Author's note: So here's chapter 3! Po and the Five reach the Panda village!

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The following day, the six warriors travelled across the plains towards the Mysterious Mountains. Using the map Master Bunny had given them, Tigress and Crane found a well hidden tunnel that led through the mountains, and so the group eventually made it through to the other side of the mountains by mid afternoon, to find a bamboo forest stretching out before them.

"According to the map," Crane reported, "the Panda village is on the other side of that bamboo forest."

"Woah," Po breathed. All of his answers were waiting on the other side of that bamboo. He was so close…

"Po?"

Po looked up to meet Tigress' eyes. All of his friends were there with him. They had come on this journey with him, not for the glory of China, but to help him.

Seriously. Could he have better friends than these guys?

"Thanks for coming with me, guys" Po told them sincerely.

"Hey, what are friends for?" Monkey said casually.

"You'd do the same for us, Po." Viper added.

Po took a deep breath. He was going to meet his family.

"Okay." He announced, ready. "Let's do this."

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As the six warriors arrived at the edge of the bamboo forest, Tigress held out an arm, warning her comrades to stop.

"We're being watched." She stated, her golden eyes scanning the area.

Suddenly, a figure landed in front of them, causing the Masters to crouch into fighting positions.

The figure was small, and clothed entirely in black and green, perfect camouflage for travelling in the shadowy bamboo forest.

"My name is Da-Xia." The creature in black and green stated, and the six Masters were surprised to hear the voice of a young girl. "And I am one of the protectors of this land. State your business or leave. Unless you want to die."

"Woah, there." Po placated, stepping forward. "Hang on a minute, we were invited."

"You were?" The figure queried.

"Yep. Dragon Warrior and the Furious Five, at your service." Po announced, getting into a fighting stance.

"Wow, it is you? Master Bunny gave you Xi-Wong's message?" Da-Xia removed the mask covering her face, and the Masters were further surprised to see that, not only was she a young girl, but also a tiger.

The young tiger bowed respectfully to the six Masters. "We are so grateful that you could come, Dragon Warrior. Your people have missed you."

Po and the Five bowed back.

"Our pleasure, Da-Xia." Po replied confidently. "I look forward to meeting everyone."

Da-Xia smiled. "You may find more surprises here than anything else." She said, flicking her gaze over Po and Tigress, before turning and roaring loudly. "Just letting the others know that you're here." She explained.

"Others?" Crane asked. Just then a second roar, followed by three more could be heard echoing through the forest.

"Okay, follow me!" Da-Xia called, jumping into the foliage as Po and the Five followed their new guide.

As they ran, Tigress couldn't help noticing how Da-Xia was always running near her. If Tigress leapt and began running on one side of the forest trail, Da-Xia would mirror her a few feet ahead.

What was she doing?

Suddenly, a new tiger could be seen running alongside their guide. This one was a male, even younger than Da-Xia.

"Wow, you're finally here!" He cheered. "Hi Master Tigress!"

"Cheng!" Da-Xia shouted in exasperation. "You were supposed to get dad and Xi-Wong!"

"Maylin, Wei and Lian are doing it." Cheng answered. "I wanted to meet Tigress and the Five, and The Dragon-"

"Everyone will get to meet them at the village." Da-Xia stated firmly. "It's not like you'll miss out."

"Can I at least lead them in?" Cheng whined.

"No! That's my job." Da-Xia said stubbornly. "Now get going!"

"Fine." Cheng said, poking out his tongue at her before running in another direction.

"Sorry about that." Da-Xia called down. "Little brothers are so annoying."

After a few more minutes of running, the group broke through the forest edge, and were brought to a sharp stand still by the scene before them.

A crowd of villagers had gathered to greet them. Some were cheering, most were bowing in respect.

And they were all Pandas.

Po was gob-smacked. Part of his brain knew his mouth was hanging open, but the other part was too shocked to close it. It was one thing to be told there was a village of pandas, but to actually see it…

Da-Xia smiled as she stepped forward, leading the group into the village.

Tigress realized they were being very unprofessional, standing there gaping.

Nudging Po, Tigress fell into step behind the Dragon Warrior as she and her friends were led forward to greet two figures who appeared to be the leaders of the Village.

On the right stood a large Panda, dressed in Green robes, similar to what Shifu sometimes wore. He appeared to be some sort of spiritual leader, and his eyes were fixated on Po.

On the left was a large, male tiger, clearly a warrior, dressed in dark blue. Presumably, this was the father that Da-Xia mentioned. Tigress' assumption was confirmed when Da-Xia reached the larger male and hugged him before joining four cubs lined up behind him. Da Xia appeared to be the eldest, and Tigress could see Cheng at the far end, waving to her enthusiastically.

"My son, The Dragon Warrior." The Panda leader began as he came forward and bowed. "And The Furious Five of the Jade Palace. My name is Xi-Wong. Welcome to our village."

"My name is Li." The large tiger added, bowing as well. "We are very honored and grateful that you have come." His eyes seemed to never leave Tigress, and while she found it slightly unnerving, she met his gaze determinedly.

"You're all…Pandas." Po began, still in shock. "Except for you, Li and your family." He amended quickly. He turned back to Xi-Wong.

"I got your letter," he said softly.

Xi-Wong came forward, smiling hesitantly. "No doubt you have many questions, Dragon Warrior, and they will be answered. But first," he turned to include the Five "I understand that you have taken a long journey to get here. You must rest."

"They can stay with me." A voice called out.

The crowd parted to reveal a Red Panda, her small frame clothed in robes of dark blue.

"Yue-Yan." Xi-Wong said fondly, "Of course."

"The students of Master Shifu will always be welcome at my Tea House." Yue-Yan greeted warmly. "Please follow me. "

"Yue-Yan also runs our infirmary." Xi-Wong added, escorting his son and his friends behind the small red panda. "So if any of you have any injuries at all, you are in good hands, with her."

"Oh, good, 'cause my muscles are so sore, and I think I pulled something…" Po began before being nudged by Tigress again.

"Yue-Yan will be able to help you make a full recovery." Li said confidently, his eyes still on Tigress.

"Dragon Warrior." Xi-Wong added hopefully before Po could move off. "Once you've recovered, may I speak with you?"

"Yeah." Po answered surely. "Of course."

Xi-Wong smiled in relief before bowing. "Thank you, Dragon Warrior. I'll let you rest. Come find me at the shrine, when you are ready to speak with me."He pointed to a small hilltop that looked over the rice fields the pandas farmed.

"Tigress!" The young cubs called out eagerly as the group followed Yue-Yan, but were silenced by their father.

"Not yet, kids." He told them gently, his own eyes watching tigress as she moved away. "She just got here. Let her rest from her journey first."

As the six masters followed the red panda, Yue-Yan, the crowed parted to let them through.

"Dragon Warrior." They murmured, bowing as they passed.

"It's a whole village of Po's." Monkey commented once they'd passed the crowd.

"I'm surprised there are so many." Crane added.

"You may find many surprises in this village, students of Shifu." Yue-Yan said as she led them to a tea house made of strong bamboo logs.

Entering, the group were assailed by the various smells of tea. Sweet, pungent, spicy, and soothing.

"Have a seat, please." Yue-Yan gestured to a table. "I'll make you a tea to help you relax after your journey."

Po wanted to ask their hostess more questions about the Panda Village, but knew that it would be Xi-Wong who would give him answers, when they next spoke.

So, Po asked the next question that piqued his curiosity.

"So, Yue-Yan," Po began as the red panda went about making tea. "Do you know Master Shifu?"

"Oh, yes." She answered calmly, gracefully laying out the cups before the six kung fu masters at her table. "We met when we were teenagers. How do you like your tea?"

"Really? Wow!" Po said eagerly. "Kind of hard to imagine Shifu that young…" His voice trailed off.

Yue-Yan laughed gently as she poured the tea, each master bowing in gratitude as she did so.

"Well, he was always a bit old before his time." Yue-Yan answered fondly.

"How did you meet?" Po asked eagerly.

"Actually," Yue-Yan smiled as she sat down with her own cup. "He saved my life."

"Really?" Now the others' were listening, even Tigress.

"Yes." Yue-Yan confirmed, and she began her story…

I grew up in a small village, where my parents ran an apothecary. One day, when I was about seventeen, I was gathering herbs outside our village when a gang of bandits attacked me. They had me backed against a hillside, and I had five blades threatening me. I feared that I was going to die, for I had no money to give them in exchange for my life.

I closed my eyes, awaiting the death blow.

Then, suddenly I heard cries of pain, and shouting, and when I opened my eyes, the bandits were running away, and in their place was a lone warrior.

"Are you alright?" He asked gently.

"Shifu!" Po cheered.

"Yes, it was Shifu." Yue-Yan confirmed. "He had been travelling himself, on an errand for Master Oogway, when he spotted the bandits harassing me, and came to help.

In gratitude, I offered him shelter for the night at our home, and he accepted.

We spent most of the night talking. He told me all about his life at the Jade Palace, and of Kung Fu, and I told him about my life in the village. I think he was impressed with my knowledge of healing herbs, but I was more fascinated by his life, learning Kung Fu and travelling to different cities.

I was quite sad to see him leave the following day, but he promised to return to visit, after he had completed his errand for Master Oogway."

"And did he?" Viper asked.

"Yes, he did". Yue-Yan answered. "Just in time for the Moon festival. We spent most of the night dancing and talking."

"Shifu used to dance?" Mantis queried skeptically.

"Yes. I remember him being a very good dancer." Yue-Yan confirmed.

"Wow." Viper mused. "This is a whole new side to Shifu."

"So… was that the only time you saw Master Shifu?" Tigress asked carefully.

"Oh, no." Yue-Yan replied. "He passed through my village many times over the following months, on various jobs for Master Oogway, and the Council. Although," she added "I haven't seen him once since I was eighteen."

"Why?" Tigress said, noticing the sad expression on the red panda's face. "What happened?"

The healer sighed. "When I was eighteen, it was arranged that I marry one of the men of the village. His name was Wen. He was a good man, and from a prosperous family, but I didn't love him."

"So, what happened?" Po asked.

"When I told Shifu, the next time he passed through the village, he didn't say anything for the longest time." Yue-Yan continued to talk, lost in the memory. "Then, he asked me if I loved Wen, and I said no.

"Then you shouldn't have to go through with it." He said.

"But I have to." I told him. "My family is poor, and they said that this marriage will help us survive as a family, and that if I refused, I would dishonor them."

Shifu's face changed. It was like he wore a mask, I couldn't read his expression. He said that it was a good match for me, that I'd be well provided for. He left straight after that."

"A week before my wedding, I was walking with my groom-to-be, when I completely lost my senses, and told Wen that I couldn't marry him.

"You deserve someone who loves you." I told him. "And I can't give you that."

When my parents found out what I had said, they were horrified. "You have possibly ruined everything!" My father yelled at me as mother tried to calm him down. "You could have saved us from poverty and instead you ensure our demise by dishonoring our arrangement!"

"Your arrangement." I corrected. "I don't love Wen, and we both deserve to at least marry for love!"

"Who would marry you now, that you have disgraced us?" My father demanded.

I paused, breathing, gathering my courage.

"Shifu." I answered surely.

My father scoffed. "His love is Kung Fu. Masters do not marry."

"He would marry me." I told my father, who considered this.

"Very well." My father said. "You may travel to the Jade Palace to Shifu and return within seven days. If Shifu chooses you, then you may marry him. If not, your marriage will go on as planned, so you can salvage our honor. However," he added with a warning "if you do not return by the time the week is up and you miss your wedding day, consider yourself disowned from this family. It is the only way we will be able to survive the disgrace of a disobedient daughter."

"Wow, strict family." Po commented.

"So, I travelled to the Jade Palace." Yue-Yan continued. "It was the furthest from home I had ever been, but Shifu had told me the route to get there so many times, that I found my way there in two days.

When I arrived at the Palace and asked to see Shifu, I was told to wait. So I waited… And waited…until Master Oogway finally appeared on my third day of waiting.

"What brings you here, child?" The old tortoise asked gently.

"I'm here to see Shifu." I answered as surely as I could.

"I'm afraid he has begun his five-day meditation." Oogway explained. "Everyone who pledges themselves to Kung Fu must accomplish a challenge, and Shifu has chosen isolation and intense meditation."

"What?" I panicked. "Five days?" My mind was racing, I had only two days left till my father's deadline.

"Please Master Oogway." I implored the old tortoise. "I must see him. It's urgent."

Knowing time was of the essence, I told Oogway everything.

"Shifu tried to convince me to say no to the marriage. "I finished. "But he left thinking I was going to go through with it. Please Master Oogway, can I at least be sure of what path he wishes to follow, before it's too late to change mine?"

Oogway considered this with a smile. "Very well." He answered. "Although you may not enter the Palace, I will take a letter to him for you."

"Oh, thank you Master Oogway!" I bowed respectfully, before gathering parchment, ink and pen from my travel bag.

I wrote everything down. How I felt, my father's ultimatum and a plea for his answer.

As I watched Master Oogway carry my letter into the Jade Palace I sat down to wait again. This time, eagerly awaiting Shifu, who I hoped would appear soon."

The tea had gone cold, and the furious five as well as the dragon warrior were fixating on the red panda, who continued to gaze mournfully into her empty tea cup.

"He never came out." Tigress whispered. It was obvious. After all, Shifu was still single and living at the Jade Palace.

Yue-Yan shook her head. "He never even replied to my letter. But, his absence spoke volumes."

"Did you go back home?" Viper asked.

Yue-Yan shook her head again. "I couldn't. Father had been specific that I would be disowned if I missed my wedding day. By the time I returned, it would have been the day after. And I would have been in disgrace. Not only for refusing the man I was arranged to marry and dishonoring my family, but for being refused by the man I had wanted to marry."

"So, what did you do?" Po asked.

"I wrote Shifu another letter, saying goodbye and wishing him happiness in his chosen path. Then I left."

"But, you didn't go home." Tigress repeated.

"No. I travelled to Gong Man City, where I expanded on my herbalist knowledge, as well as learning acupuncture and tai chi, for women weren't allowed to learn kung fu in those days. "

"After some time, I began to travel again, seeing different places, like I had always dreamed of doing, listening to Shifu's stories. Eventually I found this Village, and as they needed a healer, I stayed. Opened a new apothecary. After Shen's attack, I fled with the survivors of the village, and when we settled here, I began again, this time opening this Tea House, and teaching Tai chi to the villagers. Now everyone here can defend themselves, and has a knowledge of pressure points."

"Like a Tai Chi version of Shifu." Po commented, impressed.

Yue-Yan simply smiled and began collecting the empty tea cups from the table.

"I'm sorry," she apologised to them. "I don't know why I told you all that story."

"You know…" Po began hesitantly "Shifu's still single…"

"Po!" The Five said together.

"What?" The Dragon Warrior said defensively. "I'm just sayin'"

"Well don't." Tigress growled, glaring at her friend. Shifu had clearly made his decision years ago, when he didn't reply to Yue-Yan's letter. And while Tigress thought the story was sad, it wasn't nice of Po to try and give Yue-Yan false hope. There was nothing in that but pain.

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Author's note: What do you think? I hope you can understand why Xi-Wong was a bit stand-offish. It would be quite awkward meeting the son you never got to see grow up, and I think he just wantedd to show Po that, while he does want to speak with him, he doesn't want to push for anything. They both need time to absorb the fact that they are in each other's lives now.

I did say that this was going to be Tigress' story too, and yes, I do have a plan for Li! Some of you have already guessed who he is, I'm sure, and I'd love to hear your theories!

And what do you think of Yue-Yan? I think she told her story, because the Five are the closest she's got to Shifu in a long time, and while she accepts the fact that Shifu made his decision, she still cares for him.

Please review and tell me what you think.