It was a quaint little village, nestled in the mountains. The kung fu masters arrived late in the evening, too late to talk to anybody. They took several rooms in a tavern on the edge of town, and after a meal of buns and dumplings, they fell asleep. Habit was hard to break, so they were all up very early the next morning. Heading downstairs, they heard the hustle and bustle of the keeper as he served fried rice to hungry townsfolk.

When the panda came downstairs, everybody knew immediately who he was, and the talk began. An hour later, after all the masters were honored, the townsfolk broke up and began their usual business. Po ate another bowl of rice and the others sat still, looking around the plain old building. When the Dragon Warrior had finished his meal, Shifu cleared his throat.

"I believe we should go in pairs. Try to be casual. Crane, you go with Po to the north side. Viper and Mantis, you go to the south. Tigress, you're with me. We'll sweep from east to west."

They all nodded, standing up and dropping coins on the table. Crane walked quietly beside Po as they split off from the others. Looking around, Crane let out a soft whistle.

"It's really beautiful here."

"It is," Po agreed.

The mountains rose around the village, their purple peaks disappearing into puffy white clouds. Closer to the village were lush fields and groves of trees, thick with fragrant leaves and blossoms. Inhaling deeply, Po smiled.

"I can see why he'd want to live here."

"Yeah," Crane said, dipping his head. "Especially if he really was from a big city."

They passed a school, and quite suddenly, they were surrounded by little children. There were rabbits, sheep, and pigs, and they jumped up and down, begging for Po and Crane to do some kung fu. Po and Crane decided to mollify them, and they performed a mock battle, much to the townspeople's delight. The teacher finally came over, shooing the children back into the classroom for their lessons.

"You really are too kind, Masters," the sheep said, smiling warmly.

"Aw, I like doing that for kids," Po said, waving a paw. "They're pretty awesome."

The teacher nodded, glancing back to her classroom. "Well, I must go and attend to the children. But if Master Monkey is with you, you can tell him that Wu Long would love to see him. They were quite fond of each other after he reformed."

Crane flexed his claws. "Master Monkey did not come with us," he said, tilting his head.

"Yeah, but he said we should visit Wu Long for him," Po said quickly, following a feeling in his gut. Crane glanced at him in surprise as he continued. "Problem is, he didn't mention where Wu Long lives. Can you tell us?"

"Oh, yes. Follow the path over there out into the forest. It's the first cottage you come to. It's by the waterfall, and he has peach trees in his yard. Have a nice day, Dragon Warrior, Master Crane."

With a low bow, the sheep returned to her classroom. Po immediately headed for the path, and Crane followed, ruffling his feathers.

"So you think Wu Long knows something?" he asked.

"It's a possibility," Po said. "And you know what Master Oogway used to say. There's no such thing as accidents. Maybe we were supposed to talk to her and find out about Monkey's old friend."

Crane nodded, and they strolled down the lane into the beautiful countryside. They didn't say much at first, but after a few minutes, Crane stretched out his wings and nibbled at his feathers, adjusting them. It was a nervous habit, and Po weighed what he should say.

"What are you thinking of?" he finally asked.

"Monkey," Crane said shortly. His wings settled into place again, but he looked a little sad. "I miss him. He's good company. And funny."

"Yeah?"

Crane smiled. "Yeah. He's a better comedian now than he was when I met him."

'Really?" Po asked. "I can't imagine him not being funny."

A mock shudder ran down Crane's thin form. "Ugh. The first joke I heard had the punchline of 'That's not a banana, that's my wife!'" Po and Crane laughed before the bird continued. "Geez, I don't even remember the joke! But I remember how happy he looked while telling it."

"So how did you guys meet?" Po asked, glancing around. There were no houses visible yet.

"A mix-up with a scroll," Crane said. He shook his head. "That was so long ago. I was so young! Barely old enough to haggle for myself at the marketplace. And it didn't help that I was so shy."

Po grinned. "I've heard about the Academy before. I told that story during my first lesson with the bunnies. They loved it."

Crane snorted. "Shifu push that lesson on you already?"

The panda chuckled. "Yeah. I did pretty good."

"I didn't," Crane said. "I actually cried myself to sleep that night. I never thought I would live down the humiliation. But here I am. And now I can laugh about it."

"What happened?"

Crane winced. "It involves a gong, a mop, and a proper dousing in water."

Po burst out laughing. "Nothing madder than a wet bird!"

"More like nothing more humiliated." Crane shook his head then sobered up. When he continued, he spoke softly. "Monkey helped me to see the funny side, but he always knew when to stop pushing it. He's so smart. I can't see why he would choose to be a thief, to shame himself."

Crane sounded close to tears, and Po patted his back as the house came into view. They paused so that Crane could compose himself. The bird filled his lungs several times then shook out his taut limbs.

"Alright. Let's go meet this Wu Long," Crane said.

They approached the house to see an old monkey puttering in his garden. Unlike their Monkey, he was a macaque with grey fur, his back stooped over from age. As they stopped at his gate, his ear flicked, and he turned to appraise them. His eyes went from the great panda to the skinny crane, and a smile lit up his face. Grabbing a cane, he hobbled over, his black eyes glittering with warmth.

"Welcome, Master Crane," he said in a thin, wavering voice. "Welcome, Dragon Warrior. Is the young mischief-maker with you?"

It took them a moment to realize he meant Master Monkey. The macaque was looking up and down the path as if hoping to see his old friend. When his gaze returned to Po, the panda shook his head.

"Um, no. Sorry."

The macaque studied them, gazing in their eyes. For a moment, it felt as if Master Oogway were looking at them again, peeling back their self-built shields layer by layer to see what lay inside. They shifted uncomfortably, glancing away. Wu Long lowered his head, sighing deeply.

"The young mischief-maker is in some sort of trouble, isn't he?"

Crane and Po glanced at each other then looked back at the monkey. Po swallowed.

"Can we talk to you?" he asked.

The macaque nodded slowly, then gestured for them to come into his home. "I'm afraid you'll have to stoop, Dragon Warrior," he said. "I am not used to entertaining guests as large as you."

"It's okay," Po assured him.

Wu Long led them into the house, and Po settled on the floor without complaint while Crane stood on one leg, politely refusing a chair. The monkey prepared a pot of tea and pulled out some cookies. Po eyed them and laughed.

"So you're the reason Monkey likes almond cookies."

The old macaque smiled and set out the tray. "Oh, yes. He finally wheedled the recipe out of me. I take it he still eats them."

"All the time," Po replied, taking a cookie.

"He has to hide them from some of us," Crane said, poking Po with his foot before taking a cookie.

"Too many cookies are not good. I used to have to try and hide them from the boy. I never could hide them for long, though. He's good at finding things."

Po and Crane both stopped chewing, their eyes going wide as the tried to find something to say. The monkey watched them as he sat down in a cushioned chair. He sighed again, pouring out three cups of tea. His eyes were sad.

"So what kind of trouble is the boy in?"

Po swallowed a mouthful of half-chewed cookies, which scraped at his throat. He suddenly didn't feel hungry anymore.

"We're not supposed to talk about it," Po said cautiously.

"Why not?"

"Master Shifu—" Po began, but the monkey shook his head.

"You don't have to tell me. He is thieving again." He paused, looking into the dark liquid in his cup. "How is the tea?"

Po set the cookie aside and took a small sip. It was sweet and good. "Delicious," he said. "But how did you know?"

The macaque chewed slowly on a cookie, a distant look on his face. "Because I know him." He looked at the two of them. "And you two, and the others, wish you knew him, too. I can see it in your eyes. You're afraid that he's too far gone. And perhaps he is. He was doing so well. He told me that the old turtle was helping him, that he was getting better. But the last time he wrote to me, he told me that the turtle had passed on. I began to worry then because he confessed that he wasn't sure if he was going to be okay."

"So you know about his…little problem," Crane said, swirling the tea in his cup.

A flash of anger filled Wu Long's eyes, and he plunked his cup down, slashing tea onto the table. "It is not little to him!" he said, his voice high and wild.

Crane flinched. "I didn't mean it like that," he said in a small voice.

The macaque's fur was raised, and his dark eyes studied the two animals before him. After a moment, he sat back, taking a deep breath. "Forgive my anger," he said tightly. "But you spoke of something you know nothing about."

"That's why we're here, Wu Long," Po said, a hint of desperation in his voice. "Monkey ran away. He stole a bunch of things then ran away, and we don't know where he went. That's why we're all here. We're trying to find him so that we can help him."

The macaque picked up another cookie and nibbled on it, studying their eyes again. This time, they didn't look away. He finally nodded.

"What do you need from me?" he asked.

"Do you know where Monkey came from? Do you know where he lived before coming here?" Po asked.

Wu Long sank down to think, chewing on his cookie. He plucked the almond from the center and studied it.

"He spoke fondly of you all in his letters," he said finally. "Would you consider yourselves to be family? All of you?"

Crane looked unsure, but Po spoke firmly. "Yes. We are his family."

"Then you are better than the family he had, the one he refused to talk about," Wu Long said. "Wait here a moment."

Standing up, he hobbled over to a writing table and shuffled through some papers. Gathering up many pages, he walked slowly to Po and handed them over. Po looked down to see Monkey's neat calligraphy.

"I have copied them all down," Wu Long said quietly. "I had a feeling that somebody would need those. So you may take them. I hope they help you."

Po nodded. "Thank you, Wu Long. Thank you."

They finished their tea then stood to leave. Wu Long walked them to the garden gate, his expression still sad. Before he opened the gate, he pressed a hand against Po's paw.

"Please," he said softly. "Please help him. Cong is not a bad monkey. He did not tell me much of his past, but he did say that he had no choice in what he became. Find him, and when you do, you tell him to come and visit me soon."

Po smiled, tucking the letters into his pack. "We will. Thank you again, Wu Long. I hope we can see you again soon."

The monkey bowed low then moved to tend to his garden again. Po and Crane began to head back into the village. They decided to go straight back to their rooms in the tavern to read through the letters before the others got back. Grabbing a bowl of fried noodles each, they headed upstairs and settled into their shared room. Po pulled out the letters and set them on the floor, staring intently at them.

"It looks like their organized from first to last," Crane said flipping through the pages. "So, let's start."

Hours later, as dusk fell, they went downstairs to order dinner. They ate their vegetable dumplings without saying anything. Their minds were swimming with more information about their friend than they had ever thought to know, and they were still sorting through it when Shifu, Tigress, Mantis, and Viper came in and sat wearily at their table. Po and Crane were just finishing as they grabbed their bowls.

"How was your day?" Crane asked, his voice low as he ruffled his feathers.

"Nothing," Tigress said, picking up a dumpling. "Nobody here knew him very well. It seems he didn't trust anybody."

"And you two?"

Mantis shook his head. "Nothing."

Viper swallowed her dumpling. "All we found out was that he came here, joked around, humiliated people, was reformed by Oogway, became a sort of hero then left eleven years ago. He comes by once or twice a year, but besides that, nobody sees him."

Shifu studied his students. "You know something," he said simply.

"We'll talk about it upstairs. Meet us in our room," Crane said.

Po and Crane stood up, paid generously for their dinner, then headed back upstairs. They settled on the floor again, and Po picked up one of the letters they found the most interesting. The other four must have scarfed down their dumplings, because five minutes later, Shifu knocked then came in with Tigress, Viper, and Mantis in tow. They sat down and stared at the letters that were organized into three piles.

"What's all this?" Tigress asked, raising her brow in surprise.

Crane recounted their demonstration, which led to their information and visit with Wu Long. Po said nothing until the story was done. He held out the letter in his paw.

"This one gives us the most information," he said. "That pile," he pointed to the biggest pile, "has nothing that we need. This pile," he gestured at the middle pile, "has stuff that might be considered important. This pile," he pointed at the stack of three papers, "helps to put the pieces together. Master, we're going to need your maps."

Shifu retrieved them and spread them out. Po took a deep breath and pulled a paper from the smallest stack. "This one was written four years ago. There's a lot of detail about training and Shifu and life at the Jade Palace. Some big fight had just happened with 'Big Bad Bao.'"

"I remember that," Viper said when Po paused, looking for recognition. "He put up quite the fight."

"I lost a claw that fight," Tigress said, flexing her paw so that her claws came out. She examined them then looked up expectantly.

"Well, you guys didn't know who he was, but Monkey did."

Shifu's ear twitched. "Really?"

Po nodded, held up the letter to see it in the candlelight, then began in the middle of the letter.

"'After all that training, we were exhausted, except for Tigress. I swear that she must be supernatural sometimes. She just wants to make Shifu proud, and I understand that feeling. For a long time, it wasn't Shifu that I wanted to make proud, but I won't talk about that. We slept for about four hours and woke to the emergency gong ringing. We headed out to see what could possibly be happening down in the valley. And you'll never guess who was causing trouble. It was Little Bao Du! Only he wasn't so little anymore!

"'I think I told you about Bao before. He was that ox that liked to try and bait me. I stole his mother's golden necklace, the one with three small rubies. It was gorgeous, and it sold for enough to make Master happy. Bao was smarter than the police because he thought it was me. He was right, of course, but he couldn't prove it. I'm too smart and careful to leave evidence behind. Besides, the Serpents would never let some high-rise trash like him inside their headquarters. He was a narc, and the Serpents never liked narcs.

"'At first, I thought that he would recognize me, so I hung back a little, but his eyes never got that spark. I guess he couldn't reconcile the street rat he knew to the great, glorious 'master' of kung fu. It makes me sick to think that he could have recognized me if he looked hard enough. What would the rest of the Five say? What would Shifu say? I cannot face them with my past. It is too shameful to bear.

"'I went to Master Oogway after the battle, and I shared my concerns with him. He was kind but firm and told me that I should tell Shifu, that he would understand what pain my addiction brings me. I told him I'd think about it, but he and I both knew as I said it that the answer was 'no.' He did not scold me with words, but his eyes burned into my back as I left. Sometimes he reminds me of you, my friend. But worse, if you can believe it! He knows everything, yet says so little. I admire him. Perhaps one day soon, I shall be able to confide in Master Shifu.'"

Po stopped and set the letter aside. "He mentioned the Serpents," he said. "Crane's heard of several gangs called the Serpents. They are spread throughout the south of China. Mark the cities. Crane?"

Crane listed off about forty cities. "We can discount the smaller ones and the ones from the western provinces," he said. "That leaves fifteen to choose from," he finished.

Shifu placed pins in the cities then looked up expectantly. "What's next?"

Po picked up the next letter. "This one is from three years ago. It's a smaller excerpt, but it caught our attention." Clearing his throat, he read out a single paragraph.

"'Shifu mentioned that he has cousins from Shinyu. I wonder if they've ever traveled to the city? Yes, it's almost fifty miles, but that is nothing. They are coming in four days. Next time I write, I shall tell you if they know me. A part of me worries that I did not travel far enough from my roots, Wu Long. And the past closes about me so much sometimes that it is hard to breathe. I fear that I cannot last like this. It burns inside and desires to come out, but I just know they will hate me, so I keep it inside.'"

"So the city is fifty miles from Shinyu?" Mantis asked, looking at the maps. "There's four that could be it."

Shifu removed the other pins, leaving four dots, four places that his student could be. He studied them in silence for a few moments then looked up as Po set aside the second letter and picked up the third.

"This one is from just over a year ago, just before Oogway chose me," Po said.

"'Wu Long, I am afraid. I saw Oogway an hour ago, and he was so solemn. As I walked away, I looked back, and I realized just how old he is. He is bowed with great wisdom and many years. As I stared at him, I could feel in my gut that something will happen soon. Shifu is restless, and he becomes more so every single day. I know in my heart that I do not have long with my old friend. Each day is more precious than the last. I wonder if the others can feel it. And if Master Shifu does, I don't think he admits it.

"'I will be strong when he is gone, but I do not know if I can be strong enough. What if it happens again like it happened at the Xiu Marketplace? I was so ashamed as I showed Oogway what I did. I think it was being so close to home. What if I fall into old habits when he is gone? Oh, I know I must tell Shifu of my past, but I cannot bring myself to do it. I still have time, don't I?'"

"Xiu?" Viper asked, shooting up. They flipped through more detailed maps of the four cities. "There! There's two, one in each of those cities."

"So we're down to two," Tigress said, staring at the two remaining pins.

Po swallowed as he picked up the last letter. He took a deep breath. "This one is from half a year ago. It's the last letter he wrote to date, and it is the first one since the one I just read. This…will be hard."

"'He is gone, Wu Long. Master Oogway is gone. He passed on almost four months ago. My heart still aches, and I miss him dearly. I do not claim to know how Master Shifu feels, nor Tigress. They were closer to the turtle than even I was, I think. I do not know how to comfort them.

"'We have a new warrior amongst us. His name is Po, and he's a panda. Not a red one, like Shifu, but a true, black and white panda. And if you think that's incredible, you should also know that he is the Dragon Warrior. Master Oogway chose him in front of the entire valley. If you've heard the rumor that he fell out of the sky on a ball of fire, I must admit that it is somewhat true, thanks to a chair, some fireworks, and a big fan who had to see which one of us was chosen. It reminds me of what Oogway always said. There are no accidents. And Po did it. He defeated Ty Lung. He did the hardest thing he has ever done, and he did it by being himself.

"'We all know what is in the Dragon Scroll now, and the others are encouraged. But I am not. Po says it this way, that there is no secret ingredient. That it's just you. And that is well and good for the others. But I wish there was a secret ingredient because 'just me' is a horrible, ugly thing, too dark and dirty for the sunlight. I want a secret ingredient that will wash me clean, that will make me something presentable and honorable. But there is nothing that will wash the stains from my soul.

"'I know I sound dark, and you probably know why. With Oogway gone, there are no more games, there is no more challenge. And it is growing again, my need. I thought my addiction was gone, I hoped that it was gone. But the sticky feeling is crawling into my brain again. Sometimes, I do not think I can stand it. I am free to look at the beautiful artifacts in the Jade Palace. I can touch them and move them to my heart's content. So there is no challenge there, no thrill, and if those are not present, how can I sate the need?

"'As I stood out at the top of the stairs one morning, I looked into the village, and a single gleam caught my eye. I do not know what was flashing, but that one glint woke a longing in my breast. Oh, Wu Long! The idea is in my head now, the idea of where to get what I need. But how can I steal from those I am to protect from thieves? How can I protect those people from the monster inside of myself? I cannot fight it for long. I need to tell Shifu and the others now, but still, I hesitate. To have them hate me is something that will destroy me, and I will never recover.

"'As I walked through the valley that day, I heard a merchant speaking of a trip he was to take to the Xiu Marketplace. He mentioned that he was going to see the dancing cats. Po asked about it as we headed back up the stairs, and I let slip that I'd seen them many times. I mentioned my city by name, and I feared he would ask why I went there. If he had, I would have spilled everything to him. Part of me hoped he would. But he didn't. He started talking about dinner, and the chance slipped away once again.

"'Please, Wu Long, do not hate me if you hear ill of me. You know of my struggle. And if the chance does not arise to freely speak of my bonds, I will fall, and it will hurt. Keep me in your thoughts, my friend. And try to remember the small honor I built up instead of the bog of shame I will surely drown in.'"

Po set the letter down, tears threatening to spill from his eyes. He could feel the pain in each word. How could Monkey live like that? There was no movement. Every eye was on him. Shifu finally shifted forward.

"Po? Do…Do you…?" He trailed off.

"Do I remember which city he mentioned?" Po asked bitterly.

"It wasn't your fault, Po," Viper said. "He kept many secrets, and he kept them close."

Po closed his eyes, and they all sat there, close to tears as they thought of the agony that Monkey had been in all along. He had never shown a single sign of his inner struggle. They were so close to him for so long without him confiding in them, and it hurt. How could he hold in all of those secrets? Why did they never ask? Had they ever noticed a fallen expression, a flash of what went on in his mind?

After several minutes, Po reached down and plucked one of the pins out, setting it with the others. Everybody stared at the remaining pin. That was it. That's where they had to go to find their friend.

"Get to bed," Shifu said tightly. "We head for Chengu tomorrow morning."