A/N: Considering how long it took me to post this chapter I suppose you'd expect it to be a tad longer. Well, so would I... sorry. Anyway, I'd like to once again thank everyone who took their time to review. Especially Gdown94, you sure know how to make my beard itchy (in a good way). Now, on to the chapter number three!

Disclaimer: I still don't own Kung Fu Panda.

The Sun Comes Around

Zeng, the palace messanger, has been working at the Jade Palace long enough to grow aware of how each of the masters was unique. Besides the obvious differences, like their species or their fighting styles, it was the little things that made them stand out as a person. Their habits, their traits that were theirs and only theirs. Concerning the Dragon Warrior, it included his custom of sleeping in, of which the palace servants were forced to grow aware of due to Master Shifu's echoing voice, shouting at the panda in order to wake him up. Despite his recent efforts to grow more mature and dutiful, being up on time was still something that seemed impossible for the Dragon Warrior to learn.

Thus it was that Zeng was more than just a little surprised when he found Po searching for him in the palace gardens early in the morning, still quite some time before the morning gong was supposed to sound. It wasn't hard for the goose to figure out what the panda needed from him since he was clutching three scrolls to his chest with his hand. What made Zeng a little uncertain, however, was the rather anxious look in Po's eyes.

„Zeng? Zeng! There you are! I... need a little favor."

The Dragon Warrior was doing a good job at sounding calm and formal, but quite a few lines under his eyes telling a story of a sleepless night confirmed Zeng's suspicion that these scrolls wouldn't carry a simple casual message to one of the bear's friends.

„Yes, Dragon Warrior? What is it?" the goose finally asked since it seemed that the panda was either waiting for him to reply or was just too tired from searching all over the palace for him. His question, however, made Po's brow furrow in a frown.

„Zeng, I thought we agreed on you calling me Po."

„Well, y-yes, I..."

Po brought his free hand to his face, rubbing his eyes both in irritation and in attempt to get the tiredness from them a little. Due to his efforts at becoming more cultured and representative, he also unintentionally made the goose messanger go back to calling him by his title, which, given how long it took Po to get Zeng to call him by his first name, wasn't really something he desired.

Letting out a long sigh, he decided he had more urgent matters to attend to, and handed Zeng the scrolls.

„I need you to deliver these. These two," Po pointed at two scrolls that were tied together by a black ribbon. „Are for the leader of the Ladies of the Shade. It will require some searching on your part, but from what I know they were stopping by the Crimson Cove Village few days ago, so it should not be hard to track them down from there. Ask for Song, and make sure it's her who reads it."

Zeng nodded his understanding. He was asked to do such a thing before by the panda and it concerned the very same addressee. He didn't particularly like delivering messages to someone who tended to be on the move, nor did he usually take orders from anyone other than Shifu himself, but over the time Zeng grew quite fond of Po as the bear's friendly approach was a pleasant change compared to the palace's grandmaster's usual sternness.

„And the third one?" the bird asked while already placing the first two scrolls in his bag.

„Oh, right," said Po, seeming as if he forgot about the last scroll. „That one is for Princess Mei Li."

Recieving the last message, Zeng nodded again, this time with a smile to let the panda know he would get it done, and immediately took off, flapping his wings at a rapid pace.

Po watched Zeng disappear in the distance, then, with a sigh of relief, he turned his head in the direction of the barracks.

„I should head back before the others are up."

Heading towards his room he noticed a black stain on his fur while scratching his belly. Trying in vain to wipe it off, he made his way to the kitchen where he decided to use water in order to clean the stain.

„I really feel sorry for Crane when we pranked him by painting his feathers with this ink..." muttered Po to himself, finally getting the ink from his fur. The memory of his feathered friend chasing Po and the others around the palace while painted in the colours of fire brought a momentary smile to the panda's face along with a bit of guilt as the whole 'Flaming Wings' incident, as he called it, was his idea.

The sound of the morning gong snapped him from his thoughts, thus forcing him to realize that he failed to avoid making his friends suspicious about him being up so early.

„Guess I'll blame it on hunger," he concluded and immediately started preparing a breakfast for his friends.

Soon enough he heard a silent chirping sounds from behind him. Upon turning he found out that the sounds came from none other than Mantis standing in the doorway.

„Master Shifu! He's in the kitchen!"

„Got worried, did you?"

The bug shrugged in response. „Just a routine since you weren't in front of your door when Shifu came by. Got hungry again?"

„Yeah," muttered Po silently, glad that Mantis came to that conclusion himself. „I didn't eat much yesterday so I guess it caught up with me."

Noticing the others still weren't present, the panda grew uncertain. „The others aren't coming?"

„They are... I think. They're probably searching other places they thought you might be at, they'll be here soon enough."

Po replied with a nod, turning his attention back to the cooking. Either that or they're discussing my conversation with Crane from yesterday...

Sure enough, Crane, Viper and Monkey were all walking through the dormitories, going over the things yesterday revealed.

„So... do you think she'll be back?"

Noticing the sullen expression on Viper's face, Monkey started regretting asking the question. Not counting Po, Viper was the closest to Tigress from them and was likely the one most shaken by the revelation.

Crane remained thoughtful for a moment before speaking silently. „The amount of people as dedicated to their duty as a Kung Fu master as Tigress is is close to none. I don't think she's gone for good, but considering the circumstances..." he took a quick glance in Viper's direction, thinking over his next words. „I suppose she deserves to take her time."

„Well, it's been what, two months now?" Monkey asked.

„Close enough," Crane agreed, glancing off to distance as if recalling something. „If they were to meet where Po and Mantis found her, though, it would take a few days just to get there, even if she was running the whole way."

He took another moment of reconsideration before continuing. „And it's also not far from where the troubles Shifu told us about have been stirring up lately. Knowing her she would probably try to handle it on her own and-"

„It still doesn't explain anything," Viper interrupted, speaking for the first time since the start of the conversation, her voice noticeably heavy.

„What do you mean?"

„It just explains where she is and why it would take so long... and why she would go alone. It also explains Po's actions to an extent."

„A bit better than the assumption that he's in love with her," Crane agreed with a nod.

„I wouldn't sweep that one off the table yet."

„No, Monkey. I really don't think that what Po feels for Tigress is love. And even if it was, I still think the panda is just... just too... innocent... to even realize it," the reptile continued.

„Well, there's not much about that subject in the Thousand Scrolls, if I recall," said Monkey, scratching his cheek.

„But Crane, it doesn't explain a thing about why they started fighting in the first place."

Crane had no real answer to that. „It didn't exactly strike me like fighting. It was usually rather... one-sided."

„Be a little more fair with giving the credit here. He was brave and stupid enough to talk back from time to time," Monkey chimed in, sounding almost amused, only to be hissed at by Viper.

„Monkey, try to be more serious here!"

„Hey, I take it seriously, don't think I don't," the primate defended. „I just have my own ways of going about it."

„Well," Crane stepped in again. „Po seemed as clueless as we seem to be as to why it all started. Viper, of the four of us, you are the one whom she spoke to the most. Did you talk with her about anything that would give a hint?"

The sigh the snake let out did nothing to keep the avian's hopes up. „Not really. I tried to talk to her about it and more than just once, but she was rather... defensive. She would mostly just blame it on the wounds but that was obviously an excuse..."

„And Shifu had her checked even despite her protests. She was fine. I don't think it was physical."

„You don't assume it was her who was in love, do you?"

All three of them instantly froze as soon as Monkey finished saying it.

„You're kidding, right? I mean, we are still talking about Tigress," countered Crane. Despite how ridiculous that suggestion seemed to him, he still found himself replying to it as if it was to be taken seriously.

„Well, yeah, I haven't forgotten about that, but remember how devastated she was after Po got blasted by the cannon."

„We were all pretty down when that happened, if I recall."

„Yeah, sure. But I mean, we are still talking about Tigress."

Crane was about to retort but stopped himself. Despite the amused smirk on the primate's face, Monkey wasn't messing with him. He was serious, the concern shining in his eyes confirmed it. And he was actually making a good point.

Finding himself unable to respond, Crane turned his attention to Viper, only to see that she was still frozen in place, the look in her eyes indicating that she was in a deep thought.

„Viper?"

She didn't respond and Crane was about to try again, when she suddenly finally spoke.

„She did mostly get mad when Po had somehow put himself in danger or hurt himself... like when he attempted to train at The Seven Swinging Clubs of Instant Oblivion."

„Yeah. And remember when he fell on her that one time? She knocked him unconscious in a rather unnecessarily harsh way, too," Monkey joined in.

„And her reaction to the Ladies of the Shade visiting the valley again didn't go exactly well either."

„You guys can't possible mean tha-"

„I'm not saying she loves him, Crane, but think about it. You saw her when she thought Po was dead. It must have left a mark on her since she started to get so agitated every time Po got hurt. Maybe it's not love but it certainly-" she got no further as she was cut off by a rather loud voice of their rather small green friend.

„Are you guys gonna make it into the kitchen tonight? Po's getting worried there and we are supposed to be at the training hall in a moment! So get your butts moving or I'll start regretting leaving the bean buns for you!"

Crane exchanged a few glances with Monkey and Viper before answering. „Sure, we're going," he said, gesturing for the others to follow before adding silently. „We'll finish this later."

„Good. By the way, have you seen Zeng?"

„Not since yesterday. What do you need him for?" Viper inquired.

„I don't. Shifu does. I've met him while searching for you guys. He said he could not find him and seemed rather grumpy about it," Mantis explained with a shrug.

After the quick breakfast all five of them proceeded to the training hall. Quick for the masters that got delayed due to their talk, but Crane took notice of the amount of bean buns that was left in the bowl. Considering the usual amount Po prepared for breakfast, he assumed their big friend ate quite a lot, even when counting Mantis. The panda was obviously upset about something, though Crane could hardy blame him. But he knew that Po was trying to get rid of that habit of his so either something else happened or he just reached his limit.

Little to none conversations were held during the training. Crane and Po were sparring at the Jade Tortoise of Wisdom. Crane assumed Po chose so in order to allow his arms some rest due to the pain he probably felt from his training sessions in the forest.

The time dragged slowly for the protectors of the Valley of Peace, their minds heavy with many thoughts and concern, and it felt like eternity until it was time for the Dragon Warrior to leave the training hall in order to prepare lunch for his comrades and himself.

„Alright! I'll have the lunch ready in about half an hour. Don't be late!" shouted Po as he walked through the door. Upon reaching the kitchen he immediately set to work, his mind going through his morning training.

Perhaps I should have tried the clubs again today. Or just the wooden warriors. The pain wasn't so bad this time...

He continued to chop the vegetables while the water was slowly starting to boil.

I'll have to try it out on a real oponent sooner or later but I seriously don't want to pull it out on the Five when I have no guarantee that it's even sa-

„Po! We just recieved a distress call from the Fisherman Village to the west, they're being raided by bandits!" came Master Shifu's voice from the doorway. „Go get the others and move out!"

„Wait, now? No lunch?" the twitch in Shifu's eye that he got as a response made Po aware of just how absurd he sounded. „Er, I mean, I'll get the others right away! Master!" the panda corrected himself, quickly bowing to his master while already running for the door.

„Wait. They said that there are gorillas among the attackers," Shifu's voice turned calmer but it still remained heavy with the seriousness of the situation. „If you can, try to find out what they know about the recent unrest in Misty Peaks Forest."

The Dragon Warrior nodded his understanding, then ran out of the kitchen, heading toward his friends. Master Shifu exhaled lenghtily, then, as his right ear twitched, he turned his gaze to a fallen bottle of oil. Oil that was now making its way toward the flames under the cooking pot of boiling water.

„Oh..."

„Song? Song!"

The leader of the dancing group known as The Ladies of the Shade lifted her gaze from her lunch to the figure standing in the entrance to her tent. She recognized her as one of the Twins, although even after all this time Song still wasn't sure she could tell those two apart, much to the sisters' amusement, hence she did not bother to guess the correct name.

„Yes? what is it?"

„There's a message for you. The goose carrying it insists on handing it directly to you. Judging by that yellow attire of his, I suppose it's from the Dragon Warrior again."

Hearing that made Song's eyes widen slightly. As of recent they were communicating almost regularly, but it still seemed to be too soon after his last message for Po to send another one. Along with the fact that he urged his messanger to make sure it was her and only her who recieved it, the leopardess could not help but think that this scroll would contain more than just a description of another of the Dragon Warrior's awesome adventures.

„Alright. I'll see him," Song finally replied, setting her bowl down. Soon enough she could recognize the yellow robe and hat that made the goose easily recognized as the messanger of the Jade Palace. He held his wing over the bag hanging by his side rather protectively, his head shifting from one side to another, which made him seem rather nervous.

Song could not really blame him for the fact. Despite doing their best to prove to the world that they were no longer walking the path of thievery, the Ladies of the Shade still encountered those that would remember them for their crimes. There was also the fact that the goose was the only male at the camp, which could explain his uneasiness as well.

„Greetings. Zeng, is it? I trust you have a message for me?"

The fidgeting bird seemed to snap out of his nervous state as he focused his gaze on the feline that addressed him. He studied her for a second as if to make sure she was the one he was searching for, then with a nod and a smile he handed her two scrolls tied together.

„Indeed, miss Song. The Dragon Warrior wanted me to give you these."

Song looked the sealed scrolls over, deciding against opening them right away. „You must be weary after the flight. May I invite you for a lunch?"

Zeng smiled at the gesture, but chose to decline the offer. He still had one message to deliver and he wanted to be back at the palace before it began to rain again. So far, the sky has been relatively clear on that day, but considering how often it rained lately, he didn't want to take his chances.

„Thank you, but I'd better leave. I still have some work to do and I'd like to return to the Jade Palace dry while I still can."

Song understood his concern, the constant raining was getting on her nerves too. „Give the Dragon Warrior my regards then, and best luck on your way back home."

Zeng bowed in gratitude, then took off to the skies, leaving a few feathers behind him. Song watched for a while as he flew away, then, dismissing her subordinate, she returned to her tent to finish her lunch and read the scrolls.

Sitting down on her mat, she unwrapped the ribbon and opened the first scroll, that conveniently started with the line 'Read this one first'. Song smiled to herself at reading that line.

Taking two scrolls now? Must be really something big, she thought to herself, then frowned. While he started writing at a noticeably more... cultured level recently, which made his letters a bit longer, he also ceased using his signature phrases, Song wondered to herself, still pondering about the lenght of the message while slowly starting to read.

The message started as usual, with Po saying he hopes everything is turning out well for Song and the ladies and asking what was new. A smile found its way back to her face as she recalled how it was him who made her change her life and gave her the courage to turn the infamous dancing group into honest people.

Her earlier assumptions about the true content of the letter were soon confirmed, however. „I need a favor. I hate to ask you this but the current circumstances don't allow me to leave the Jade Palace for a longer period of time and I really don't have anyone else to turn to," reading those lines Song realized just how important this actually was to the panda. Completely forgetting her lunch, she focused only on the paper in her hands. „I remember you mentioning traveling eastward. Beyond the Rocky Spikes Trail there is an area..."

The snow leopard's tail twitched. Po needed her to travel through a region where most did not dare to travel. The landscape there was most unwelcoming, the terrain unsuitable for cultivation, thus it remained unpopulated. As such, many tales were told about the area being inhabitated by bandits, thugs, or even monsters. An area perfectly suited for hiding... or setting up ambushes.

„They should be hiding there, according to the letter. I sent you two scrolls. The second one is for them. Do not act hostile, just tell them I sent you and give them the message. It should convince them enough. If they are truly there. If not, be careful... and have someone send for me, should you get captured," the last words made her gulp. Song was no coward, facing dangers her whole life, but reading those words from Po, the Po she remembered, still made her feel uneasy. It only further confirmed just how serious this whole deal was. She went through the whole scroll again, making sure she did not overlook anything, then closed it and hid it among her personal things.

„Seems like we'll have to alter our plans a bit," she said to herself, sighing while picking up the second scroll and placing it in her vest, then she added more silently. „I'm not letting you down."

„Whoa... this place is a mess!"

Po found himself agreeing with the bug. It would be hard to not to, seeing the state the village was in. It wasn't the first time they didn't get to the place of the attack in time to prevent any damage from happening, but they were rarely presented with a sight of buildings and stone walls reduced to rubble. There were either some rather strong weapons at use here or...

„Uh, guys, I think I found the attackers," came Monkey's silent voice. Everyone turned in the direction the primate was facing. There, a group of bandits was watching them eagerly. They consisted mostly of boars and wolves, armed with weapons of various kinds. But what stood out the most were the three gorillas towering above the rest. Two were armed with maces. The third was either unarmed or his weapon remained hidden.

„Well, seems like we'll have some real fun after all," rumbled the seemingly unarmed ape, recieving a chorus of grunts and cheers in agreement from his comrades. Stepping forward, he revealed a pair of spiked metal gauntlets that shined in the sunlight.

„That one seems to be the leader. He could be a problem," whispered Crane, getting into his stance.

„Who are you? Why are you attacking this village?" asked Po, doing his best to sound resolute. „Does this have anything to do with the unrest at Misty Peaks Forest?"

A mix of confusion and anger crossed the lead gorilla's face, before being quickly replaced by an amused smirk.

„I don't know if I can answer all of your questions, panda," he spoke, putting emphasis at the word 'panda'. „But I'll make you a deal. You beat me, I'll talk."

„And if I don't?" Po asked, immediately mentally slapping himself for how pathetic that sounded.

„You won't have to worry about that," the gorrila chuckled, then got into a Kung Fu stance, preparing to fight.

Po sighed, responding by getting into a stance of his own as the others did the same. Looks like I'll get to test the Water Dragon today after all...

A/N: Thank your for reading! Once again, please let me know of anything you find wrong with this story. Next chapter will contain a fight scene, so bear with me!