I was lying in bed. It was late, and I had just gotten back from a long day of class. The clock shone the time at me with beady red lines. 1245. I clicked on my phone and checked my email. One stuck out. An update from a story I was following. I read it enjoying the feeling of unveiling a new chapter to an adventure that enthralled my mind. Yet when it was over, I was left empty. I tossed and turned.

Then I made up my mind. I turned on my lamp and rolled out of bed. I tiptoed down the stairs, past my sisters room, where two dogs slept, protecting her, just as I had trained them. The stairs creak, the floors moaned, but I soon had my prize; my laptop bag. As I began my ascent, a dog stood at the top of the stairs, peering down at me, my footsteps awakening her.

Yes, well trained indeed. Scared the shit out of me, that's for sure.

I found myself back in my bed, arranging pillows to lean against for me to type. The patter of rain and a low rumble of thunder turned my attention to my window. Quickly I rolled up the blinds and turned off the light. Slowly, my eyes adjusted, and I opened my laptop.

And I began to fill the white space of another empty page.

This is "Trained Panda, Adopted Tiger". I hope you all enjoy.

Shifu watched as his son hit the floor. He crawled towards him, his limp leg dragging behind him. But he hesitated, and withdrew his hand.

No, not his son. Not anymore. Not after what he had done.

He felt Oogway place a hand on his shoulder. Shifu looked up at him, with a face that emitted both pain and loss.

And then, Shifu slowly blacked out.

And he reveled in the blankness of the darkness that enwrapped him.

Two weeks later, Shifu found himself wandering the streets of the village, a cane holding most of his minimal weight. He was weak and skinny from not eating. His eyes were sunken in from his mourning and self-pity. His clothes were dirty and torn from his anger.

He looked around himself, taking in the sights of the village. Claw marks on walls, buildings destroyed, houses burned. Even after two weeks, the village was still in shambles. He huffed, and stumbled on.

The sunrise suddenly crested over a distant rooftop, blinding Shifu, causing him to drop his cane when he shielded his eyes. He lost balance, finding no strength in his leg to support him.

He fell.

And he did not get up. Why should he. His student had not only failed, but had turned on the city, the one thing they were sworn to protect.

Their one goal and mission. Their only calling.

How could he face the people of this town now? Here he was, curled up on the ground, shamed, beaten, disabled. He barely even deserved the right to live.

But then he heard a babies cry. By instinct, he jerked up, leaning on his elbows, ears flared, searching.

There it was again. Moving. Behind the buildings, down the alleys. He stumbled for his cane and pushed himself up. No one else was in the streets yet, it was far too early. He shuffled between two buildings, stumbling as he went, following the cries.

A cart suddenly whizzed around a corner, narrowly missing him, a frantic antelope not even pausing to apologize. The cries of the baby child echoed from around the corner as well, and Shifu slowly turned peered around it.

A pile of boxes stood before him, vegetable boxes. And on the ground, buried beneath half eaten radishes, was a crying baby panda. Shifu turned back the way the antelope had run, but all he could see was a trail of settling dust.

He limped around the corner and up to the basket. The baby panda had stopped crying, and was looking up at Shifu with large Jade eyes.

"Where are you from little one, where are your parents?"

The baby said nothing.

Of course it is not going to say any thing. It is a baby. Shifu looked around him. He couldn't leave the child in the streets. Not at this time of day, not alone. And judging from the child's appearance, it had been a long while since it had had a proper meal and bathing.

He set down his cane and picked up the panda, grunting at its weight. This is never going to work.

He was about to put the baby back when it suddenly began crawling over his shoulder and onto his back. Shifu struggled to get the panda off him, when suddenly, it clasped on to both of his ears, and Shifu was forced to grab his cane to balance himself.

Then he realized the accidental genius of the little panda. He could now walk, albeit slowly, with both hands on his cane.

Course, there was the steps…

Shifu sighed. One challenge at a time. He would worry about that when he got there.

And when Shifu did manage to get to the top of the stairs, a certain aged and wise turtle stood waiting. He took the small bundle of joy from Shifu's back and held him, tickling his belly.

"It looks like you have found a little lost soul." He looked down at Shifu, collapsed on the ground and panting heavily. "Yes, our little Po. Welcome home."

The massacre had made Mr. Ping realize how old he was. Which really wasn't all that old. But he was getting there, day by day. And he had dreams, many dreams, that he wanted to accomplish. The biggest of them all though, was to turn his Noodle shop into a father daughter noodle shop.

He had always wanted a daughter to help him out in the kitchen. Cleaning, cooking, organizing, collecting money and tips from tables. But he spent all his time and money on the noodle shop. He had no time for dating, or marrying, or kid making.

And so, here he was, doing something he never thought he would do. He was opening the shop late, so that he could pay a visit to the Ba Gu Orphanage.

As he walked up the steps, he saw parents walking down with little ducks and little pigs, and a family even had a young snake with them. He smiled at it all, growing more and more excited.

He reached the entrance and saw a goat walking away, leading someone in front of him.

"Uh, excuse me, I am looking to adopt here today."

The goat stopped in her tracks. Looking over her shoulder. "We only have one child left."

"Where? I don't see anyone but you. And I am definitely not adopting you. Much to old."

The goat glared at him. "She is right here." She stepped to the side. "This is tigress."

A very young tiger stood at the goats side, barely old enough to stand. She had vibrant orange fur, with white and black fur splashing designs across it.

"Is she all that is left?" Mr. Ping questioned softly, looking at the young tiger. "Are there truly no others?"

"None. This is her second time being left alone." She grabbed the small tigers paw, and began leading her away. Tigress hung her head, a tear dripping from her whisker.

Mr. Ping stared after the two, a strong mental battle erupting in his mind. Eventually, he came to a decision. "WAIT!" The goat turned, and the small tiger's ears perked up. "You never waited for me to decide. I came here looking for a daughter. Why are you leading her the wrong direction?"

A huge smile erupted across Tigress' face, and she ran/stumbled the goose, gripping him in a fierce hug.

"Come my little Tigress, let's take you home." The small tiger held his wing, purring loudly, leaving the orphanage behind.

When they got to the shop, a line had already gathered. He pushed through, ignoring the gasps from onlookers as he led his daughter to their new shop. He turned to the crowd as he walked through his archway, waving a cleaver he had pulled out of nowhere.

"I welcome you all to the newly named Goose and Tiger Noodle Shop. And if anyone, I mean anyone, says anything about it I find negative or insulting, I will make sure you never eat here again!" The small tiger at his side chuckled. He turned and looked down at her, smiling warmly. "Now, little Tigress, how would you like to learn to cook NOODLES!"