*Continuation from the series finale*

As they race on towards the desert clearing, Puss and Dulcinea continue their adventure with the memories of their shared past that created the momentum for making a better future not just as being better heroes, but to also bring them closer together as they head towards their next journey.

Journey 1: With a Past Comes A New Beginning

Chapter 1: The Roads After

The bright light from the moon hovers as both Puss and Dulcinea rest after a mindless, but timeless gallop through the sandy lands that surrounded the Thieves Market and San Lorenzo. Their first peaceful night without the perilous of evil. The moon's light shines the trees and the lush land of green. The breeze blows through the night in which made the bed of grass dance, swaying over and over. The stars decorate the sky above while Puss lies to see just how beautiful the world can be when the eerie sensation of darkness evanesced. Yet it does not cover from the past that he has gone through. A past so convoluting, yet a past that forever changed him. To Puss, the world only brightens for him by the one that came, the Chosen One, who was with him, helped him, taught him, and see him change and understand the values of a true hero, Dulcinea.

"It's beautiful. Don't you think?" Dulcinea nears Puss while he gathers himself.

"Yes Dulcinea, it is."

The chilling wind gathered and strengthened. Puss gets up to start a fire. Dulcinea realizes the downcast look on his face and goes to him.

"What are you thinking about Puss?". Puss sighs then turn to her.

"I have been wondering about something ever since you in a way, returned," Puss says. He turns back to light the fire.

"What is it?"

"How did you come back?" His thought grows. "I saw you within the crowds of all the San Lorenzans. I saw you disappear. As much as I am very happy to see you again and trust me, I really am. I am also confused." Puss sits down to wait for a response while Dulcinea knows he needs to understand what Sino told her. She takes a small breath. "Don't you remember? I have a destiny. I'm still not sure what he meant, but he knows one thing, that I have not fulfilled that destiny yet." Dulcinea sits next to him as the fire starts to shrink. Puss makes a puzzling look. Destiny? He asked himself. Then he remembers.

Destiny

What destiny?

Before he can think more of it, Dulcinea continued.

"Sino told me something else, Puss."

The statement catches Puss's attention.

"Sino spoke of something? What did he say?" Dulcinea can see in Puss's eye that he is full of wonder and thoughts of the knowledge is already overwhelming that she had second thoughts to giving him Sino's explanation.

"I think we should rest Puss. We've both gone through a lot and we should you know, enjoy this peaceful night while it lasts? Don't you think?" Dulcinea and Puss traded looks as he smiled. The wind picks up as he turns back on the grassy flatland.

"I do not ever fully understand the love that many others possess. I am a lover, but I always believed that I am meant to be alone. But you proved it wrong."

A slight pause, Puss then continues "No matter, All I care now is that you are here. But I just wished everything did not turn out like this. I miss them. All of them, the orphans, Pajuna's leche, Artephius, Senora Zapata" Puss stopped, forgetting something, or someone. Then hits him.

"Eames was it?"

"Yes, it was Eames Puss, but there was nothing you could've done. The world would not exist if you haven't made that sacrifice," She replied.

"I know...it is just hard thinking about how much I miss them."

"Oh, Puss..." Dulcinea embraces him.

"I miss them too."

The fire dies out.

Sounds of birds echoes as morning nears. Then footsteps of dried leaves wake Puss

"Is someone there?"

The tense foggy forest only deepens the feeling of danger, he goes to Dulcinea still sleeping. "Dulcinea, wake up"

"We're not alone."

Within the midst of the forest appeared a black cat. Old and hurt, one that Puss and Dulcinea will never forget to see as the cat stumbles to stay up.

"El Guante Blanco?!" Puss, as surprised as he is shocked to see his injuries. El Guante fell as Puss catches him.

"Maestro!" Dulcinea helps with Puss carrying El Guante.

"Ugh, Ginger..." He struggles to speak. "We are not safe here ginger." Puss and Dulcinea help him settle down.

"What do you mean Maestro? Who did this to you?" The look of his mentor angers him. He knows that he is strong, but something that can hurt his mentor is baffling to Puss.

He vows for revenge upon his mentor.

The one who helped him in his darkest times.

"No ginger, we need to go now before... "

"We get to you?" A voice echoes behind Puss. Puss turns around to see three human silhouettes. He readies his sword.

Dulcinea helps El Guante rest. "A lovely damsel with Puss?" El Guante grunts. "My ginger is full of surprises." he coughs. "You're going to be okay Maestro," Dulcinea said as she helps El Guante sat up, she gives him his hat. "I will be fine."

The appearance of the men looked way too familiar to Puss, only with a small insignia on their shoulders but he didn't waste looking at them. "Bandits, hah! This one I can handle! You are about to face the wrath of Puss in Boots! No one injures my Maestro. They will see themselves at the wrong end of my sword!" Puss prepares himself.

"Ginger! Be careful! They are not typical bandits." El Guante's warning seemed to only pass Puss as he strikes on them. A timed hit from the bandits injures Puss and he pushed back to Dulcinea and El Guante.

"Ow!"

"Please, giving an introduction in a fight. Surely, a fighter like you should know better." Puss is impressed by their choice of words. Yet, he is blinded by their origins that El Guante knows and Puss doesn't.

"For bandits, you seem to be educated. But educated or not, I will make sure you all will be defeated here. This I swear!" Puss regains his feet and stepped forward.

"Owh, you!" El Guante catches Dulcinea's attention. "Tell ginger these bandits are not bandits! They are Mercenaries! They work for El Temido!" Dulcinea looks on to Puss, still fighting.

"Puss!" Dulcinea shouted.

"Not now Dulcinea, I am busy teaching these bandits?"

"Maestro said they work for El Temido!" Puss freezes,

POW!

One punch from one of the mercenaries pushes Puss back again. He gets up, aware.

El Temido. . .

Puss realizes the level of threat he is in. Now he knows why he stumbled to the Thieves Market. He was running away. He gets serious.

"So, El Temido still is not giving up for my head?" Puss softly speaks.

The mercenaries close in "The precio is high my friend. We hunt for the White Glove. But you, to see the most wanted in his list be here, with that cat. He will be more than proud of us." The wind picks up. "Only if you can defeat me!" Puss and the mercenaries face off with the sounds of their swords clash scaring the birds off the high trees.

Clang

Clang

Swish

Bang

Puss strikes left, knocking one of them and keeping him down as he stands on him"

"But of course, but without a proper introduction my friend, I still see you as just another bandit"

"Oh? Where are my manners? Just call me Tuez, and trust me, you won't live to say it. You are as weak as those villagers we pillaged just looking for your old cat friend there. We will go far to get what El Temido wants and ours. One cat won't stand against us"

Bang

Tuez's other accomplice gets knocked down, El Guante looks on in awe. "I did not see that coming," he says to himself.

"Then how about two?" Dulcinea spoke as she stands on a fighting stance. Two cats, two unconscious mercenaries, Tuez tries dodging but gets hit as both Puss and Dulcinea land a punch in both sides of Tuez. He gets back up and drags his two friends with him away. Puss retrieves his sword from the fight and points it towards Tuez who struggles away. He says one final speech to Puss.

"You have gotten lucky El Gato, but next time will be a different story. If I were you, I'd keep running away like you always are. Cat in Shoes."

No.

I will never.

Never again.

The mercenaries disappear as Puss and Dulcinea go to El Guante, still struggling from his injuries.

"Maestro. . ." Puss sees him weakening as he helplessly thinks. "What to do, what to do, what to do. . ."

Dulcinea thought about what Tuez said. "We should go to the village they raided. It can't be that far." Puss agrees to the plan, but he wants to know more. During his time in San Lorenzo, his mentor wanted to retire. But maybe he might be hiding more than just for him to hide. Puss whistles to call Babieca. A white horse who has been with Puss for as long as they traveled together. Puss and Dulcinea help to put El Guante in the back and they hop on to leave for the village.

El Guante clears his throat. "Puss, you still have not introduced me to your beautiful lady here." Dulcinea giggled.

I forgot I went back. I would have been talking nonsense if I talked about our adventures.

"Oh uh, yes maestro. This is Dulcinea, she is my uh." Puss wonders if he should share their level of relationship with his Maestro.

"Really?"

"Heh, you do not have to rub it into me ginger" El Guante laughed, then coughed.

"That is not important right now Maestro, what happened?" Puss says as El Guante looks at Puss, blank. Puss has never seen his mentor hurt. It is hard to bear for him, and it is no different to Dulcinea. The one who she read amazing adventures with them, here. She remembers him from back then. Their adventures, it felt like yesterday, they were off to find a way to make Maestro young again. Now he doesn't know much as like how they first met. But now, it took a turn for the worst.

"Ginger, and your niña, I thank you for your help. I do not know if I could survive after that, but please ginger. Por el bien de mi estudiante stay out of this one." Puss knows his Maestro cannot handle another blow. His gut tells him to not ignore this, as much more than how important he is in his life. His knowledge exceeds himself and Puss knows that.

"What do you mean your student?" Dulcinea spoke as her concern grows.

They all paused as they see a thick cloud of smoke in the distance. Puss and Dulcinea's heart sank as burning houses and farms spreads with thick smoke filling the atmosphere. "What happened to the villagers?"

"I have told them to hide. They traveled west while I led the mercenaries east, where I stumbled upon you two. They are merciless, and this is all my fault! This frail body cannot handle this anymore and now I have made everything wrong!" El Guante panics. Dulcinea hugs him to calm him down "It's okay El Guante, we all make wrong choices sometimes."

Puss looks around the remains of the town. It is something he can never unsee.

"Maestro, you should be proud that you have led everyone to safety, we need to find them and see if they are alright." El Guante smiles "Ginger, you make me proud to be your maestro. It already feels good to be alive, Hah!" El Guante jumps down Babieca and cracks his fall. "Ow, maybe too soon?"

"Are you going to be okay here El Guante?" Dulcinea said

"I will rest for a bit here. I will only slow you down" he points at the two broken wood barrels. To Puss, it reminded him of the mayor.

"On we go Babieca!"

Hills and trees surround the west path the villagers have took to escape danger, but Dulcinea has a sinking feeling of the unusual distance they took to seek refuge. "Puss, don't you think they would have stopped by now if they are just running?" Puss wonders. "No, something is not right, I can smell it" Dulcinea got confused.

"You can smell it?"

Puss sniffs and smells something he hasn't smelled for a long time.

"Paella! It smells good!" Puss shouted. "There Babieca! That must be where the villagers are at." He points at a small cave in between two tall trees, a small puff of smoke can be seen.

As Babieca gallops his way to the cave, Dulcinea notices a thief overlooking above the rocks of the cave. "Puss Stop!" Babieca made a sudden stop, throwing Puss and Dulcinea off.

Both groaned. Puss gets up "What is it, Dulcinea? Owh."

"There is a bandit up there Puss and if he sees us, he will warn his friends and we'll get those villagers into more trouble. These bandits must've gotten the hand on them while they were running away" Puss navigates the area. "You are right Dulcinea, hmm"

"Puss, what do you have in mind?" Dulcinea watches one of the bandits while he eats paella.

"Dulcinea, I will create a distraction and lead them away from the villagers. You can get them to safety while I take care of the rest, got it?"

Dulcinea nods her head.

Puss traveled to the right overlooking the cave where the bandits are compiled.

"I wish Maestro would see me to the flying through the air move. I know this will succeed." Puss jumps and spins to a bandit on his face, losing his balance and falling. The bandits' notices. Dulcinea rushes in to help the villagers. "Hello?"

A woman draws near her. "Please help us. Our village is burned down."

"Then come with me, quietly"

A child goes to Dulcinea. "Kitty!" sits down and babbles. Dulcinea smiles.

As she leads the villagers, an elderly woman grabs her hand. "Oh yes?"

"You. . . you are more than you are, aren't you dear?"

"What do you mean?" A surge of nervousness takes over her. Another villager takes the elders hand off of Dulcinea. "Miss, we should do this later," he says.

"It's Puss in the Boots." one of the bandits spoke out, giving attention of the villagers and bandits.

"I am Puss in- wait, you know me already?" Puss even with a small shock is astounded to hear. "My reputation precedes me. Yes! I am Puss in Boots! I demand you-" A bandit suddenly lunges to him. Puss jumps back to safety.

"He is worth a fortune! Much more to El Temido." Puss stands back.

"If you are going to get me for his reward. It will not be easy." He jumps from tree to tree, while dodging the throws of their weapons. "Get him down!"

Puss leaps to a bandit and strikes him.

Four more.

He jumps up to avoid a slash, then ducks down and gets through the legs of a bandit and struck his lower body. He cried in pain with bruises while Puss strikes the last two with both his sword due to his height. All the thieves staggered and ran away.

"It feels just like old times. Right my muscles? They can't handle the power of Puss in Boots!" He hurries back to join the others.

Back at the village, he sees the villagers already working with the fires. He sees Dulcinea helping a group of kids as the villagers' help repair their school. The cheer and laughter of them gave flashbacks to Puss, his most trusted squad he could ever wish for. But in himself, he knows there is always room for more. He goes to meet them.

"Hello, my fellow friends!" Puss cries out as a young girl and her pig hides behind Dulcinea. An older skinny male slowly walked back. Two in the very back playing tag ran on to Puss without seemingly knowing he is there. One had a scar through his right forehead. Then ran around him in circles, cheering. "Uuuuh Okay?".

"Hey Puss, how did it go?" Dulcinea walked closer to Puss and hugged him, the young girl looked, confused. "They couldn't handle the awesome power that is me."

"Awesome power?" One of the twins spoke.

Puss starts bragging. "Yes, the power of three cows! I scared them like it was nothing!"

The young kids wowed as Puss continued to press on with his amazing adventures.

"Puss?" the adults of the small community gathered to him. "Thank you so much for helping us from the thieves, I am Imelda. Mother Rosy seeks you both. She has something to say." Puss and Dulcinea looked puzzled.

"Sure, where is she?"

"Down by the riverbed sweet felines. Once again, thank you!"

They made their way to Mother Rosy, she wore a red coat, hunched back, and carried hundreds of jewelry on her arm. She now had a gold staff to help her balance.

"Dulcinea" Mother Rosy spoke, a certain glow in her accent makes her different than her fellow villagers, a little raspy on the edge to them, but just enough to fully understand her wording. "I sense you carry great power. My staff also wonders about your origins."

"Yes, uh Mother Rosy" she replied, "I am a tulpa, the third tulpa created from the lifeform of the Great Mage Sino," Dulcinea spoke with a hint of proud as respect to her maker.

"Understood Dulcinea, and you Puss-" He interrupts. "Is a great hero!" he glances his hands and feet with an unbearable smile. Dulcinea facepalmed. "Uh, yes. But I called you here to heed you a message." Puss is filled with wonder. "What is the message?"

"A dark force has summoned upon your return here in this world. You may be back to your past Puss, but this force has existed since the timeline of the present." Puss, shocked by the fact, questions the authority of Mother Rosy.

"But that is impossible, the past never changes, and only until where Sino has left me is where everything was at a standstill" Puss replies.

"Sino had another option that he put in mind while he was there to correct his mistake."

Puss is surprised. "Wait, what?"

"The collision between worlds is a sole clue to what lies ahead of your quest Puss, Sino has brought you here not only to save the world but to fulfill the question you kept asking yourself" Puss giving a hard thought to what Mother Rosy stated.

The question I keep asking myself?

"The power you contain cannot be balanced with others. It locks in a hold of mishaps and destruction. It kept you from understanding your own self.' She continues "This is why I asked Dulcinea her birthplace Puss, because if I were to ask you where you came from, could you answer?" Puss's mind goes numb. Dulcinea looks to Puss with a worrisome feel.

"That is true, I do not know where I came from." Puss sadly complies.

"Then continue on your journey, the road that lies ahead will not be a smooth one for you two, but with the knowledge intertwined with your action, only then can you really succeed."

Puss and Dulcinea return to find El Guante, not in the barrels.

"Where did Maestro go?" Puss said as Dulcinea picks up a torn paper. The handwriting was not a good shape to a point of a recognizable level, but Puss can understand it.

"I am sorry ginger, I cannot let another one of my students fall for this. You are just as important as much as the one in trouble. El Temido wants me and only me, for the sake of him, adios ginger." Puss is shocked. "Maestro, what have you gotten yourself into."

"We need to get to Maestro; his life is in danger!" Puss and Dulcinea run to Babieca to follow the trail of El Guante's horse. "We go! For El Guante Blanco!"