A/N: I'm not dead!

After an intense few weeks, I have returned bruised and battered, but still standing strong (metaphorically speaking).

I apologize for taking so long, but now that I am no longer working, hopefully things will settle down.

Enjoy!

OoOoOoO

How did she get here?

The question seemed to permeate through her brain, sending chills down her spine and her fur standing on end.

Think. Think.

Running. They had run here. Paws flying over grass, wind whipping through feathers. Shang Zhi. They had run to get here.

And it came back to her, sucking the air from her lungs. Smoke swirled in the air. Across the way, flames licked up through the roof of a house. She could feel the rough stone of the wall she was leaning against. How long had she been sitting there?

There had been fighting. But she could remember every punch and kick, every takedown and every move. Her muscles relaxed, and she sighed.

She could remember it. She didn't go postal. She didn't have another blackout.

"You look better." There was a voice above her, and she glanced up into emerald eyes. "Earlier I thought you were gonna pass out. You opened your stitches again."

"Sorry." Tigress replied, voice hoarse. He wordlessly handed her a cup of water. "I needed some air."

Po's eyes narrowed ever-so-slightly. "Do you remember anything?"

She thought a moment, flashes of memories rushing through her skull. She remembered getting to Shang Zhi, fighting in the streets. It seemed to only last a moment before the soldiers were suddenly ordered to pull back. They had conquered Shang Zhi. Part of her couldn't believe it.

"I remember everything." She sighed, taking a sip of water. It was a relief to say that, especially after a fight like that. Po looked to be in agreement.

"Crane went after Mei Ling." He responded, sliding down the wall and sitting next to her. "Crews have been put together to clear the rubble. Doesn't look like there were many casualties."

"Good." She finished the last of her water and rested her forearms on her knees. "Being here, at least we can get food. But Shang Zhi won't have enough supplies, even without the extra camps joining us."

Po hated to admit it, but she was right. This was a temporary solution at best. He glanced up, looked into the distance at the towering spires of the Imperial palace. Somewhere, up there, Bai Liang was planning his retaliation.

"It seems odd, doesn't it?" He said into the open air. From this angle, he could barely see the frown on her muzzle. "These animals, rebels, suddenly going against the guards? Makes me wonder if this was planned all along."

She didn't have the chance to respond. A young antelope came sprinting over, huffing out breaths into the chilly air.

"Masters, Crane has returned. I was sent to fetch you."

Po stood, and held out his hand to help the injured Tigress up. She kept her paw firmly on her side, trying to prevent another tear in her stitches.

They moved quickly, or, as quickly as they could. Crane had touched down at the edge of town, away from the groups clearing rubble and helping the wounded. Shifu was already with him, as was Viper and Monkey. His head jerked up, and the others turned expectantly as the pair came up to them.

"Crane," Tigress called hesitantly," you look like you've seen a ghost."

"No, it's just," he hesitated, took a deep breath. "We met someone I think you should talk to."

There was a rustling in the trees, and out of the shadows came Mei Ling, followed by what was probably the biggest timber wolf any of them had ever seen.

Tigress staggered back a bit, even Shifu's frosty blues went wide. Po's fists clenched angrily at his side.

"Before you freak out, he's on our side." Mei Ling stepped forward, paws out, trying to assuage her comrades. "I think."

Said wolf was built like stone, easily taller than Po, with a silvery coat. But what drew their attention was the long, fresh cut down his face. One eye was a foggy blue. And if that weren't enough, his tail was obviously broken.

"I am Khair." He said in broken Chinese. His eyes darted around, and he genuinely, for a moment, looked scared.

"You're Mongolian." Tigress replied quietly. Her eyes were narrowed, but in curiosity rather than suspicion. The truth was, from what she could make out under the bruises and cuts….she had seen him before.

"Ti?" Po frowned at her.

"There is a tribe of wolves that migrated from Russia to Mongolia centuries ago. Bai Liang tried to form an alliance with them." She stepped closer, head tilted. "You were there?"

Khair nodded, affirming her guess.

So she had seen him before. At the palace.

"What are you doing here?" Viper asked him kindly. The fear that had been clouding his eyes seemed to clear.

"I came to warn you." He shuddered. "Mongolia has managed to stay out of the fight thus far. But when we heard what the wolves were doing to your people…" he hesitated. "We have been setting fires on the northern border, drawing them into fights keep them away from the camps. But this morning, a patrol found a massive gathering of them at the northern border. We barely won the fight."

"What are they planning?" Viper muttered exasperatedly to herself.

"I wouldn't know." The wolf shrugged. "Halfway through the fight, they called to retreat."

"Let me guess," Tigers responded sarcastically, "they're pulling back to the east?"

Khair nodded reluctantly.

"What is going on?" Viper shook her head. "Because they obviously aren't retreating here."

"To the coast then?" Monkey questioned.

"Shen loaded his cannons on boats…." Po trailed off, voice growing thick.

"Khair, please go get your wounds checked. You are welcome to stay, if you desire." Shifu told him, an obvious dismissal. The group had much to discuss.

"Th-thank you." The timber wolf replied, obviously caught off guard at the offer. He left them and headed back into town, leaving behind a dreadful silence.

"What now?" Crane was the first to speak the question they were all thinking.

"If Bai Liang is as desperate for reinforcements, why don't we take the palace?" Monkey asked. "I mean it's right up the hill."

"Taking the palace won't do us any good if we don't stop Bai Liang." Shifu replied, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"What if I fly to the coast and see?"

"Absolutely not." Tigress interjected, glaring at Crane. "If they have a cannon, they will shoot you out of the sky. Besides, you're exhausted. When's the last time you ate anything?"

"She's right." Po shrugged. "Taking the palace won't do us any good if we are too exhausted. Besides, we need to regroup with the others."

"That brings us to another question. Where is Mantis?" Monkey's thought stunned them all for a moment. How had they forgotten about him? They didn't register the noise coming through the trees.

"Master Viper!" Jao came huffing through the tree line, tail swishing excitedly behind him. He came so fast that the others did a double take at his sudden appearance.

"What is it?"

"You need to come see this." He glanced briefly at Po and then back to the snake. "All of you "

They glanced at one another and followed him back into town, preparing mentally for another fight.

But what they saw there in the square stunned them all.

It seemed Mantis had returned, and brought a friend with him.

"Po?"

"Dad?"