Whoops! I almost forgot to publish today! I would have stuck with the one chapter every other day until I've caught up, but I don't publish Sundays.

Short, yet exciting chapter! Please enjoy!

Chapter Eleven: Staff in Hand

The cave was silent. It was early morning - too early for the sun to shine. All of the Masters were asleep, but they were ready to wake at a moment's notice.

That moment came. Vixey woke as soon as she heard footsteps and didn't care how far away they were. She woke the others with the sound of her swishing tail. The Masters quickly bolted to the inside of the outer rock wall, ready to attack if needed.

All seemed silent, but Vixey got anxious as the footsteps grew louder to her.

"How many?" Tigress asked.

Vixey listened closer. She looked confused at the answer that came to her.

"One," she told the others. "I'd have heard others breathing."

She focused more on her task.

"The person's small. Uses a cane of some sort."

The others started looking at each other eagerly. Vixey's spirits made her seem to glow as if the sun shined on her.

"And he's limping on his right leg."

"SHIFU!" they all shouted with glee.

The old red panda limped into view. He was immediately surrounded by his students.

"Master!" Viper cried, "We thought you were captured!"

The students let Shifu walk to a small boulder to sit down.

"Yes," he said, exhausted, "I almost was."

"Well, what happened?" Po asked.

Shifu began to tell his story:

"I knew something was wrong when I sensed your presence, Tigress. That you had all fallen into some kind of misfortune. I believe you told everyone about what you saw. Yes, I was cornered, and yes, I was almost out of energy. I deflected everything they threw at me and escaped through the wall. I escaped to the bamboo forest and my exhaustion led me to believe I had evaded them. I didn't. The moment I let my guard down, I was surrounded. By all means, I should be tied up in some dark dungeon somewhere, but Dianli came to my rescue."

Crane spoke up.

"Dianli saved us, too!" he proclaimed. "If she didn't, we'd all be trapped in that dungeon we rescued Tigress from."

Shifu continued:

"Dianli helped me recover my strength and we parted ways. I wanted to warn everyone's families. Every time I came to one of your homes, I found that the inhabitants had already fled. But I finally found someone who hadn't been warned yet."

Knock knock knock.

"I'm coming," came a voice. "Just a second."

The door opened and Tian stood there. She saw a hunched over figure with a straw hat hiding his eyes, similar to her father.

"What on earth?" she cried. "Father, where have you been?! I've looked everywhere for you! Come inside!"

The older red panda shuffled into the house and Tian closed the door.

"Is it really that bad, Shifu?" she asked, her voice lowered. "I've heard rumors."

"Chances are that those rumors are true," Shifu told her, removing his hat. "The Palace has fallen. I have reason to believe that my students are evading harm as we speak."

Tian sat down near the table. She looked very troubled.

"How could this have happened?" she asked. "I should have been able to foresee this months ago. If I wasn't so busy chasing Father..."

"It isn't your fault," Shifu told his sister. "If I had even the slightest warning that something this bad would have happened, I would have sent you a letter. Or Ting. Or even Zhanshi. We were all caught by surprise. But we will win the Palace back. I have faith in my students."

Tian thought for a moment.

"You didn't just come to tell me this," she said. "I'm in danger, too, aren't I?"

"Yes," Shifu told her. "If Father has been evading you all this time, he can escape Ruili's forces. Find a safe place. I'm going to find them."

"How will you know where to find them?" Tian asked. "Vixey is quite capable of hiding tracks, if your students aren't as well."

"I'm their Master," Shifu responded simply. "I've taught them everything they know. I will find them."

He donned the straw hat again and walked toward the door.

"I'll leave in an hour, if not sooner," Tian told him. "Both of us leaving at the same time will cause suspicion."

"Do what you must," Shifu said. "Good luck, sister, and may we meet again."

"Tian escaped capture and is also on the run," Shifu continued. "I understand that our families are safe and no one can be used as leverage against us."

"But what about Dad?!" Po cried.

"Dianli would have warned him long before I could get there," Shifu assured him. "If he was captured, she would have freed him."

Po relaxed a little.

"I didn't make things too hard for you, did I Master?" Vixey asked.

"I would have been disappointed if you hadn't," Shifu said. "I chased you all over China and had to run all the way here. I was found by a group of those lionesses and their pale leader, but of course, I escaped before long."

Tigress looked like she realized something.

"Those weren't dreams," she started, gaining everyone's attention. "I had visions of where you were, Master. I saw you running through the forest and defending against our enemies as if I were looking through your eyes."

"It appears your Sight is growing," Shifu told her. "It may become useful later."

"What do we do now, Master?" Viper asked.

"We go back to the Valley of Peace," Shifu responded. "We have unfinished business there. But we cannot do this alone. We must somehow gather an army to fight Ruili."

"Um... I'd like to stay and chat," Vixey interrupted, "but we have incoming."

Shifu stood up.

"How many?" he asked.

"A lot," Vixey responded. "I can't tell right now."

"How are we getting down?" Crane asked. "If we go out now, they'll see us!"

"We won't go down," Shifu said, pointing with his staff. "We'll go up. We can lose them in the mountains."

The Masters all picked up their gear and fled deeper into the cave.