Even though the sun shone through the shutters of Tigress's room, it felt gloomy. There she lay, alone in her room, covered with her blankets, her eyes closed, resting. She waited for the gong to sound. There was none. She pursed her lips and rolled over. Yes, Shifu had promised them five minutes more to sleep in. Five minutes passed and still no sound of the gong. She opened her eyes slowly, and took a deep breath. She flung the covers off and got up. Tigress clutched her side as it started to cramp. Why was she hurt? The images of last night came back to her. Zeng, flying off, yelling curses... The three assassins fleeing into the night after they had attacked her and were beaten. Worst of all, the body of Shifu that lay motionless among the rubble, mutilated. Shifu was dead. The full reality of it finally struck her. No more training under his watchful eye. As simple as it was to say, it was hard to think. Shifu was dead. A single tear rolled down her cheek. How long had it been since she cried? This was the time to mourn. Tigress got up to her full height and changed into her normal outfit; black pants and the red tunic with the black flower patterns outlined in gold thread. Her side hurt less now. The hallway was quiet, none of the normal sounds of the others in their own rooms. The slight smell of candle smoke came from Crane's room. Tigress padded softly to the dining hall. She walked over to her seat and sat heavily in it. The chair where Shifu sat was empty, a glaring reminder of the night before. Po set a bowl of rice in front of Tigress and handed her chopsticks. Almost robotically, she picked up the bowl and started eating, her orange eyes glued to the empty seat. Po sat at the end of the table and slurped his own breakfast down faster than any of them there. Putting the bowl down, he took a dumpling from another bowl and promptly ate it.

"I think the first thing we need to do is tell the villagers," said Viper. "They have as much right to now as we do."

"Yeah, but how are we going to tell it to them?" asked Monkey, his mouth full. "We can't have a large ceremony. Tigress, I'm sure wants to go after those bandits."

"And who will lead and protect them while we are away?" asked Crane.

"My dad wouldn't be a good choice," Po chortled. The downcast faces remained the same.

"Actually, he could be," said Mantis. "You'd just have to lay down the laws of leading to him."

"Mr. Ping and a couple others will lead them while we are gone. It would make it more fair to the rest of them, instead of just one governing," said Viper. "We'll decide who when we get down to the village."

"After that, we are going after them," said Tigress flatly. "I don't care how long it takes, but they will pay for what they did. We leave as soon as all of you are finished."

The downcast expression had been replaced by the fierce look of determination on Tigress's face everyone was accustomed to. The tiger got up and walked out. Just a quickly, the rest down their breakfast and followed her to the Hall of Warriors. During the night, as Tigress rested, they had cleaned out the Hall of Warriors and had buried Shifu's body. None of them had liked the job.

"We buried him near the Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom," said Po. "I think he would've liked that."

"I'm sure he would have," murmured Tigress in agreement. "If you don't mind I'm going to say my last goodbyes."

"Take your time," said Viper kindly. To the others, "Let's go tell the news to the villagers. Try to ease into it, when you're telling them. You got that Po? Mantis?"

As the other five started down the stairs to the village, Tigress went to the Peach Tree. Her feet felt like they were weighted down and her movements seemed sluggish. There seemed to be a massive weight on her shoulders, like a millstone had been cast around her neck. At last, she reached the top of the cliff were the Peach Tree grew. Serenity lived here, and quiet its neighbor. Shifu's staff stood erect at the side of the tree, the golden band glinting in the dawn's sunlight. Tigress knelt by it and bowed her head in homage. She didn't cry nor did she let any emotions display. She looked up over the Valley. The Bao Gu Orphanage standing out, away from the village, stood out and the image of the building cut into her. The sight of Shifu holding the domino in his hand, unafraid of who she was and what she had been called: monster. She looked away abruptly, forcing herself to not think about it. She saw the stairs and could almost make out her younger self and a much younger Master Shifu climbing the stairs for the first time, his stern face never looking at the tiger cub that walked inches behind him, excited for her future. Her eyes moistened. Why was she suddenly so emotional? Po knew who he was now and she did not. Her parents had abandon her and her only fatherly figure was gone. That was why. A tear finally did manage to slip out between her eyelids and rolled slowly down her cheeks, dampening them. Finally, it fell to the dry ground, moistening the dirt under which Shifu lay.

"Why do you cry, childen?" a warbly voice spoke. "Do you believe your tears will raise Shifu again?"

The voice was calm, peaceful, and kind. It had compassion and understanding behind every word it spoke. Only one animal had Tigress known that spoke like that. Oogway.

The apparition of Oogway floated before her, pink peach leaves swirling around his legs.

"Anger clouds vision, yet peace will show the way everytime."

"Master," said Tigress, getting up and bowing in respect to the sage tortoise.

The tortoise smiled softly. He reached out with a long black claw and pointed it at Tigress. His aged eyes pierced into Tigress.

"You know, Tigress, the heart and mind are two separate beings. They quarrel together sometimes, but when they are together, they speak wisdom."

Tigress looked at Oogway, unsure of what to say. Yet as she dug deeper inside herself, she saw that Oogway spoke of her. Her mind and heart both seemed to cry out opposite things and she was confused, hiding behind the hardened mask.

"Your words always are true, Master," replied Tigress. The elderly tortoise smiled.

"You know, Tigress," began Oogway. He sat down and gazed up at the peach tree. "I remember when I was young, anger once took hold of me and it brought me to things I would have never done."

Oogway leaned in closer to Tigress.

"Are you guided by anger?"

Tigress vehemently shook her head, but slowed. She was driven by anger this time. Was Master Oogway saying her anger wasn't justified, that she shouldn't seek out his killers?

"Are you saying I shouldn't seek to avenge Master Shifu?" she asked, puzzled.

"I didn't say that," said Oogway.

"Then what are you saying?" asked Tigress. She kept her calm though irritation of the sage's riddle like talk began to irk her.

"I am saying you must let your heart and mind be in harmony. Do what is right, in the eyes of everyone; even if it is a hard decision for yourself. Go now and remember what I have said. You're friends are waiting."

The peach leaves whirled around and gone was Oogway, leaving Tigress alone on the cliff to ponder what the tortoise had been trying to say.

A cry of despair went up from the villagers as the kung fu Master's told of Master Shifu's death. Most wept openly. A few able to hold back the grief that tried to overtake them.

"The burial has been finished," said Crane, slightly moved by the villagers. "You may pay homage to him later. First we have something very important to say."

Still the weeping continued.

"Hey!" shouted Po above the din. The villagers quieted their loud weeping to sniffles. "We don't like it at all, like you guys. But we're going to bring those evildoers to justice!"

A weak cheer went up from the crowd. Po continued,

"We are going to be gone for a while, probably. So, we have placed a couple of you to help run things."

The list of names was read and they stepped forward and promised to run things fairly. As the villagers began to go back to their normal chores, all the less cheerfully because of the dark news that had beset them, the Five and Po ran to the end of the village and out into the bamboo forest that lay on the outskirts of the village. Tigress ran ahead, her mind furiously trying to figure out what Oogway had meant. As time passed, his advice became lost to her and she focused on running.

The sun rested at its zenith before they spotted a dark patch of red in the dirt. They skidded to a halt. Mantis hopped down to examine it. Drops of blood were few and far between but the trail led them to a tree. The grass looked as if it hadn't been touched and the tree didn't looked at all used.

"Why are we here?" asked Tigress, eager to go back on their tracking. "We are loosing time."

Mantis jumped to her shoulder.

"I'm just checking to make sure we are following the right people."

"I can't tell much about this area," said Po, flipping over a rock with his foot.

"But I can."

The green praying mantis disappeared among the green grass and foliage of the tree. Tigress moved her feet impatiently. Viper's tongue flitted in and out, tasting the air.

"I can taste them," said Viper. "Their aroma is in the air."

"You can taste them?" asked Po incredulously.

Viper nodded.

"Awesome. What do I taste like?"

"Dumplings."

Mantis came back carrying a grey feather and a small green rock. No, it was a scale. In one of his other feet, two slivers of hair, one orange, the other white, were grasped by his pincer-like feet.

"A feather from Zeng paired with the scale and the hairs means Zeng is definitely not who we thought he was."

Tigress took the feather from Mantis' pincers and tucked it into her shirt pocket. It was her reminder of the one who did this. She would never forget the messanger's face. Tigress spotted more tracks ahead of them. She started running again. Po called after her.

"Where ya going?"

"I found more of the trail. Let's go."

The rest of the Furious Five followed her without question. Po looked a bit dazed.

"When she sees something like that, she's off," said Monkey. "Don't question it, it's usually right."

"Oh, gotchya."

The trail became easier to follow as they left the tree. Footprints were more noticeable and an occasional tree had been marked or a scale was left on the ground. They were hot on the trail of Shifu's killer, except no longer did they see any feathers from Zeng. The fact was disregarded by Tigress, who, forgetting Oogway's warning, had let her rage begin to drive her. On the days went. They followed the trail as easily as Po took Monkey's cookies. Conversation was scarce among the six, even when they rested from the long hours of running.

Night finally fell, and the tired Master's were eager to relax from the day's running. They had lost count of the day's they had spent tracking the assassins. The trail had begun to zigzag in a large snake pattern. They couldn't risk having the trail suddenly break the pattern and veer off somewhere, making the miss it. The six were forced to follow it. Crane had been able to fly above and scout the next terrain, but had been able to do so in the forest they now ran through. A stream ran beside them and they refreshed themselves in the water. A camp was set up; the Masters hadn't carried much with them, only a few necessities. They had passed a village before and been able to purchase supplies and now enjoyed them. A fire blazed in the middle of the circle of Masters as they ate their dinner of dumplings and water from the stream. Stars above began to appear and the bright moon joined the stars in their endless waltz across the sky. No wind blew through the forest they were in now and it was still. The river talked to them endlessly, it struck the edges of the banks and the smooth riverstone that had risen above the water. The grass was soft underneath Po as he settled himself down. His canvas pants rubbed against his furry bottom as he leaned back to gulp down his own rations. The dumplings weren't as good as his dad's, but they would suffice. He burped and rubbed his stomach. Talking seemed forbidden. Each of his friends was silent with the scarcest of speech escaping their lips. Po decided to break that barrier.

"Was that good or what?"

"It was good," said Monkey. "I wish I had my almond cookies though now. Too bad I didn't bring any from the Jade Palace."

"Yeah, those would be good right now," said Po as he thought back to the crunchy, sweet goodness of the almond cookies.

"For me, not for you!"

"Oh. Hey, what about you, Viper? What do you want with you right now?"

Viper looked up from staring at the fire.

"Maybe my ribbons, I havn't seen them in a while now." Viper had been a dancer before she had taken on the art of kung fu and still enjoyed dancing with the ribbons now and then.

"You can still dance, you know," said Po. He hated seeing his friends this downcast. He knew why, but still, sadness would last forever if they didn't blow it away. Viper said nothing after that. she just looked away.

"What about you, Crane? Mantis?"

Crane put his other leg down from his balanced position. Crane's famous hat lay on the ground beside him.

"My calligraphy pen and paper."

"I don't really know," said Mantis before Po could reask the question.

Po nodded. He glanced at Tigress. Her eyes were closed and she had adopted a lotus position. Her breathing was steady. The tiger's chest fell up and down in rhythm to a beat only she knew. Po got up. His pants felt loose, so he hiked them up. He walked over to Tigress and sat in front of her. Tigress let one eye open just barely to see the panda.

"Guidance," she whispered. Oogway had already given her some, but she needed direction without riddles to solve. She had been able to figure out that she needed to control her anger, no matter how righteous or just it was. Po nodded again, but this time, solemnly.

"Hey, I'm sure you'll get it. You're a leader, a good one too."

The panda's words comforted her. Maybe she was going in the right direction. The fire crackled and the river burbled audibly as silence once again. A slight scraping sound came from were Crane stood, practicing his calligraphy in the dirt. Sleep came to them like a ghost, because they were soon asleep. The snores of Po drifted over to where Tigress sat, still awake. Her mind furiously tried to figure out what Oogway had been trying to say. Do what is right, not what feels right. What was that supposed to mean? The part about the anger clouded her vision, she knew. Time had allowed her rage to come down to a simmer, allowing her to make better descisions besides running blindly forward. Twice this had allowed them to avoid traps the assassins had set up. But what did Oogway mean by not doing what feel right. She had her emotions under control, there was no doubt. It was right to avenge Shifu, wasn't it? It both felt right and was right, everybody agreed with her. Could Oogway have been speaking of past that? Could something in her future come up that Oogway was warning her about? A sense of peace settled over Tigress. She had found the answer, at least what the tortoise was warning her about. But what would come up that would require her to make that descision. As sleep finally over took her, she looked up at the stars. Three shooting stars lanced across the black sky.

Tigress felt hot. This was the temperature she had felt when she had fallen asleep. And why was she lying down? She had been sitting up when she fell asleep. Lazily, she opened one eye. There was red soil on the ground. She bolted upright. Around her, volcanoes towered above her. One started erupting. She sprinted for higher ground near the next volcano. This one didn't feel warm.

Dormant, she thought.

The caldera of the volcano was lifeless. Obsidian shards mingled with the red soil of the volcano. Streaks of brown also interlaced themselves with the red and black. Behind her, volcanoes continued for a while and she was unable to see the end. She looked forward and saw mountains with vegetation creeping up the base of the mountains, but stopping short at an imaginary line. A large sea of color – what appeared to be a forest – dominated the areas past the mountains. Rivers, big and small, spiderwebbed amongst the trees. A massive mountain, its summit hidden by clouds, lay in the center of the entire place. She kept calm. No longer was she in China it seemed. There was no Furious Five and Po sleeping at the camp. The fire was no longer there. Another volcano roared to life behind her. The roar seemed like a roar of a beast, not a volcano though. Tigress cleared her mind and sat herself on the rich soil. She emptied her mind and began to meditate. A thunderous voice interrupted her.

"Greetings, Tigress!"

A streak of red and yellow began to snake its way across the sky. It wrapped its massive body around the volcano, allowing its head to reach over the top of the summit and rest it on the edge. A dragon. She stood erect and bowed low.

"Greetings, sir," she replied as respectfully as she could.

"I heard you needed guidance, youngling."

"I do. Where am I supposed to go?"

"Follow the path you are on, do not falter, it will lead you to who you are looking for."

"But I'm not looking for a who! I'm looking for direction on what to do! These assassins are trickier than I thought. I want to lead my friends in the right direction."

"Listen, cub." Tigress bristled at the word cub. She wasn't a cub by any means. "I promise you, if my name isn't Xiaofang, that you are looking for a who. He will help."

Whatever the dragon, Xiaofang, was trying to say, she needed to know directly. No more riddles.

"Out of riddles, please!"

Tigress almost yelled the statement. Too much of her life had been in doubt and in shadows. She wanted the direct answer! The dragon's fierce eyes seemed to be set on fire as Xiaofang thrust his head just inches away from Tigress.

"When you meet with one with the crooked tail, you will know!"

His voice shook the ground and it hurt her head.

"I wish you luck and may wisdom guide your discisions," said Xiaofang, a bit softer than before. A blinding light flashed in front of Tigress as the supposedly dormant volcano erupted with tremendous force.

She woke up sweating. The sun had yet to rise and the camp was still peaceful. Her heart beat hard and her breathing was heavy. The river called out to her, tempting her to refresh herself in its cool grasp. She did so. Tigress stripped off her clothes and hung them on the tree. The chillness of the dawn air touched her bare body. Taking a running start, she dove head first in the river. Immediately, the rush of the river began to pull her downstream, but she swang against the strong current. The water seemed to wipe away her fears and replaced them with determination. The dragon of fire had said to follow her path but look out for whoever was named Tai. The chances of meeting that animal were slim in China. It was a massive area and they had yet to travel all of it. It could be years before she met this animal with a crooked tailf. A sudden surge set her further downstream. She let herself submerge completely and swam upstream. She could feel her muscles strain, defying the river. Her lungs began to beg for air. Tigress went up for air. Again, she dove down, fighting the river, letting herself be challenged by nature. How long she swam, she didn't know, but it was invigorating.

The sky had turned yellow and red as the sun rose. The coolness of the night had begun to be replaced by the warmth of the day. She climbed out of the river, her fur sopping wet, yet her spirit lifted. She stood there, naked on the rivers edge, and grapped the large leaves of the fern that grew beside the banks of the river. The rough surface of the leaves scratched a bit, but she welcomed it as the leaves collected the water. Po's voice rang out and she heard the crunch of the underbrush as the panda began making his way to her.

"Tigress! Where are you? Breakfast is ready!"

Tigress frantically reached for her clothes to cover herself. Too late, Po began to turn the corner.

"Po, I'm undressed!" she said tersly, slightly embarrassed.

Po did an about-face.

"I didn't see anything," he said immediately. Seconds later, a slightly damp tiger came from around the tree.

"Thank you. And Po, stop blushing."

Po's normally white cheeks had taken on a red coloring. He was thankful he hadn't stumbled apon Master Tigress undressed. That would've been hazardous to his health, particularly if he wanted to live.

The fire had been doused and the other four had already eaten. An apple and whatever leftover dumplings they had were passed to Tigress. She ate them hungrily.

"Where were you?" asked Viper.

"I took a dip in the stream," replied Tigress. "I just felt a bit mucky from the running."

"Well, I hope it was worth it, 'cause that's what we're going to be doing today!" said Mantis as dry as ever. "Can't wait."

"Fully agree with you, buddy," said Po.

"Get used to it. We are doing it again," said Tigress, finishing off the dumpling.

The Master of the Tiger style got up and started following the trail yet again. The rest followed her, with slight hesitation from Po, not relishing the prospect of running again. An image of the crooked tailed animal imprinted itself on Tigress's mind. What were they going to look like? Po ran along side her, his mind churning also. It seemed to consistently place itself in his mind, that one idea; the idea that he wasn't meant for Tigress, as in a romantic relationship. Maybe he was just denying the truth and that idea was the truth? He kept his head down, he watched as his feet became a blur as they picked up speed. The steady beat of Crane's wings came from the left and the rattle of Viper's body was at his right. On they went, to bring justice to those who had killed Shifu.

The assassins looked at the village before them. They had more than a full day's lead on the kung fu Masters yet they needed more time. This chase had gone on for a while now and they needed to start circling around again.

The village had been built hastily in the plains, eagerly awaiting the trade routes that were planned to pass through the area. They never came and the citizens there couldn't move, they were too poor and had invested heavily in the village that was to be a city. The inhabitants became disregarded by the respectful travelers and have become the home of the numerous gangs and bandits that plagued China. The village wasn't a nice village to look at. Dingy shops and huts were sprawled out with no particular order. The streets had beggars crying out for food and shelter, or just a coin to help them through the day. Children ran around in dirty rags and adults were hardworking and short-tempered. A particular nasty gang was here at the time and that was exactly what they wanted. Making their way through the crowds, occasionally having to threaten a few to move, they found themselves in a dimly lit tavern. Smoke permeated the air and the smell of ash and alcohol barely overpowered the body odor. A band added to the clamor of drunken men laughing and yelling and singing the saloon songs.

Why do men like bars? Wu thought. There is little good about these places besides finding mercs.

Hsuh and Wu sat down together at an isolated booth while Kwan went to go get drinks. The large crocodile came back with three mugs in his hand. He set them down, one for each of them, then, he was able to wedge himself inbetween the table and the seat. They toasted to nothing and took a swig of their drinks. Wu almost sputtered at the strong alcohol. Kwan just took another draft.

"That's a good drink!" he exclaimed. Other than killing, Kwan loved alcohol. He prided himself in being able to list almost every single alcoholic beverage and name them by taste. "I've got to get the name."

Hsuh coughed once before taking another drink.

"Not as good as the one we had in Tachao, but close enough."

"Suit yourself," said Kwan, shrugging.

Wu couldn't stand the drink. She preferred the wines of Mengyou City. When the wolves' were finished, she would move there. Ale and beers, whiskeys and rums, grogs and moonshine were just a waste of time. Wines were an art and they tasted splendidly. She had only tasted a few mixes of drinks in a black market bar that she had liked rum, but other than that, wine was her favorite drink. A drunken boar staggered over to the chair and vomited all over the fox's lap. He gave her a dumb look.

"Sorry, ma'am."

Wu looked at Kwan and Hsuh, pure indignation plastered on her face. Hsuh stifled a laugh and Kwan grinned, showing all his teeth.

"Can I kill him?"

Kwan shrugged again.

"Whatever you like, just don't get caught."

"Like I would get caught by these jackasses."

Wu got up and followed the boar to his seat. She noted where he sat and moved to the lavatories – well, what they called lavatories. She cleaned her pants up as well as she could, she would need to get new ones. Stepping out the door, she eased a leaf of herb from the inside of her pants. She started to crush the leaf in her paws. The poison was one of the fastest acting in China, yet it killed agonizingly slow. Wu couldn't wait to watch the boar die. Perhaps her actions were a bit uncalled for, some might say overdramatic, but she didn't care. She spotted Kwan and Hsuh talking to a leopard. Good, she would get her revenge and they would leave with a trap set for their hunters. The boar took a large gulp of his drink and set it down. She noted how the mug moved a bit, liquid still was in there. She sat next to him and accidentally bumped into him. He turned around.

"Whachit, yew clumsy shon of a…oooh. You're cute."

Wu forced herself to blush. She moved her paws to the drink. The leopard who was talking to Kwan and Hsuh seemed doubtful. Maybe this would convince him to help them, after they showed their prowess. She started to idly chitchat with the boar. The boar couldn't move his face from hers. Perfect. She let the crushed leaves fall into the beer. She got up to move, pushing away the hoof of the boar away. Hastily, she grabbed a passing maid and shoved her into the boar's arms. The boar clearly was disappointed and took a drink from his mug. Wu started counting. Through the crowd, the fox made her way back to the seat. The leopard looked at Wu.

"What else would make me accept your assignment?"

Wu threw a bag of gold onto the table, adding in with Kwan's and Hsuh. They were all counterfeit, but nobody really took notice, the Empire was dumb enough to accept them anyways.

"You are paying around one hundred gold pieces just for us to halt these people who follow you? Why not just kill them?"

Kwan glanced at Wu.

"We are not at liberty to tell you why," the crocodile said, his voice had the slightest bit of menace to it.

The leopard took notice of the tone and avoided further questioning. Gold was gold, no matter how you got it. Before he could reply, a shout went up from the patrons inside the tavern. A barstool was knocked over and it clattered to the floor. Wu smiled. She had reached the number one hundred and eighty; the poison was taking its toll on the boar's body. The leopard leaned out to see the spectacle. He saw the boar on the ground, writhing in agony, his mouth was foaming and his eyes were bloodshot. It looked like he was having a seizure, but the boar uttered cries of pain. Foul play was definitely involved. The fox unsheathed her claws and began to inspect them.

"You see, we are perfectly capable of killing others, but we need someone to slow them down so we can make their tracking a bit harder."

The leopard looked back at the trio.

"You killed him? Why?"

The leopard stole one last glance at the boar. Sores covered his body and the skin had begun to break open and crack. He shuddered. He had seen many gory sights in his life, but they had been in battle. Not one of just pure, cold-blooded murder.

"He puked on my lap. I don't like it when people humiliate me."

The leopard mercenary was silent, pondering on whether or not to take the gold now. These animals were running away from people and were willing to pay handsomely for someone to just slow their pursuers. That was enough to have any mercenary take the job. But they had just displayed that they would kill for something as petty as this and they weren't at liberty to tell why they wouldn't just kill the followers outright, even if they showed they could. People like this were usually tied with other's even more powerful than they. Still, the gold looked tempting. They didn't have to kill, just slow whoever down. The leopard grabbed for the money. Hsuh pushed them away from his grasp.

"You will do the job or we will find you and kill you. Understand?"

The leopard sneered at the rabbit. The boar had spotted thrashing about on the floor and the tavern went back to his usual hum of conversation. An unfortunate maid cleared the grotesque body from the tavern. The rabbit held his gaze with steely eyes.

"I understand," the leopard spat out.

Wu let the leopard take the gold.

"Halt them near the Nameless Pass. We plan to start to circle around after that and head back to the Valley of Peace. Just slow them there and then you may flee to wherever you want. No need to give us proof of your success. But – and trust me when I tell you this – if you don't do the job, we will know and your days will be numbered."

The leopard nodded gravely. Now he truly understood and there was no way he was going to cross the paths of these three again, not even with his full gang. With a curt bow, he exited the bar, leaving the three assassins to themselves.

"I'd say this was a pretty good day, what do you think boys?" Wu said.

"Yep, we got the gang and we killed a pig. What more could we want?"

Wu glared at the sarcastic crocodile. Hsuh started tapping his large feet nervously. He didn't want to be the poor suckers when they ran into a group of six enraged kung fu Masters and try to stop them. One detail they forgot to mention to the leopard.

The six kung fu Masters looked out across the plain. Even with the scarce light that came from the sinking sun, they could make out the silhouette of the village that lay somewhere in the plains ahead of them. The forest had ended abruptly and a long, narrow plain filled with grass stretched as a barrier between the mountains that sat before them. The tracks they were following had stopped zigzagging and had begun to travel straighter. The imprints of the crocodile were the easiest to follow, because the claws on his feet dug furrows into the ground. A rabbit's footprint was visible here and there, while the fox's was so light, they could barely see it sometimes. On they ran, keeping the same pace even with the half moon spying down on them. The village was their destination, the tracks led to it. Tigress saw the tired faces of her friends. She felt the need to keep going, but knew in her heart that she couldn't force her friends to continue. Po's brow was damp with sweat, yet he continued doggedly on. Tigress knew she had the best of friends. The beat of Crane's wings had slowly become less rapid and the avian had glided as much as he could. Mantis just rested on Monkey's shoulder, the little bug working the hardest to keep up with Tigress's breakneck pace.

"We'll stop there," said Tigress, trying to reassure them. Po gave her a hurried thumbs up.

"Thank the Heavens," said Monkey. Mantis just groaned.

The village got closer and closer with every step they took and finally, they reached the dark streets. Lanterns were scant and the darkness greedily tried to engulf the light. A particularly brightly lit inn caught their attention.

"It seems the safest," said Po. "And as long as they have dumplings and a bed, I'm fine!"

Nobody argued with that logic. They paid a coin and took the room the hosts provided. It was a bit cramped but they fit anyways. Sleep was upon them as soon as each of their heads hit the thin pillows.

Morning seemed to come to fast. Unenthusiastically, they got up and went down for breakfast. A small bowl of rice and a bean bun were served but it would suffice.

"How much longer, Tigress? We've been away for at a long time, just chasing them, always chasing them!"

Po wiped some of the rice that stuck to his lips.

"I think we just go until we bring justice on 'em. We don't quit! Souls of platinum!"

Tigress smiled as Po said the same thing he had said on the boat to Gongmen City.

"Yes, but even platinum tarnishes," pointed out Crane.

Po's shoulders dropped. He tried to think of a comeback. None came.

"True," he said slowly.

"Listen, I don't want to burden you, so if you want to go back, you won't offend me. I understand," Tigress said, finally answering Viper.

Viper locked eyes with Tigress.

"I will go as long as you go, but I am worried about the Valley."

"I am not worried, they are a peaceful people. I have faith in them."

"Then we continue," said Po. "That's were I'm going. My fists hunger to bring on the thunder!"

Tigress exhaled loudly and got up. As one, the rest followed her out the door.

"Before we go, let's see if we can get any more information on them," Mantis suggested. "It might help."

Tigress shook her head.

"It could also slow us down. Let's just follow the tracks. If we get into a tough spot, then we will ask for help, but right now we don't need it."

Again, the Masters continued forward like an unstoppable storm. The mountain's loomed ahead of them, getting closer every day and night they traveled. They lost the tracks once when the assassins had taken a boat down a thin stream. They relaxed their feet on the boat ride until Tigress spotted the set of footprints. A new set of footprints crossed the path of the tracks of the assassins at one time. They were older and more numerous. The new set were parallel to their quarries tracks for a time, then headed right later.
Tigress halted at Nameless Pass. The mountains seemed to inch closer to her. The ground ahead was rocky and the trail was harder to follow. The trail had gone cold a few times, but a green, dry scale from the crocodile led them in the right direction. Ledges rose above them and massive rocks were placed randomly alongside, sometimes in the middle, of the path that wound through the mountains. Tigress's shadow stretched out in front of her. The rocks cast large dark spots over the normally lit rock, cooling it down, stopping the sun from beating down on them. The mountains were quiet, it was almost unnerving. Even the sound of their feet seemed to be drowned out by the silence. Something was wrong. Tigress slowed and she sniffed the air. An unrecognizable scent seemed to have drifted from ahead of them. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end as she heard the all too familiar clank of steel hitting steel and the sound of bowstrings being pulled taut. They had been surrounded by archers, each of them aiming at one of them. They wore masks that hid their faces. They were garbed in green and grey tunics with brown pants. A leopard bounded down from a thin archway above them. He sauntered over. These were their clients followers. They didn't look too fierce. Besides the tiger. Still, something nagged at him. He had seen these six before. Where?

"Sorry fellas, can't let you go further."

"A grave mistake," snarled Tigress.

"Careful, Tigress," warned Viper.

Po looked around, slightly nervous. He remembered the wolf archers from Shen's army. He didn't like them. What were they going to do?

"Yes, listen to the snake, tiger. Careful," mocked the leopard. He started to toy with his knife that he had casually pulled from its sheath. Tigress's eyes followed the leopard. She twitched her fingers slightly. Nobody but the Masters saw the movement. Crane suddenly shot up and flapped his wings mightily. A whirlwind of air came rushing into the Pass, confusing the archers. The kung fu Masters sprang into action. Po clambered up the ledges to face the enemy archers. A certain ox recovered quickly and jabbed at Po. Po moved to the right and slammed his paw down on the blade, letting it sink into the ground. The blow numbed the ox's hoof and he stared at it blankly. Po grabbed hold of the arm and ran up the ox's leg, delivering two swift blows to the side of its head. As he landed, he let himself go all the way to the ground as another blade, aimed at his head, was stabbed forward. Po did a roundhouse kick to the assailant's feet, knocking him over. He bounced up and smashed him underneath his astounding weight of his rear end. He continued forward to knock out the unfortunate archer who watched with astonishment. Po looked over his shoulder to see the rest of his friends making quick work of the remaining group. Tigress was battling one on one with the leader, who knew more than he appeared to know about fighting.

As soon as Crane had shot up, the leopard had immediately lunged at Tigress, ignoring his orders. Tigress saw it and crouched to block the attack. She swung a powerful punch at the leopard, forcing him to go on the defensive. The leopard grabbed hold of her paw and used it stop his momentum forward. Still clinging on, he slid underneath Tigress, trying to make her loose her balance. Tigress hopped up and landed heavily on the leopards shins. The leopard roared loudly and tried to rain blows upon her midsection. Tigress blocked each one with precision years of training gave her. Tigress kicked at the leopard's head. He lifted his head and brought his right arm around Tigress's leg. He used his free hand to push at her sternum and pulled the opposite direction with his right arm. Tigress fell backwards as she lost her footing to the move. She twisted as fast as she could so that she could place her paws out to catch herself. The leopard kicked upward as he got himself erect. Tigress felt the stunning blow hit her stomach. Air whooshed out of her mouth, but she immediately got her breath back. She flipped back over to land a kick to his head. The leopard deflected it easily but had let his guard down near his feet. Tigress bent downwards and struck out with the palm at the leopard's ankle. She heard bone crack and the leopard shrieked in pain. He collapsed, massaging his ankle. Tigress got on top of him, forcing him to the ground. She sensed Po behind her. Tigress wrapped a strong paw around his neck. Tears of pain flowed from the leopard's eye. He spat in Tigress's face. The assassins had duped him into fighting the Furious Five and the Dragon Warrior. Whatever they had done to retrieve these Master's wrath was beyond him. He hoped they burned in Hell. But if he told were his employers had gone, they would find him and kill him, like they promised. He had no doubts that they would.

"Why did you try and stop us?" growled Tigress.

The leopard laughed.

"Like I'm going to tell you who hired us," replied the leopard. He cursed himself as soon as the words left his mouth. He just gave away that they had been hired and his life was now on the line.

"By who?"

The leopard just glowered at her, he wouldn't slip again.

Tigress moved her body so that her knee rested on his throat and applied a bit of pressure. The leopard's eyes bulged out. Ignoring the gurgle that came from the feline, Tigress grasped his right hand and placed a claw on the vein and another on the tip of the hand. She slowly began to twist.

"Just one quick movement and your wrist will be broken. After that, your next wrist could be broken as well. Do you know how many bones are in your body? No. Then, please, tell me who hired you."

The leopard wimpered as Tigress twisted his wrist. He noticed the vengenace that glittered in her eyes. He was sure they would catch them and kill them. Besides, the assassins had said to just slow them down, nothing more. So, the leopard told the entire story. He had been duped by them. As he finished, he felt suddenly triumphant. His quarrel was with the assassins now, not these six. He smiled, blood dripping down from his face were he had been hit, yes, these Masters were going to tear them apart for whatever they did.

No sooner had the last word left his mouth and the smile had suddenly appeared, Tigress knocked him out with a quick blow to the skull. She let the leopards arm fall limply to the ground and the head lulled sideways. The leopard was still breathing, shallowly. Tigress didn't want to kill him, he wasn't her enemy right now. She got up and dusted herself off. The tiger looked at the faces of her friends.

"We are going to be headed that way. They were hired to stop us, but not kill us."

"Uh, does that me we should be worried?" asked Mantis.

"No, it just means that we need to move faster."

Po groaned and started forward before any of them could.

"Let's just start already! Can't wait till it ends!"

The Furious Five and Dragon Warrior continued on along the base of the mountain, in the direction the leopard had told them the assassins were heading. The tracks suddenly took a sharp turn back in the direction of the forest at a narrow in the mountains were a shallow lake met another smaller lake. Days passed and all Tigress could think was: When will it end?