile graced the feline's features. He spun around to face his opponent.

Oogway stood in a battle stance with a grim look upon his normally jovial face. The turtle's eyes glanced to see the defeated forms of his comrades.

Daemon just chuckled, "Don't worry old man. They are merely unconscious."

Oogway's eyes narrowed at the tiger, "You must be brought to justice for the atrocities you have committed."

Daemon laughed at this. He would enjoy eradicating the old turtle, one hit at a time.

"You are a fool Oogway! I am beyond even the Emperor's authority now! He will be the next in line to bow at my feet," he resounded in grandeur.

Oogway shook his head adamantly, "You are no different than any other warrior or criminal for that matter."

Daemon's grin faded, "You see Oogway…That's where you're wrong."

Instantly, the tiger shot forward at blinding speed towards Oogway. The turtle barely had enough time to block the first hit before Daemon delivered a forceful kick to his abdomen. Oogway wheezed in pain. In an effort to counter, Oogway attempted to execute a quick backhanded chop to the tiger's neck. Catching the turtle's predictable effort, Daemon continued to deliver several devastating hay-makers in rapid succession to the grandmaster's chest area. After multiple hits, Oogway managed to redirect Daemon's final punch, flipping the tiger onto the ground.

Cracking his head on the floor, Daemon was dazed for a moment before his eyes refocused on Oogway or more so…the turtle's familiar grip on his hand.

The grandmaster had him in the Wuxi Finger hold, pinky raised. Oogway looked at him solemnly.

"You leave me no choice young one. To the Spirit Realm you must go," he affirmed subsequently flexing his pinky.

To the turtle's horror and utter surprise, nothing happened. Unlike when he banished Kai, there was no explosion of golden light or diffusion of Chi.

'But how?' he pondered.

He was brought out of his thoughts by Daemon's iron grip clenching onto his wrist.

"Sorry…I don't work like that no more," the tiger snarled, his fangs gleaming in the moonlight.

He subsequently flipped the turtle over his shoulder, smashing him into the stone floor. Oogway howled in pain, hitting several pressure points on the tiger's arm, but they seemed to have no effect either. Daemon ignored it and flipped the turtle over his shoulders once again and drove him even harder into the stone patio, before releasing his hold.

Oogway was on his hands and knees at this point coughing up blood as he hunched over. Trying to recover, the turtle feebly stood to his feet. Daemon swiftly kicked the older master's legs, sending him buckling to his knees once again. Taking hold of Oogway's neck, the feline crushed the turtle into the ground, immobilizing him.

"This elixir has made me the most formidable combatant in all of China! My physical and mental attributes outmatch even yours," he boasted.

Pinning Oogway by the neck with one hand, he delivered a blow of incredible power down onto the turtle's shell with the other.

wham!

Several hairline fractures formed along the grandmaster's shell. Not satisfied, Daemon continued beating down with all his might between his words. Each blow becoming progressively harder as time wore on.

"I'm the strongest!"

wham!

"The fastest!"

Wham!

"The toughest!"

Wham!

"The fiercest!"

WHAM!

"I AM THE BEST!"

WHAM!

Breathing heavily, the tiger stood up clenching and unclenching his bruised knuckles.

Oogway's body lay motionless; the turtle's formerly beautiful shell had been totally caved in and torn apart.

"So much for the great Master Oogway," Daemon muttered in contempt, before turning his back heading towards the palace.

"Daemon!" a voice rasped out.

Turning back around, the tiger found the grandmaster on his feet shakily pointing at him. In all honesty, Daemon was quite impressed. No one had ever stood against his onslaught before and lived.

"You may best me in physicality…You may best me in mentality…but you can't best me in one thing," Oogway taunted the feline.

Daemon frowned at this, "…What is that?"

Oogway let a wry smile form on his face, "Spirituality."

The turtle then gave off a golden glow, before sending a wave of Chi at the tiger. Caught off guard, Daemon winced at the wall of light heading for him. Quickly, he held his hands up to block the incoming attack.

Oogway stood their observing the result of his work. Before him stood Daemon restrained in coils of golden chains of Chi.

"Argggh!" Daemon bellowed, trying to break free of the bonds. It was no use, the chains wouldn't budge.

Oogway hobbled over to the tiger watching him struggle against his imprisonment.

"You'll have to kill me Oogway! I can't die of age, the elixir made sure of that!" Daemon taunted.

Oogway shook his head, resting his hand on the tiger's shoulder he sighed tiredly.

"You are a threat no longer. Zoru-Sai has a special chamber awaiting you," the turtle informed.

"Just you wait Oogway! I'll be back and you won't always be here to stop me!" Daemon snarled.

Oogway calmly replied, "It was never my job to stop you, the prophecy has already set another on that path."

Daemon smirked, "I've read the prophecy…and I've already taken measures to ensure it never comes to pass."

Oogway smiled knowingly, "I'm sure you have."

Daemon was rather unnerved by the Oogway's smile, almost as if the turtle knew something that he didn't.

---

Hours later, after some of the remaining Imperial Forces came and took Daemon away to Zoru-Sai prison, Oogway was left to tend to the wounded. As he passed by a group of medics aiding a wounded solider, the grandmaster noticed a middle-aged goat lady sitting on the steps looking miserable. Curious, he walked up the stairs and sat down next to her. They were silent for a moment before Oogway started, "Are you alright my dear?"

The female goat just shook her head; tears streaming down her face.

"…I caused this…" she lamented.

Even the wise Oogway took a moment to understand.

"Ah…I see. You are the elixir's creator," the grandmaster realized.

A feeble nod from the goat confirmed it. They both sat there for several minutes, just watching the medics carry off the bodies of the dead and wounded.

"I thought..." she began, looking up into the night sky.

Oogway leaned in to get a better listen since the goat's voice was barely above a whisper.

"…I thought…making the elixir could have done some good but…it just caused suffering and pain."

Oogway nodded in understanding, "Even the most beautiful of things can be corrupted by those with sinful purposes. But sometimes, all it takes is one special person to undo all of the wrong," he continued.

Nodding, the goat and turtle continued to sit and stare at the stars above.

"What should I do now?" she asked.

Oogway was silent for a moment in thought, before shrugging with a slight smile.

"Do what makes you happy," he responded, rising from his seat. He then withdrew a flower from his robe and handed it to the goat lady.

Smiling bashfully, she admired the flower. "Well, I've always wanted to visit Egypt. Maybe one day I will…"

Still looking down at the flower the goat continued, "Oh! Oogway, I never introduced myself. My name is…"

She looked up to find that the grandmaster had vanished; she was left alone on the stone stairs.

"…Carol…"

Flashback End

Daemon had nearly been the end of them all.

If he was back now, all of China could be in danger.

"If this is the case, then I must travel back to the Jade Palace to warn the others," Shifu began.

The red-panda stood up with his staff in hand. The others stood with him.

"Agreed, we must bring awareness to our respective palaces and academies," Master Hawk approved.

Before the grandmasters could do anything else the ground trembled, knocking all but Master Cobra off their feet.

"What was that?" the serpent hissed. Quickly regaining their feet, the masters drew their weapons and readied themselves. Right after, Master Ox strode over and swung open the door. He then quickly exited and ran down the hall, followed by the others.

Arriving at the entrance hall, they were met with the gruesome sight of the floor covered in the palace guard's corpses. The front gate had been blown wide open. Standing above the bodies were dozens and dozens of criminals, armed to the teeth. At the sight of the masters, the criminals made a move to swarm them, only to be stopped by a central figure, their leader, raising his hand.

The hooded figure was tall, possibly the same height as Po and he was thin, but sinewy. His lean figure radiated menace. And if that wasn't enough, the razor sharp blood-red spear he flaunted around assured it. He unveiled his hood, revealing the face of a black jaguar with almost pitch black eyes. Sporting a noticeable scar along his right eye, it was obvious that feline wasn't a novice.

"Be honored. You are all about to be slain by the servants of Lord Daemon," he announced in a poised and smooth voice, while effortlessly twirling the spear in his grasp.

Looking sideways at each other, the grandmasters returned their gaze to the jaguar. Judging from his poise, the feline was no doubt Daemon's right-hand. And based off the ease at which he handled the weapon in his hand, he was an expert combatant; an extreme threat.

"I don't know how to thank you gentlemen," he continued stylishly.

He smirked, "Really, you've made my job so much easier by coming together in the same place."

The grandmasters took their defensive stances, frowns plastered across their faces.

This drew a chuckle from the feline. He folded his hands together as he continued.

"Truly, destroying every one of your palaces was a breeze with you absent. Especially with our inside helpers." he informed them with a laugh.

The grandmasters soon adopted a look of shock before anger soon emerged.

"How dare you!" Master Ox roared in fury, his fingers twitching as he gripped his axe.

Smirking, the black jaguar clapped his hands together, "Now. Now. Don't worry, your turn is here," he effused sarcastically motioning to the huge group of criminals behind him.

"I am disappointed however, that the Dragon Warrior isn't present," he admitted in slight dissatisfaction.

The grandmasters' eyes widened at this. Shifu stepped forward bringing attention to himself.

"How did you-" he was cut off.

"Well…our little informant kept us posted," the jaguar shrugged pointing to a smirking Nicki who had emerged from behind the mass of criminals.

"Nicki! You shame yourself and the name of Kung Fu!" Master Croc hissed. The entire Council of Masters were glaring daggers at the leopardess.

Giving a mock apologetic smile the leopardess said, "Sorry, but I was given an offer that I couldn't refuse."

Walking up, the female stopped when she stood side by side with the black jaguar.

Patting the taller feline's shoulder, "After Raul here and Daemon secure control over China, I get to keep the Dragon Warrior!" she cheered.

Shifu's eye twitched, "…Keep him?"

Nicki nodded enthusiastically. Clasping her paws over her chest she let out a muted purr.

"Yeah. You know…he'll be my favorite toy. I'm sure he won't mind," Nicki giggled, licking her lips.

Shifu gagged at the thought. The other grandmasters shuddered at the leopardess's implication.

'Perhaps it really was best that Po hadn't accompanied me here,' the red-panda thought with a shiver.

Raul stroked his chin with a thoughtful look. Turning towards the shorter feline he patted her shoulders.

"Oh yes…unfortunately our deal has a small complication," he remarked.

Tilting her head, Nicki's smile faded slightly, "What do you mean?"

The jaguar looked down at her, "You must understand that Lord Daemon only accepts the most loyal and devoted to his cause."

In the blink of an eye, Raul seized Nicki by her neck strangling her. Gurgling, the leopardess tried to pry his hands away, but she was growing weaker. He slowly lifted her off the ground, as her legs flailed feebly. The grandmasters looked at the spectacle before them in shock.

Not missing a beat the jaguar continued calmly, "I do apologize, it's nothing personal. But a traitor such as yourself would be a tarnish in our ranks."

He increased the pressure on her neck until…

*crack*

The Council of Master winced at the sound; however, Raul didn't even flinch.

Nicki became motionless. Her eyes rolled up into the back of her skull as her head slumped.

Looking distastefully at her, the jaguar dropped the motionless corpse onto the floor by his feet.

Shifu looked at the lifeless Nicki below them with pity. Even though the feline was a traitor, no one should have been subjected to such an ill fate. Shifu looked up, turning his withering gaze back to the Daemon's subordinate.

Raul had begun to stroll around the hall admiring the design. Motioning with his arms, "This edifice really is a magnificent piece of craftsmanship…too bad we'll have to burn it to the ground," he drawled, stopping shortly to feel the fabric of one of the hanging drapes.

Master Gorilla stepped forward, "Over our dead bodies!"

Instead of showing any sign of irritation or anger, the jaguar just smiled maliciously, "That can be arranged."

Making a motion with his hand, dozens of the bandits swarmed towards the Council of Masters. Swiftly, the grandmasters countered the bandits, eliminating one after the other. But no matter how many they defeated, more would come flooding in. Many of the grandmasters began to tire, being past their prime. Slowly but surely, they were losing ground.

Shifu had just slammed his staff into the throat of one bandit, before spinning and kicking two more to the ground before realizing that the situation was hopeless. Master Cobra had realized this too. After the serpent sent three bandits flying he hollered, "Shifu get out of here and warn the Five and Dragon Warrior! We'll hold them off!"

Shifu was obstinate, "I refuse to leave!" he yelled back, disarming a bandit, before knocking him out.

"You must! Our palaces have been destroyed! The Jade Palace is the last Kung Fu stronghold in the entire country!" Master Hawk countered, disposing of multiple bandits with a spin kick.

"But-" Shifu implored.

"No my friend, our journey has come to an end. You must go on…Go!" Master Gorilla ordered, before spinning and whipping his ax in an arc, disposing of several bandits.

Feeling utterly helpless, Shifu swallowed his pride and fled. Running as fast as he could, the red-panda jumped and smashed through the window, falling several stories onto the cobblestone road below. Sore, aching, and in pain, Shifu picked himself up and continued his sprint away from the Topaz Palace through town.

Raul watched Shifu's figure grow smaller and smaller.

"Oh, bother," he muttered.

Turning to some of the bandits he ordered, "Get him!"

Following his order, a big group of bandits turned and sprinted out the doors after the red-panda. As they chased after Shifu, more and more bandits joined until a virtual sea of criminals was rushing after the escaping grandmaster.

Shifu was making his way swiftly toward the docks when he heard yelling behind him. His eyes widened in shock as he turned to see a mass of bandits in pursuit. His legs went into maximum overdrive as he zipped down the road.

Citizens of Gongmen were left utterly baffled as they saw a red and white blur zip past them, only to be followed by a mass of criminals.

Shifu could barely breathe from all the running as he drew closer and closer to the harbor. Looking several hundred meters forward, he was relieved to see that Jeffery, the boat captain was still standing by his boat on the dock looking out at the river.

"Jeff! Jeff!" Shifu bellowed.

The beaver didn't hear him, and continued to stare off into the distance.

"Jeff!" Shifu bellowed at the top of his lungs.

This time Jeff did look up. Turning around, he saw Shifu in the distance running towards him. He smiled, waving back. His grin however, quickly changed into a gape as he saw the horde of bandits chasing after the grandmaster.

"Jeff! Start the boat! Start the boat!" Shifu screamed.

Quickly, Jeff scurried over to the boat and unanchored it from the harbor. Hopping onto the boat, he freed the sail and stabilized the mast. Soon, the sail caught the wind and the boat began to move. Slowly but surely, the ship began to pick up pace.

Shifu was only about fifty meters away from the docks now. Unfortunately, the bandits had begun to throw spears and shoot arrows at him as they chased. There were a dozen times were an arrow or spear grazed through his cloak, missing him by inches.

Finally, Shifu made it to the docks and dived into the water, swimming towards Jeff's boat which was now moving at a remarkable pace. The beaver tossed out a life preserver and Shifu took hold of it. Jeff then dragged the exhausted grandmaster and hoisted him up onto the ship.

Shifu gave a quick glance back to see dozens of bandits fuming on the dock. Some tried to shoot at the ship with their bows, but the vessel was too far away for the arrows to be of any concern.

Looking at Shifu and then back at the docks, Jeff scratched his head, "I guess yo host wasn't too fond of ya."

Shifu grunted and passed out onto the deck, fatigued from the minutes prior. Seeing the passed out form of the red-panda, Jeff muttered, "I guess I'll get ya a blanket or somethin."

He then shuffled off to the captain's quarters.

---

The Valley of Peace

Relaxed, Carefree, Joyful; these are just a few ways to describe the citizens of the valley. Having been almost three years since Tai-Lung's defeat, the Valley of Peace had been utterly placid; bar bandit raids. But even those were few and far between.

Today was no exception. Mothers were cleaning and sewing. Fathers were doing work in the fields. Markets were bustling. Children were running about, wrapped in coats due to the frigid air of the ever nearing winter.

Po had just made it down the last of the thousand steps. As he'd traversed down the stairs, the Dragon Warrior went over his checklist.

"Right. First off, go visit my Dads. Second, buy a chair. Also buy groceries and supplies for cooking," he stated, jotting it down in a little notebook.

Hesitating for a moment, Po wracked his brain for anything else, "Oh…didn't Viper say that Tigress needed wrapping paper?" he wondered aloud.

'No moron! Viper said Tigress needed new wraps!' Red corrected.

Po was left clueless by this. Tigress needed wraps? What were wraps? He pondered for a moment.

"Hand wraps?" he finally questioned.

'You really are clueless aren't you? No! Breast wraps you uneducated nitwit!' Red barked in frustration.

"Oh…" Po muttered, his face burning from embarrassment.

"I guess, I'll add it to the list," he concluded, jotting down the item to his list before pocketing the notepad and ink pen.

Heading away from the base of the stairs, Po strolled down the street towards his father's noodle shop. Drifting through the crowds in the marketplace, Po tried to maintain a low profile. He wasn't in the mood for rambunctious fans. Keeping his head down and slouching, Po tried to remain as discreet as possible. Although it wasn't much help, given that he still towered over the majority of everyone else. Surprisingly, no one took notice to his presence, much to the panda's relief. Soon, Po escaped the crowded area of the market and was pacing down the dirt road to his father's.

Arriving outside Mr. Ping's, Po entered to find the place packed; obviously. Not a second after he'd entered, his goose Dad exited the kitchen to greet his son.

"Oh Po! How good of you to visit. It's been nearly a week!" he effused, hugging the bear. Po returned the hug, although in a careful manner. After all the weight training he'd done, the Dragon Warrior didn't know his own strength. The first two months after Kai had been a disaster for Po. It was only until after he'd demolished the kitchen table…and the training hall doors…and one of the walls in the Hall of Heroes that he'd learned strength required a very delicate touch. Heck! He'd even soaked his…lap… in boiling hot soup after accidentally crushing the bowl in his hand. And that was only a few weeks ago! Even now, Po was still quite sensitive about the burned 'area'. In short, he'd been very very cautious about his strength from then on.

'How misshaped are your testicles by now? Between the burning, whacking, crushing, and Tigress's kicking, you're never gonna have kids! Hahahahahahaha!' Red exploded in laughter.

"Shut the hell up," Po muttered back.

Releasing his son from their hug, the goose smiled in questioning.

"What was that son?" Mr. Ping asked obliviously. Po returned the smile, waving him off.

"Oh, nothing."

Mr. Ping seemed content with the answer before turning to the customers in the restaurant. Po expected him to announce something like 'free desert with purchases', but what the goose said next left the bear in disbelief.

"Alright everyone, it's time to leave now! I must have a talk with my son in private! Shoo! Shoo!" he announced loudly, ushering the crowds out. Groans were heard from the customers as they were herded out of the establishment. Mr. Ping hurriedly waddled over to the wooden double doors—newly installed several weeks ago —before hanging a "Closed" sign on the outside and shutting them. Turning back to Po a serious look appeared upon the goose's normally jovial face.

"Po…we need to talk. Follow me," he said in a delicate tone.

Motioning his son to follow, Mr. Ping opened the shop's door. Starting forward, Po nearly whacked his head on the door frame before ducking at the last second. Honestly, the bear had lost track of the number of times he'd hit his head on that thing.

They both entered the cramped space— more so for Po than Mr. Ping—to find Po's other Dad Li, sitting on a stool. Obviously not built to support a being as large as Li, the wooden legs on the furniture were bent past their maximum range of motion. It was amazing that they hadn't snapped. Li had been sitting, hunched over twirling his thumbs in deep thought. His attention shifted as he looked upwards to see his son enter the room. Smiling, the older panda rose from his seat to greet him. Creaking loudly, the stool groaned, almost as if in relief. Striding over, Li took his son in a strong bear-hug, to which Po returned.

"How've you been champ?" Li asked, finally releasing Po from the embrace.

"Never better," Po replied with a smile of his own.

Li patted him on the back, "That's good to hear."

Po shifted to look at both his Dads before folding his arms together.

"So what's the topic of discussion?" Po asked in curiosity.

The two fathers eyed each other in silence. Li finally ended the silence by clearing his throat, before starting.

"Well…you see son, there is a dilemma," he began.

"What? Don't worry Dad, I'll fix it. Who is it?" Po asked seriously, massaging his knuckles.

"Whack!"

"Ow!" Po yelped.

Mr. Ping had just smacked him on the top of his head with his metal ladle, before shushing him.

"Po! Always resolving things with your Kung Fu…Violence isn't the solution for everything," the goose scolded.

'Yes it is,' Red replied immediately.

Po just nodded bashfully while rubbing the knot that was quickly forming on his head. Li hummed with a slight smile at his son's antics.

"Po, while I appreciate your concern, the problem is a bit more complicated. You see, the Valley of Peace is an amazing place. It's a great place to live," he said.

Po nodded, wondering where his Dad was going with this.

Li then continued, "However, the pandas and I…we don't fit here. We break things…we get in the way…our lifestyle conflicts the majority of the other inhabitants of the valley."

"But-" Po started, only to be quieted by Li raising his hand.

"The others and I have made the decision that it would be best for us and for the valley if we were to go back to the Panda Village in the mountains," he finished, waiting to see his son's reaction.

Po looked puzzled as he went over the situation in his head. The younger panda couldn't develop any reasonable argument to use against his father's logic. However, that wouldn't stop him from trying.

"Come on Dad! We can work this out. I'm sure there's some way you guys can continue to live in the valley," he offered weakly.

Li shook his head before gripping Po by the shoulders in care.

"I know this is hard son. But we can always visit, or you can come visit us! This isn't a permanent farewell," he assured Po.

Sighing in acceptance, Po looked up at his father asking, "When are you guys leaving?"

Li motioned to several pieces of luggage by the wall—his luggage—to answer the younger panda's inquiry.

"Today. I'm actually glad you came down here. Otherwise, I would have had to climb up the Jade Palace stairs to inform you," he stated with a dry chuckle.

Po nodded, "Stay safe on the journey. Winter is on the rise."

Li's eyes widened at this before he knocked himself on the head in realization. Po frowned at this, wondering what his father was thinking.

"I almost forgot!" the older panda scolded himself before rushing off to the back of the shop.

Po looked over to his other dad with a look of confusion. Mr. Ping just smirked knowingly and shook his head. A few minutes later, heavy footsteps reverberated throughout the shop as Li re-entered through the back doorway. In his hands he was carrying a sizable item, crudely wrapped in tan and black paper. He walked over to Po, handing over the gift proudly.

"What's this?" Po asked in surprise. He examined the box in his hands, shaking it. It wasn't a weapon and it was very light for its size.

"What you said reminded me that I'll be gone for your birthday. It's only in four days. This is a gift from me," Li divulged.

"Oh!" Po sounded in understanding. He'd been so busy with training and dealing with the Five and Saber that he'd completely forgot about his birthday.

Originally, no one had known the Dragon Warrior's date of birth since he'd been unofficially adopted. However, after Kai, Li had sat down and chatted with everyone over dinner telling them his side of the story. He answered Po's and the Five's questions and also revealed that Po had been born on the day of the Winter Solstice. 'A special birth-date for a special panda,' he would say. It was true; the Winter Solstice was only four days away.

Po looked down at the item in his hands once more before returning his gaze to his panda dad.

"May I?" he questioned.

"Of course! I wanted you to open it in front of me," Li assured.

Carefully, Po pealed back the layers of wrapping. After removing the paper, it was revealed to be a simple wooden box. Noticing two steel latches on the side, Po unhooked them and opened it. Inside laid some stylish new attire. A jade green vest—similar to the panda's eye color—lay inside the box. Alongside the vest was a pair of black training pants.

"After all, the Dragon Warrior can't go around in those patched shorts forever. That's Grandma's finest work," Li opined with a faint smile.

"Thanks Dad," Po effused with a grin.

After admiring the garment's craftsmanship for a few more moments, Po began to rummage around his pant pockets. Like father like son, he'd also forgotten a gift he was going to give to his father. He'd been casually strolling around the market a few days ago and an interesting item had caught his eye. Finally, securing hold of it, Po pulled out a small box and handed it to Li.

"Here you go. I almost forgot to give you this."

Curious, the older panda carefully opened the palm sized box. Upon opening, the item was revealed to be a unique necklace. The pendant was a stylishly carved yin-yang symbol, comprised of silver and gold. It hung on a complex cord, a composition of woven steel fibers; almost as strong as solid steel, yet flexible like cloth.

Smiling, Li secured the necklace around his neck with pride.

"Thank you Po. It'll remind me of you," he said with a tear in his eye.

Nodding, Po stepped forward and took his panda father in a bear-hug, "Thanks for everything dad, I'm gonna miss you," he mumbled quietly.

Li patted his son on the back, a tear rolling down his face. Stepping back from Po, Li motioned to the door.

"I suppose you should probably head out. I'm sure the Dragon Warrior has a long day ahead of him," he joked matter-of-factly.

Po nodded with a good-natured roll of his eyes, before packing up the new clothes in a small paper bag and heading towards the door.

"Bye, love you dads!" he called before exiting the shop.

Both fathers watched as their son left to go about his day. Once Mr. Ping was sure Po was gone, he turned to Li.

"I suppose this is farewell for now?" the goose asked.

Li looked sideways at him, "Yes. I suppose it is."

Ping laughed in spite of himself. Initially after meeting Li he had wanted nothing to do with him. After all, he was a threat to his relationship with Po. But after time getting to know him, the older panda had become one of the closest friends he'd ever known.

"And to think that when we first met I despised you," the goose chuckled.

It was Li's turn to let out a laugh. While he hadn't been as cynical as the Ping had been, he'd had several unvoiced jabs and quarrels with the goose. Overtime, they become the best of friends with Po being the focal point.

"Yes. It's funny how father time can change things."

Their laughter died down shortly after leaving the two in a comfortable silence. Mr. Ping patted the bear's shoulder, "Take care of yourself Li."

Li nodded in thanks and walked over to his luggage. Picking up the bags, he headed for the door. Spinning around, he gazed at Mr. Ping, "Please…take care of our son."

Not waiting for an answer, the elder panda exited, heading down the road to the front of town where the other pandas were preparing for the journey. Mr. Ping watched his large figure until it faded out of sight.

"I promise."

---

Po strolled around the marketplace in the Valley's downtown. He was careful to avoid the plethora of passerby as he journeyed through the crowded area. What had once been a relatively sparse province was now a bustling center of trade and travelers.

Ever since the Dragon Warrior title had been claimed, the Valley of Peace had expanded from what was once a fairly minor town to a major city. This was no doubt due to the protection that the Dragon Warrior provided. In the last several years, the Valley's population had increased tenfold and the city had extended southward for several miles as well. In consequence, more business and industrial advances had emerged in the ever-growing city. In correlation to the stream of immigrants, the diversity of species in the city had spiked tremendously.

Before, seeing anyone other than a rabbit, pig, or goat in the valley was a phenomenon. Now after the mass of immigration into the valley, it was possibly the most diverse province in all of China. It was commonplace for dozens of different species outside of the original few that the valley possessed.

Honestly, Po rather liked the increase in the city's size and populous. It made traveling among the common people much easier. You see, due to the increase of newcomers in the valley, it greatly decreased the chances of him being recognized. Originally, Po had loved the attention and adoration from the people of the town. However, after a time it had become more of a hassle than anything. He couldn't even travel from the Jade Palace to his Dad's shop without being bombarded by fans and townsfolk.

Stopping to gaze around at the marketplace, Po's eyes scanned the shops, attempting to find one that sold furniture. He hadn't been in the downtown area for several weeks, and new businesses were sprouting up like weeds. The Dragon Warrior had lost track of the number of new shops that had opened.

'Um…Manuel's Mechanics, no…Victoria's Venue, no…Barbara's Bar, no…Nicole's Night Club, definitely not…' he thought in frustration.

'I don't know. Night Club sounds like fun,' Red put in.

Po shook his head at this. Deciding it would be best if he asked for directions, the panda headed toward the nearest shop…Su & Sister's Spa & Massage.

'Ooh…Spa AND Massage, good choice.'

Po rolled his eyes, before entering the establishment. Normally, most of the new shops would be either half constructed or poorly built; this shop was neither. The interior of it was simple yet elegant. Polished white marble covered the floor, while the walls and ceiling were constructed of less expensive but just as marvelous white stone. Po admired the beautiful design of the building, stepping up to the desk.

Taking a look around, there didn't appear to be anyone. Po's eyes made their way down to the polished surface of the wooden front counter, where a desk bell sat. A small plaque stood next to the ornament.

'Please ring gently for service' it read.

Po looked up again to find that he was still alone. Shrugging his shoulders, he carefully tapped the bell… no sound. Frowning, Po tried again…still no sound. Huffing, the bear scratched the back of his head in wonder. Trying again Po used a little more force. This time a barely audible, muffled ring came out. Having enough of the bell's lack of cooperation, Po forcefully swung his hand down onto the cursed desk ornament.

RAAANG!

The bell let out an ear shattering shriek. Po winced at the harsh noise. Looking down, his jaw dropped in shock. The bell was now partially flattened, the top being mushed down.

'Good job blockhead.'

Po gripped his head in self-contempt, scolding himself for breaking yet another thing that didn't belong to him. He then froze at the sound of a feminine voice from the back of the shop.

"We'll be with you shortly!"

Panicking, the Dragon Warrior shifted the bell, hiding it under the plaque out of sight. He wiped a bead of sweat from his brow before a hand clasped onto his shoulder. Nearly, jumping out of his skin, Po gripped the arm and swung the being over his shoulder onto the floor at his feet.

"Whoa!"

Looking down at the figure, it turned out to be Dim. His hands up in surrender, the panda cousin had a nervous smile on his face.

"Friendly fire?" he chuckled.

Abashed, Po helped his cousin to his feet quickly after. Turning around he spotted Sum—his other cousin—trying to restrain his laughter.

"Remind us never to sneak up on you again," Sum joked.

Po rubbed the back of his head, "Sorry about that, but what are you guys doing here?"

The two cousins shrugged their shoulders, "We were just getting a quick massage before the long journey home," Dim answered truthfully.

"We saw you and thought we should say good bye," Sum finished.

Po nodded, giving both of them a hug before they began heading for the door.

"Oh. Po, by the way. You better watch out for those crazy feline masseuses. We're taken," Dim stated, both him and Sum flexing their ring fingers showing off their status. "But you're not…So they might get a little handsy," Sum concluded with a laugh before the two cousins slipped out the doorway.

'Fine by me. The more the merrier,' Red announced in thrill.

As if right on cue, the three felines emerged from the back of the shop. They were all Asiatic Mountain Cats; Po had recognized that almost instantaneously. Due to scroll 415—studies of animal species worldwide— the panda could now easily identify every person he came across. As a result he unconsciously tended to analyze their movements, habitual actions, strengths, weakness, and non-verbal cues.

'Species…Asiatic Mountain Cat(s)

Gender…Female(s)

Condition: Unarmed

Threat Level: Medium

Strengths: Seemingly agile…Their posture exhibits signs of martial arts training.

Weaknesses: Their tails are primary for balance; disable them…The center cat has an old injury on her left knee; dispose of her first…the left and right cats depend on each other; solution…divide and conquer,' Red gauged automatically.

'Will you cut that out! They aren't a threat. No need to analyze them,' Po internally scolded the voice.

Bringing his gaze back to the trio, they all smiled innocently at the panda. He smiled back as he took in their appearance. Their garments were fascinating, due to the cloths' unique design and smooth texture. Each wore a different color; one wore dark red garb, another wore navy, and the last wore a dark green. Po's eyes drew away from their clothes since the design left more than a few revealing openings that wouldn't be considered polite to stare at.

Aside from their attire, all three of them seemed nearly identical in appearance, bar a few differences. Firstly, the center feline—who wore navy colored garb—was about Tigress's height, leaving her an inch or so taller than her sister counterparts. She was also the eldest and leader of the three, judging on her posture. Most notably however, was that the eldest of the trio had multi-colored eyes—her left, a light shade of blue and her right, a dark shade of brown— unlike her sisters, who both sported a hazel pair. Nonetheless, this did little to deter from her natural beauty. In fact, all three of the cats were quite attractive both in their looks and figure.

"Are you done staring?" the center cat inquired in an amused tone, the other two stifling laughs.

Realizing he'd been caught, Po scratched the back of his head and his face reddened. Attempting to recover he bowed his head.

"I apologize. Uh…it's just…I haven't seen an Asiatic Mountain Cat around these parts before. Even after the Valley's expansion," Po stumbled over his words, albeit truthfully.

"Hmmm…sisters? What did we do to the last man that we caught staring at us?" the eldest asked dubitably tapping her clawed finger against her chin.

Po audibly gulped. Originally, he'd thought his cousins had been jesting. No, they'd been completely serious. Unfortunately, he'd realized this too late. Why did he come in here again?

"I believe we strung him up by his ball sack," the leftward feline stated with a straight face, studying her razor sharp nails.

The sister on the right objected, "No. No. We strung him up by his—well it wasn't his ball sack."

Po was now feeling very queasy. How could his luck be this bad? Sometimes, he'd preferred life when he'd been more rotund and girls refused to even look at him, much less speak with him.

He was brought out of his self-pitying thoughts by the eldest cat, "Well. What would you prefer? Hung up by your balls or—the other thing?" she asked with an eyebrow raised.

'Well that settles it…you're definitely not having kids,' Red confirmed.

"Not helping," Po muttered back.

Never in his life had he feared more for his well-being. Not when he faced Tai-Lung, nor Shen, nor even Kai. These felines were absolutely terrifying.

Po gulped before responding to the trio, "Listen. I'm really sorry for staring. I just wanted a chair. Do you know where the furniture shop is? Please don't hurt me."

They stared at him for several seconds before all three of them fell to the ground and burst out giggling. Po just stood there in absolute lack of understanding. One second they'd been out for his blood and now they were rolling on the ground in fits of laughter, tears streaming down their faces.

'I'm totally mind-fucked.'

Po nodded slowly, still trying to comprehend the situation.

Minutes later, the trio finally managed to regain their composure as they rose to their feet. Wiping tears from her eyes, the eldest sister began, "I'm so sorry. We were just playing with you. I hope we didn't scare you too much."

Po let out a sigh of relief.

"It's no problem," he returned as coolly as he could.

Shaking her head the mountain cat smiled, "Anyways. My name is Su." Turning, she motioned to her sister wearing the dark red garb, "this is Wing." Spinning to her right, she pointed to her sister wearing the dark green garb, "and this is Wan."

Po nodded towards each of them in respect, "It's nice to meet you ladies. My name is Po."

Their eyes widened at this, giving each other sideways glances in delight. What good fortune! They all nodded in silent agreement. The Dragon Warrior deserved very special treatment.

Wu then put her hands on her hips as her gaze leveled with the panda.

"Now what can we interest you in? Spa & Sauna? Chiropractic treatment? Massage? Or…something else?" she asked, each offer rolling of her tongue effortlessly.

"Oh…No thank you ladies. I just wondered if you knew where a furniture shop was," Po answered oblivious to Su's implication.

"We insist. It's on the house," Su persuaded. Wing and Wan both stepped forward. Taking the bag of clothes from his hand, they set it on the front desk. Then gripping the panda's arms, the duo dragged him towards the back with Su in tow.

"We feel very guilty about scaring you back there," Wing admitted in a low voice.

Wan nodded her head rapidly, "Let us make it up to you," she offered with a sultry smile.

The trio guided the black and white warrior to a wooden door. Opening it, the inside was revealed to be a sauna with multiple massage stations. Lugging the big bear over, they finally sat him down on a large comfortable lounge chair. Wing and Wan sitting close—a little too close—on either side of him and Su's warm chest was pressed up against his back.

"You've lucked out my friend. Normally, customers only get one masseuse, but since you're the only one here you get the special three-way treatment," Su offered in a smooth voice with Wing and Wan both clasping their hands together.

Po being the oblivious oaf that he was still didn't pick up on the hints, "Well, I am a little sore from training. I'm pretty stiff." As he said this he looked over across the room, the fascinating designs etched into the tile wall caught his eye.

Su's eyes widened at his choice of words, "Stiff you say?"

Po looked at the elder sister nodding. He didn't notice the looks that the other two were giving him.

"Yeah definitely stiff," he responded with certainty before his gaze wandered back to the wall.

Su smirked, "Where? If I may ask?"

Po continued to stare at the wall ignorant of the hungry looks he was receiving. Wing and Wan were biting their lips now staring at the panda, or more so his nether regions.

"My back," Po answered truthfully. Su raised an eyebrow at this.

Wing started to swirl her claws in Po's chest fur looking up at him. She had shifted even closer than before, basically straddling the Dragon Warrior at this point, "Anywhere else?"

Po gave a moment of thought before nodding, "Yeah, I guess my shoulders and arms are kinda stiff as well."

The feline sisters huffed in frustration of the panda's incognizance. Still they continued to push. Wan shifted closer to him, knocking Wing off of his lap and off the chair. Wing immediately recovered from her fall and looked murderously at her sister.

Ignoring the death stare from her sibling, Wan continued to press the panda "How about anything in the lower regions?"

As she asked him her claw ran down his stomach. Still not catching on, Po scratched his head.

"My calves are pretty sore too," he admitted.

Wan looked at him in slight contempt. She rolled her eyes before throwing her hands up in defeat.

Su was massaging her temples in exasperation. No male had ever been this restrained or this clueless to their advances before. At this point any other man would have been ready to jump their bones.

"Po you are telling me that there is nothing else that is unbearably stiff that needs attention?" she drawled eying the panda.

All three of the felines were now looking intently at him, awaiting his response. Po looked back and forth between the trio, eventually shrugging his shoulders.

"I don't know. I'm sure there are some other knots and kinks that need to be worked out. You're the professionals. Just do whatever," he stated finally.

Su quirked her lip as she and her sisters exchange glances. Accepting that was probably the best they were going to get out of him, they shrugged.

Su sauntered over to one of the cabinets, subsequently pulling out a medium sized white towel. She spun around and tossed the towel over to Po. Po looked down at the towel and back at Su in question.

"You have to change. No pants in the sauna," she teased him with a smile. This wasn't actually a rule, but the Dragon Warrior didn't have to know that.

Po looked abashed at this. Wing and Wan continued to stare at him.

"Well?" Wing questioned watching him like a hawk.

"Um…where do I change," Po asked, his face reddening.

Wan smirked at him, "You can do it right her big guy."

Po's eyes bugged out of their sockets. No one had ever seen him naked. And he'd never seen anyone naked either; besides the time in the hotel with Tigress and that barely counted.

"Now. Now. Wan play nice," Su scolded her younger sister. Wan rolled her eyes. Turning to Po, the elder sibling smiled gently, "There's a changing room in the back. Two doors down on the left," she said pointing him in the direction.

"Thanks," Po mumbled back, soon after disappearing down the hall.

Seconds after he'd left Wing giggled, "I like him. He's cute."

Su nodded in agreement, before whacking the back of Wan's head.

"Ow! What was that for?" Wan fumed, rubbing the tender spot on her skull.

Su looked disapprovingly at her. "That's for almost scaring him off."

Wan mumbled a sorry while Wing stretched herself over the lounge chair.

As they waited Wing let out a dry chuckle, drawing the attention of her two sisters.

"What?" Su asked.

Wing just shook her head, "I was just thinking how glad I am that we're not in crime anymore. If we were, we'd never have all of this," she divulged motioning to the building around them.

Wan nodded in agreement, "Yeah. This life is pretty sweet. We're well off, doing something we love, and there are no imperial guards always on our tails."

They all hummed in agreement. Then a thought occurred to Su.

"Isn't the Dragon Warrior supposed to have an encyclopedic knowledge of all Kung Fu related things?" she wondered aloud.

Her two sister's heads shot up. They had been wondering the same thing.

"Yeah…you'd think that'd he would be able to recognize the Wu Sisters," Wan joked, elbowing Wing. Wing just smothered a laugh.

"You kidding? He couldn't take a hint even if it hit him with a carriage," she guffawed.

Su chuckled at this. Heading over to the pool at the center of the room, she shoveled some hot coals into the water. Steam slowly but surely began to fill the room. Once she was satisfied, Su walked over to the counter and pulled out a cup and teapot. Pouring some tea into the cup, she also added a few other special herbs. Holding the cup daintily in her paws, she walked back over to her sisters and set the mug down on the table next to the lounge chair.

"What's that?" Wing asked in confusion. They didn't normally serve tea to customers.

"Oh…nothing. Just some herb tea to help soothe the Dragon Warrior," Su revealed with an innocent smile.

---

"This is a nice place," Po said to himself as he examined the bathroom's interior. He was already changed out of his pants. Only the white towel—which barely fit him—separated his lower regions from view.

'Y'know man…I'm all for getting laid. But these chicks rub me the wrong way,' Red jabbered.

"What are you talking about? We're just getting a massage," Po retorted shaking his head.

'Gods you are dense! Did you not hear those crazy bimbos? They want the D!'

Po, who'd been trying to secure the towel around his waist, almost fumbled it. An exasperated look emerged upon the panda's face at this.

"I'm not dense! You're just sex-crazed! For the record, they didn't mention anything about my privates, besides hanging me up by them," Po maintained, finally managing to secure the towel.

'If anyone is sex-crazed it's those nutty felines out there! Did you not hear them? Asking if you were STIFF anywhere in your lower regions?' Red pestered in irritation.

"Su and her sisters are Chiropractors and Masseuses they're supposed to ask where I'm sore and stiff," Po groaned, getting fed up with Red's incessant paranoia.

'You're completely hopeless…We are getting off topic anyways. Something about them bothers me. Sisters that are named Su, Wing, and Wan? That sounds so familiar,' Red pondered, a rare moment of mature thought from the voice.

Po shook his head and exited the door, heading back towards the sauna. Eventually, Po arrived back at the room—now filled with steam—to find the sisters motioning him towards the lounge chair.

He obliged, slowly walking over to the seat. After sitting down, Su came over with a cup in her hand. Handing to Po she smiled.

"Here's some herbal tea…It'll help calm your nerves," she offered.

Po smiled back at her. It was nice to have someone wait on him. Not that he didn't mind waiting on others, it was just a nice change for once.

Bringing the hot mug up to his lips, the panda was about to take a swig.

'Don't drink that! It's probably poisoned!' Red blurted.

Po nearly spilled the cup of steaming tea all over himself. For heaven sakes! He couldn't even have a drink without Red interfering somehow.

Po just ignored the voice and brought the cup back to his mouth and drank it all in one mouthful despite the voiced condemnation from Red.

"Good boy. Now lay down on your stomach," Su instructed.

As Po lay down, the three felines got to work. Their paws slowly worked along his sore back as he lay down, staring off into space.

'I could get used to this,' Po thought in satisfaction, resting his head on the lounge chair.

---

It was almost 11 AM now. The sun was rapidly rising in the sky and its rays shone down upon the Jade Palace barracks. A couple of hours had past since Po had left to the Valley.

Inside the barracks, light shone through the open widow of none other than Master Tigress's room. The slumbering feline lay in her bed, fast asleep. Normally an early riser, the tiger master very rarely slept in. Considering that Shifu was out on his trip and Po wasn't nearly as strict as the grandmaster when it came to punctual morning training, Tigress was enjoying the rare event of sleeping in. It may have also been related to the fact that Saber, the Five, and her had been up all night talking and sharing stories.

Tigress, curled up in a ball, continued to doze until a stray leaf from the peach tree fluttered through her open window onto her peaceful face. Her once neutral expression shifted to an irritated one, as her eyes scrunched and her nose twitched.

"Achooo!" she sneezed loudly, effectively waking her from her catnap.

Sitting up in bed, Tigress wiped her eyes and yawned, stretching her arms up high above her head while doing so.

Swinging her legs down from the bed, the feline rose to her feet and stretched her back out, trying to rid herself of a couple knots that she'd picked up in her sleep. Fully awake, the female master strode over to her closet to retrieve her outfit and wraps for the day.

Opening the doors to her closet, she looked along the rows of training outfits; her original red qipao vest, her formal silver qipao vest for the winter ceremonial events, and her current long sleeved yellow hanfu, along with roughly a dozen pairs of black training pants. Viper had tried to get her to go shopping for more variety in her attire, but she'd never followed up on it.

Selecting the usual long sleeved hanfu and training pants due to the frigid weather, Tigress placed them on the bed. Quickly making sure her doors were locked, Tigress slipped out of her night gown. Standing completely nude, she walked back over to the closet and opened the drawer that contained the roll of wrapping. Reaching down into the drawer, she came out with only the box…she was out.

Face palming, Tigress scolded herself.

They had been down in the valley the other day and Viper had suggested that she cough up and buy the expensive wraps that could be washed and reused. However, she'd never liked to spend money, so she continued to buy the cheap disposable kind. And now she was paying the price.

'Maybe no one will notice,' Tigress thought hopefully. Walking over to the bed, she slipped on her under garments before putting on her pants and hanfu. Quickly striding over to the mirror she examined herself. Any hopes of modesty were dispelled. What was she gonna do! She couldn't be seen like this!

Growing up as a child, Tigress had never really worried about wraps. However, once she'd hit puberty, it had become clear that wraps were nothing if not necessary. By as early as 16, her ever-growing feminine assets had become a problem; slowing down and hindering her performance in the martial arts, not to mention attracting the wrong kind of attention. Loose training pants were a simple fix for her lower body. However, her bust proved to be much more problematic. After a number of failed attempts to hide it, wraps had become the only solution.

Naturally, Shifu had demanded that Tigress wear them at all times, to not only prevent hindrance while fighting, but also avert distractions for male colleagues or acquaintances.

As far as the Jade Palace members—aside from Viper and Shifu— and the rest of China knew, Tigress was as flat as a wooden board. This was a huge misconception, albeit a well-kept one.

Never a fan of her figure, it had always been a burden in her training. The female warrior at times wished that she'd never acquired it; even though many women would kill to have a similar body.

Groaning in frustration, Tigress stared critically at her reflection.

The hanfu was straining tightly against her ample chest quite blatantly. Not only that, but the garb seemed to meld to her contours, making it even more glaring. It was very very obvious that she wasn't wearing wraps. Heck! Even Po could probably tell. And he couldn't take a hint even if it dropped out of the sky and hit him on the head.

Tigress's eyes widened suddenly.

"Wait! That's it!" she realized.

Po had been talking about going down to the Valley and buying groceries and supplies. She just needed to get him to buy her some new wraps. She just needed to tell him. Hopefully the others wouldn't find out. Monkey and Mantis were so immature, they'd never let her live this down. Viper would hold this over her, since she hadn't listened to the snake's advice. Crane knowing would just make things awkward. And Saber…well she just didn't want Saber to know. There were some things that she wouldn't trust anyone with…except for Po.

Quietly, Tigress opened her door. Looking both ways to make sure no one else was around, she slunk over to the Dragon Warrior's room. Quietly knocking on his door, Tigress whispered, "Po are you awake?" No response. After several more attempts, Tigress eventually opened his door. Looking inside, she groaned.

Po's room was empty, no sign of the black and white warrior.

'Maybe he's at the Training Hall?' she pondered hopefully.

Tigress swiftly turned and zipped out of the barracks across the grounds towards the Training Hall. Arriving at the hall's doors, she opened them only to find the room dark and uninhabited.

"Where the heck is he!" Tigress growled in aggravation, slamming the door shut.

This was certainly troublesome. Knowing Po, the Training Hall and his room had been her best bet. There was only a number of three places he could be now; the Dragon Grotto, the Sacred Pool of Tears, or down in the valley. All three of which were too far for her to travel in her current state.

"Is everything alright Master Tigress?"

Tigress almost jumped out of her skin at this. Fighting her reflex to spin around, she angled her head and shifted her body to try and hide her chest; crossing her arms for good measure. Straining her neck to see who it was; it was none other than Zeng.

"Yes! Everything is fine Zeng," Tigress replied quickly.

The goose gave her a skeptical look, eyeing her. Normally, the female tiger was quite cool in conversation, but she seemed rather jittery. However, it wasn't his place to pry. Zeng refrained from questioning her anymore, not only because it was rude, but also because pestering Tigress was never a clever idea.

"Alright, I just wanted to let you know that the others are in the kitchen eating. They were asking about you," he informed her.

Tigress's ears perked up at this.

"Is Po with them?"

Shaking his head, Zeng answered, "No he isn't. He went down to the valley several hours ago. He's yet to return."

Tigress cursed herself. Of all the days she'd chosen to sleep in, of course it would be today.

"Did he tell you what he was going there to do?" she asked.

"He didn't tell me anything. All I saw was him leaving down the stairs and talking to himself. It was rather eerie," Zeng revealed with a slight crevice in his brow.

Tigress's worries dispersed for a moment at Zeng's comment.

"Talking to himself?"

The goose nodded, "Yeah. Like, a full blown conversation. I'm telling you, he hasn't been the same since Kai."

Tigress frowned in thought. This was an interesting development. She'd have to ask him about this later.

"Anyways, I'll leave you to…whatever you're doing," the goose said with a shrug of his shoulders, heading off.

Sighing in relief, Tigress waited a few more moments to ensure that Zeng had gone before heading back to her dorm.

Stepping inside, she closed the door behind. Scrunching her eyebrows in thought, Tigress attempted to search for a solution.

Huffing, the female tiger strode over to her closet and threw the doors open. The feline's eyes scanning for any possible solution to her problem, her gaze fell upon one of the many pairs of black training pants she wore. Grabbing hold of it, she eyed the pants before sighing in admission.

Extending her pointer finger, Tigress unsheathed one of her many razor sharp claws. In quick and effortless motions, she made several incisions along the cloth's material. The result was a sizable length of fabric that could be used as a makeshift wrap.

Retracting her claw, Tigress quickly undid her hanfu and let it drop to the floor at her feet. Taking hold of the fabric, the feline began to coil it tightly around her chest. After a few loops, she tied the ends of each side together. Bending over, she picked up and secured her hanfu around her torso. It wasn't as tight as earlier.

Walking over, she examined her handiwork in the mirror. Albeit not customary, the makeshift wrap did quite well in hiding any signs of her figure. While not perfect, it would take heavy scrutiny to notice any difference in her appearance than a normal day.

Nodding in satisfaction, Tigress smoothed out her attire and exited her room. Hopefully Po would arrive sooner rather than later. She definitely didn't want to continue using these makeshift wraps any longer than absolutely necessary.

Arriving at the kitchen door frame, Tigress was careful to avoid the kitchen knife embedded in the wall. No one seemed to know where it had come from.

Entering the room, Tigress immediately identified the smell of Saber's congee in the air. As ever, it smelled heavenly; albeit in her opinion, Po's soup was better. Walking in, the others turned their heads at the sound of the feline's faint footsteps.

"Good Morning! We were about to send out a search party," Saber said with a smile, jokingly.

The others laughed at this as Tigress served herself some of the congee before sitting down in her spot.

"Ha…Ha…" Tigress murmured good-naturedly, rolling her eyes.

The others began to chat amongst themselves as Tigress focused in on her food.

"So what do you guys do around her for fun?" Saber asked drumming his claws on the wooden table.

They just shrugged their shoulders in indifference. As warriors they didn't usually get off days, tending to train rather than anything else. They had been slacking the past few days, granted crime in the valley was currently at an all-time low, so days of relaxation may not be a completely rash possibility.

"Really? No Club? No Bar? Nothing?" Saber asked with genuine surprise on his face.

"We go to the hot springs occasionally, but besides that…no," Monkey replied.

"Not bad…but I'm sure there's something to do around here," Saber pondered, scratching his head in thought.

Keenly listening to the conversation, Tigress spooned another mouthful of congee into her mouth, only to come up empty. Looking down, the female warrior realized that she'd finished. Standing up, she walked over and put her dish in the sink. That's when Saber shot up out of his seat with a smile on his face. The others looked at him with interest.

"I've got an idea! You guys stay right here!" he said enthusiastically, racing out the door.

The Five scratched their heads in curiosity.

"Wonder what he's up to?" Mantis remarked.

Shaking their heads, they supposed they'd wait and see.

Rising from his seat, Crane walked over to the pot, which still had a little congee left in it. Quite full from his portion, the bird turned back around with a questioning look.

"Who wants the rest of the congee?"

Before he could even blink, Monkey had rushed over to the pot. The ape as hungry as ever, possibly a bad habit he'd picked up from Po before the panda had started dieting.

"Mine!"

Grasping the pot's handle, the golden langur was about to down the rest of congee until a green blur zipped across the room and snatched the pot away from him.

"Hey!" Monkey bellowed.

Mantis atop the counter a few meters away, with the pot held above his head.

"Sorry monkey-boy, but I'll be taking this," the insect master gibed.

Monkey's eyes narrowed before diving at the bug. Mantis's eyes widened, as the other master flew across the room at him. A short tussle commenced soon after.

"Give it back you greedy goblin! You're the smallest here and you already eat the most!" Monkey fumed, trying to snatch the pot away.

"Are you calling me short booger brain?" Mantis retorted.

The two continued to trade insults as they tussled for the pot. Watching intently, the rest of the Five sat there in silence. The duo juggled the pot back and forth until it slipped out of their grasp and slide over to the feet of Tigress. Not noticing, the two immature masters continued fighting.

Monkey finally trapped Mantis in his hands, cupping them together. His moment of victory was short lived however. Moments later, the ape started to be flung back and forth onto the floor.

Frowning at the two, Tigress picked up the pot. With a small smirk, she downed the entire thing in one gulp before tossing the empty pot back over to the brawling buffoons.

Clang!

Halting their quarrel, Mantis and Monkey's heads snapped over to see the now empty pot. Groaning in annoyance, the two untangled from each other and dusted themselves off, muttering curses under their breaths.

"Hey guys I'm back!" Saber announced, entering the kitchen, oblivious to the moments prior.

Slung over his shoulder he held a sizable burlap sack. Tossing it down onto the empty table, the tiger began rummaging around inside. The others eyed him, curious as to what lay inside.

"Aha!" he exclaimed, pulling out a small box.

"That's your big surprise?" Mantis asked, not very impressed. Viper gave the insect a withering gaze.

Thwap!

"Ow!" Mantis yelped, rubbing the back of his neck. Viper just smirked at him.

Ignorant to Mantis's condescending remark, the white tiger smiled, opening the box to reveal a set of necklaces.

"I got these for you guys on my travels. I just now remembered, being the scatterbrain that I am," Saber explained sheepishly.

Walking over, he handed each of the Five a necklace, he'd even gotten one that fit Mantis.

The necklaces were stunning in design; the cords were simple rope, but the pendants were each masterfully crafted and unique. The pendants were circular pieces of steel, however, each pendant held the image of a different element.

Viper's pendant was a light blue rain-drop; water. Across from her, Crane was admiring his pendant, a grey spiraling swirl; wind. Mantis had received a yellow bolt for his pendant; lightning. Monkey's was a tan mountain; earth. Lastly, Tigress's contained a red flame; fire.

"Yeah…I thought these necklaces kinda symbolized you guys," Saber offered with a smile.

It was rather true, and none of them could deny that. Their fighting styles and characteristics exemplified each of the respective elements. Viper was lithe and graceful, much like the flow of water…Crane was smooth and poised, similar to the wind…Mantis was quick and sharp, like that of lightning…Monkey was tough and steady, alike that of the earth…Tigress was fierce and powerful, much like fire.

Thanking Saber, they continued to admire the engraved necklaces before he pulled out several bows from inside the burlap sack, along with several quivers of arrows.

"Uh…Saber we have bows in the weapon storages already. If you wanted to do archery, you could have asked," Tigress pointed out.

Shaking his head, Saber chuckled in anticipation. Removing an arrow from one of the quivers, instead of being tipped with a broad head, it was tipped with a cushioned pad covered in red dye.

After further inspection, it turned out each bow and quiver pair contained a different color; red, blue, green, or purple.

"You guys ever played Archery Tag before?" he asked with a wicked grin.

---

Po was in heaven…well not exactly, but it was the closest he was ever going to get. After over an hour an hour of massaging and chiropractic readjusting, he felt more relaxed than he had in a long time. Currently, he was sitting in a mineral bath, his joints and muscles were in absolute euphoria.

"I've got to come here more often," he sighed in satisfaction.

"Are you ready for the last portion of your treatment?" a voice asked from behind him.

Recognizing Su's voice, Po removed the cucumber slices from his eyes that blocked his vision. Hopefully it wasn't acupuncture. After his experience with Mantis, he'd never do it again; Tigress herself couldn't convince him otherwise. He then floated over to the steps before grabbing his towel. Swiftly, Po covered himself and secured the cloth around his waist. His back still to Su, he exited the pool, turning around.

"Yeah, are you guys almost done, because I really need to-"

Po's eyes almost popped out of their sockets. Standing in front of him were the three siblings in nothing but their undergarments. It took all his willpower to maintain eye contact with them.

"It's time for you to deliver payment, Dragon Warrior," Wing giggled. The other two smirked at the now shrinking panda.

'What did I tell you? Huh? What did I tell you?' Red vindicated.

"How much? I'll ask the staff to bring down the payment from the palace later," Po offered weakly.

This attempt proved to be hopeless, as the trio shook their heads.

"Not the type of payment we had in mind," Su murmured. The trio began to creep forward towards the vulnerable panda.

Po had begun to back-track, until he reached the edge of the mineral pool. He hated to admit, but it was becoming glaringly obvious that Red's paranoia wasn't without reason…this time. Not paying attention, the panda's foot caught on the bottom of his towel as he took another step back. The formerly secure towel began to loosen and before he realized what was happening, it was too late. The towel slowly slipped, almost as if in slow motion, from his waist.

'Uh-oh.'

Right after the towel tumbled to the floor, leaving him stark naked. Well…someone has seen him naked now. The scene was almost comical, if not for the fact that Po wasn't even mildly amused. The same couldn't be said for Red, who was busting his guts.

'Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha!'

The Wu Sister's eye's widened in shock from the spectacle before them. Slack jawed; Wan recovered first, "Holy Shi-"

Taking advantage of the accidental distraction, Po snatched and flung the towel towards the dazed felines. The white cloth tangled around their heads, effectively blinding them for several seconds. Rushing forward, Po sweep-kicked the trio. Knocking them to the ground and further entangling them in the towel.

"Sorry! Bye!" he apologized quickly before dashing out. Not wasting any time to change, he sprinted down the hall towards the lobby.

Untangling themselves, the sisters jumped to their feet. Scanning the room, they confirmed their suspicions…he was gone.

"Ughh!" they groaned in frustration.

*In the lobby*

Quickly snagging his bag of new clothes, Po slipped on his pants and secured his vest within seconds before speedily exiting the establishment.

"Never going back there again," he mumbled.

Adjusting his clothing, he slipped back into the crowds of people. He'd already wasted over an hour of his time and he still hadn't bought any supplies or food from the shops.

---

Standing outside the Training Hall, surrounding a wooden table, the group was listening to Saber explain 'Archery Tag'. It was a game that he'd learned from people of India; a pacific people. Naturally, they would modify an art of war to something that could be indulged by children.

"The rules are simple, really," he began, while passing out bows and quivers to the others. Tigress got the red dyed arrows, Monkey got green, and Crane got purple; leaving blue for Saber. Viper being armless and Mantis being too small to properly fire a bow, had decided to sit out. They seemed perfectly content to watch.

"Why do I have to get purple?" Crane complained indignantly. Monkey laughed, jabbing the bird with his elbow. They continued to listen as they strapped their quivers on.

"It's every man…or woman," he continued, eyeing Tigress with a grin.

"for themselves. No shooting someone within a 10 meter radius…try not to aim for the face."

Everyone looked at Tigress when he said this. Glancing around, she noticed this. Huffing she strapped her quiver on, giving the others a 'don't tempt me' look.

Saber held in a laugh at this, "Lastly, you can reuse arrows, but they must be yours. Once your quiver is empty, you're done. Person with most hits wins," he finished quickly.

Snatching up a bow and quiver from the outdoor table, he took off; disappearing from sight. Assuming that meant the game's start, the other three masters knocked their bows and sprinted off in opposite directions.

A few minutes later, Tigress found herself leaning behind a pillar of the Training Hall. The game had been rather uneventful so far. She hadn't encountered anyone once, but judging from the shouts of surprise and laughter that had come from across the palace grounds, this wasn't the case for the others.

Sensing a presence, she quietly peeked her head out from behind the pillar…only to get socked square in the snout by a green arrow.

Pop!

Cursing, Tigress ducked her head back behind cover. Massaging her sore snout that was now plastered with bright green dye, she heard fits of giggling from the blasted monkey that shot her IN THE FACE!

"Bullseye!" Monkey managed in between laughs, tears streaming down his face. Unfortunately for him, he'd just both figuratively and literally poked a tiger with a stick.

"YOU'RE SO DEAD!" Tigress growled in absolute fury. Grabbing a handful of arrows from her quiver, she spun out from behind the pillar. Sprinting at the stunned golden langur, she unloaded over a dozen arrows in continuous succession. Every single one hitting the target, Monkey fled across the grounds. However, Tigress still fuming continued to chase after the ape, peppering him with arrows.

*Time Skip*

It had turned out to be quite a fun game. No one had managed to remain unscathed. Everyone, including Tigress, was marked with some type of dye powder. After over two hours, Crane and Monkey had quit after consuming all their arrows. They were currently sitting on the steps waiting for the game's end. Crane had several dye marks across his body, a combination of green, red, and blue; nothing too outrageous. The same couldn't be said for Monkey who had a few marks of blue and purple, but was absolutely covered in red dye. Tigress had been very thorough. Every inch of his formerly golden coat was now bright red. He might as well have been a Red Langur. This didn't go unnoticed by the normally reserved bird master.

"What happened to you?" Crane asked humorously, hiding his growing smirk behind his wing.

Monkey scowled at him, "Shut up."

Mantis hopped over onto the painted ape's shoulder, struggling to keep a straight face.

"You mad bro? You seem a little red in the face," he choked out.

This comment was the final straw that broke the metaphorical camel's back. Not able to contain his laughter anymore, Mantis broke down in a fit of giggles; Crane soon joining him.

Monkey just crossed his arms, an annoyed look plastered on his face…This was going to be a long wait. Hopefully, the game would be over soon. After all, it was now only Tigress and Saber left.

Tigress was currently, hiding behind a bush in the gardens, scanning the terrain for her tiger counter-part. Her search was answered shortly by a blue dye arrow whipping by her head from behind. Spinning around, she dodged another incoming projectile that had been aimed for her back. Firing an arrow back at Saber in retaliation, it skimmed past his shoulder, missing by millimeters. Reaching for another arrow, Tigress realized she only had two left. Frowning at this, she quickly knocked her second to last arrow and drew her bow back. Seeing this Saber ducked out of sight.

Deciding a tactical retreat was in order; Tigress back flipped over the shrubs and slid down the slope towards the stone trail that connected the Jade Palace with the thousand steps. She believed she had fired some arrows down there earlier. Having only two arrows left, she needed to restock.

---

The sun was gleaming down from the noon sky, warming the chilled fur of the panda trudging up the path to the Jade Palace. In his arms he held a plethora of supplies and items he'd bought from the marketplace. In retrospect, he probably should have considered bringing a crate to carry all of the items he was juggling around.

"Too late for that," he thought out loud. His front vision completely blocked by the mountain of supplies in his arms, the bear focused on the path below him. Careful not to slip or fall, Po's eye caught sight of something peculiar. An arrow lay along the trail at his feet. Interestingly enough, it wasn't a normal arrow, but one tipped with a red dyed cushion.

'What in the heck?' he thought in question.

Shifting all of the items' weight onto his right arm, he bent down.

Careful not to drop anything, he snatched the arrow off the ground. Just as it appeared, it was a harmless modification of a normally deadly weapon. This thing couldn't hurt a fly, much less kill. After examining it, he shrugged before tossing it up into the pile in his hands. Continuing his journey up the trail, his arms were beginning to tire. Although he was impressed with himself, he didn't think he could last much longer.

"How much farther?" he huffed out.

'Quit whining. We're almost there.'

Po grumbled in annoyance. Of course Red could say that. He wasn't actually doing any of the heavy lifting. Traveling farther up the path, Po began to hear faint footsteps. Frowning, Po focused in on the sound. Eventually, arriving at the last stretch of the path, the footsteps grew louder and louder.

'Uh-oh,' was all that Red managed before they were barreled into by a large force.

---

Tigress had already managed to collect several arrows along the path as she speedily traversed down it. Believing that Saber was on her tail, she picked up the pace. However, unbeknownst to Tigress, Saber had gone searching for her in the opposite side of the palace grounds. Spotting another red arrow, she snagged it off the ground.

'Just a few more,' she thought in certainty.

Turning the corner, she didn't expect to see a figure traveling up the path. Going too fast to stop, she closed her eyes as she crashed into the being.

"Oooof!" they both exclaimed in slight pain as they were sent tumbling down the mountain from Tigress's momentum. As they continued to plummet down the terrain in a painful fashion, items and supplies spilled everywhere. It was a complete disaster for both parties. Eventually they tumbled to a stop, with Tigress lying atop the figure that lay painfully on his back.

"Ughhh," he moaned in discomfort, being the one to take most of the fall.

Opening her eyes, Tigress gaped down as the figure was revealed to be Po! Of course it had to be Po. He seemed to attract trouble, like a magnet.

Po lay tiredly on his sore back. That fall pretty much undoing all the good that the massage had done and then some.

'Y'know…when I said I wanted chicks falling for us…this wasn't what I meant.'

Po grimaced, already forming a headache from the fall, Red wasn't helping. Opening his eyes, he was surprised when his gaze met with Tigress. Where had she come from?

"Hey…" he let out with a slight grin, although it looked more like a grimace.

Tigress normally so composed was anything but. Still lying atop him, with her chest pressed up against his face, she gave an awkward smile back, "Hey…"

Po's face began to heat up due to the close proximity of the felines presence, or more so her chest. Finally noticing their inappropriate position, Tigress began to blush as well. Untangling herself from the panda, she rose to her feet.

Although Po didn't want to admit it, he suddenly missed the warmth and physical contact as soon as Tigress had separated from him. Shaking off the feeling, he also rose to his feet with a little help from the feline master.

"You alright?" he asked while dusting himself off. He winced as he felt several new stiff and sore places that ached whenever he moved.

"Yes…Yes I am. I'm very sorry Po, I didn't-" she began before slipping as her foot caught on one of the many scattered items at their feet. Ironically, it was a small box containing her breast wraps that caused her stumble. Falling backward, she would've almost eaten dirt for the second time that day if Po hadn't quickly seized her by her sides, steadying her. Bending over, Po retrieved the item off the ground with a blush still very apparent on his face.

As if things couldn't have gotten more awkward, beneath Tigress's hanfu, her makeshift wraps had substantially loosened throughout their tumble down the mountain and they'd continued to loosen slowly afterwards. However, Po jerking her back to her feet had been the breaking point for the wraps. Unknotting, the wraps fell and gave way to Tigress's considerable assets.

Po's peripheral vision initially picked up movement in the felines chest area. And his jaw dropped in disbelief as Tigress's bust expanded almost instantaneously. His eyes were wide as dinner plates his gaze had become fixed on the features before him that had basically popped into existence.

'Holy Mother of Fun Bags!' Red sputtered, never failing to express his immense vocabulary.

Tigress who had immediately noticed the lack of resistance, glanced down. Her blush intensifying, she did her best to shield herself, crossing her arms. This must have been one of the most awkward moments in her life. Although it could have been worse, this definitely wasn't her first choice on how she'd hoped to inform Po of her current situation. The panda in question was still in a daze as his mouth hung wide open. Feeling rather self-conscious, Tigress cleared her throat.

*Ahem*

This seemed to do the trick as Po was brought out of his shock. Realizing that he'd been staring, he quickly pried his eyes away from the feline's bust. This was pretty awkward. His usually snow white face was noticeably tinted pink from the rush of blood to his head. Additionally, his head wasn't the only place that the blood was rushing.

Stumbling over his words, the bear managed, "H-here you g-go Tigress…um…Viper…she…uh said that you needed these."

'Real smooth,' Red snorted.

Ignoring him, Po reached over and carefully handed the box of wraps to the feline master. Swiftly, he turned away and began to collect the other fallen items along the path. He was trying to keep busy in order to prevent his mind from wandering to…certain thoughts.

Tigress just stood there clutching the box of wraps in her hands as she carefully watched the panda with an unnaturally timid look upon her face.

"So…are you going to tell the others?" she asked in a small voice. Po ceased in his movements before finally looking up and making eye contact with her. When anyone thought of Master Tigress, they envisioned a noble warrior—regal. A master that oozed confidence and showed that through her manner and the way she held herself. Po saw none of this. What he saw was something that Tigress rarely showed…vulnerability. She looked like the young orphan from over two decades ago. A little girl who was all alone, until Shifu had adopted her.

"Tell the others what?" Po inquired in a delicate tone.

Tigress bit her lip and looked away, "Y'know…what you saw?"

Po frowned at this. Of course he wasn't going to mouth off to the others over something that Tigress obviously couldn't control. There was nothing shameful about having large…assets.

"No. I'm not…It's something private of yours. If you wished to disclose it, then you would have," he returned levelly.

Tigress eyes narrowed slightly, almost as if trying to detect any deceit in his manner. Soon realizing that the panda was completely honest, she strode over and enveloped him in a tight hug.

"Thank you Po."

Normally Po was all for hugging. However, he felt rather awkward hugging her in this instance, especially due to her now unrestrained bust pressing up against him, as well as something that had snaked up his leg. Tigress eventually noticed his discomfort and released him. She also noticed that while she'd hugged Po her tail had unconsciously looped around his leg. Quickly removing the appendage, she took a sizable step back.

"I probably should go change into these," she blurted out sheepishly.

Po silently nodded in return. Tigress gave him a faint smile before turning tail and heading quickly up the stairs towards the barracks.

After her figure disappeared out of sight, Po was left alone to pick up the scattered items along the path. His mind was whirling from the recent turn of events. At this point, his thoughts were just as scattered as the items were. He hoped things wouldn't be too awkward with Tigress.

'I probably could've handled that better,' the panda muttered to himself.

'If I had a yuan for every time that you could've handled something better,' Red remarked.

Po huffed in irritation, "Shut up."

---

A/N:

And done! Chapter 6 completed! I hope you liked it!

One more thing, this story is a strong T rating in my opinion, due to moderate profanity, adult and semi-sexual themes. This chapter is about as mature as the story can & will get, give or take. This story by no means will have any lemons or smut in it. I don't think this story necessitates an M rating, but I'm new to this website, so you guys let me know if you believe this story requires a rating change.

That's all for now. I hope you guys have a great New Year! I'll see you next time!

Frost2001 out.