Chapter 3

Silence filled the air, as Master Tigress' question stood, firm and clear. They all looked eagerly to Shifu. He looked each of them closely in the eye... before turning and walking the other way.

"I have recieved a letter from the Emperor of China. As you know, it is a private letter. It involves you however - and no, not specifically the Dragon Warrior. All of you are equally involved..." Refusing to face his students, the teacher went on " I am forbidden to tell you any specific dates, however I have been allowed to give a brief summary. I cannot tell you everything." Describing the horror he had been faced with wouldn't be an easy task, especially when he had to make it seem harmless. One of them would notice something was wrong. They just couldn't be allowed to work out they were right.

"You will leave for the Imperial palace at sundown. Be there in 4 days at the latest." Shifu returned to his normal, commaning self.

"Master Shifu, Master Shifu!" Po waved his hand and yelled his master's name like a school child desperate to answer the million-pound question.

"Yes, panda?"

"I hope you don't mind me asking, but why? Why do we need to go to the Imperial Palace? I mean, it's like mega-awesome and everything, so it's not like I don't want to, I'd just like to know why..." The curious - and mildly afraid - panda questioned his master's statement, though not wishing to have his head beaten through for it. After all, it was the question on all of their minds. Po was the only one stupid/brave enough to make it heard.

"You will all go and you will not object! Clear?" The answer smacked back hard at Po.

"Ouch... sorry, Master..." To the suprise of everyone, Shifu turned to face his students and calmly replied

"Don't be. I knew you'd want some form of answer." He paused, letting his out-of-character apology-of-sorts sink in "The Emperor of China is hosting an..." Shifu stopped again, trying to find the most vague word to use "...an event. He wants you to battle in it. He would like a festival. That is all." That was all, wasn't it? In the most basic form, anyway.

But only one would be returning... Shouldn't they be allowed an opputunity for final goodbyes?

"... The Emperor wants us to relocate to his palace for three years. He would rather you didn't leave Gongmen City, apart from missions, until those three years are up. I'm sorry I couldn't tell you before..." The obviously gobsmacked looks on the six adults' faces proved to Shifu that they'd all been convinced by his not-so-fantastic lying skills.

"But... Master..." The panda stuttered, lost for words. "I... I can't leave my father..."

"It will be hard for us all, Po. But we cannot defy the orders of the Emperor, can we?" Shifu honestly sympathised with the lost-for-words Dragon Warrior. This would affect his poor soul the most, by far.

"Uh... uh... No, we can't defy... uh... the Emperor... can, uh, we?..." Po looked on the verge of tears. They all looked close, even the ice queen, Tigress.

"No. You have the rest of the day off to prepare for the trip. You may go and say your goodbyes. Students, you are dissmissed." With a wave of his hand, they all dispatched. Po immediately ran to the Valley. Tigress didn't even hesitate in running after him. A few minutes passed, before the others followed the two best friends down.

"Po? PO!" Tigress chased after her partner-in-combat, who was currently half running and half tumbling down the stairs. When she eventually caught up with him, he had obviously been crying. Tears streaked down his face, and his eyes were red and puffy.

"I can't leave him, Tigress. He's my dad. I just can't." His voice cracked on the last sentence, as more tears began freely falling. Unsure of what to do (Tigress had never cried in her whole life before - she'd never known anyone who had), Tigress put a hand on Po's shoulder. She was on the verge of breaking too - the Valley of Peace was her home. It would be hard.

"Please Po... please don't cry..." She sounded spookily familiar to a child. It frightened Tigress to see her always-jolly, never-depressed friend like this. It killed her.

"I'm sorry, Tigress. I shouldn't cry, I know. But, the bond between me and my dad... Can you keep a secret?" He looked at her with pleading eyes.

He was Po. She was Tigress.

She nodded

"Tigress... It's my dad. He's really ill... He... Tigress? He's dying..."

A/N: DUN DUN DUUUN! Dramatic ending! This chapter was really hard to write, so please review to tell me what you thought (Shifu's lie was really bad, but it was the best thing I could think of! What a nasty lie, Shifu!). More reviews makes a better author! And more chpaters! Thank you so much to all the reviews so far, they are really helpful to me, it really makes me ever-so happy when I see a review. The feeling is undescribable! Also, I know no-one was dying at this point in The Hunger Games, but I felt like adding some DRAMATIC FLAIR (!) at this point, and it came up in my mind, so yeah. Next chapter will be a (very sad, heartbreaking, will-probably-make-me-cry) confrontation between Po and Mr Ping. Whether it's the last one... well (as River Song says) SPOILERS, SWEETIE! Anyway, because you are probably sick of this A/N, I'll finish now... And on that bombshell, goodnight!