Kung Fu Panda 3 Movie Novelization

by Tracey West

  She switched back to her regular voice and batted her long eyelashes. “That’s sweet, Po. But please try to save all other compliments until after the performance.”

  “Me?” Po said, looking confused. “No, I didn’t say—”

  “Shh, shh, shut it,” Mei Mei hushed him. “After the performance.”

  From his seat, Mr. Ping rolled his eyes. “Has it started yet?”

  Mei Mei unfurled a ribbon from each hand and twirled them expertly. With a snap! she whipped a f lute into the hands of a nearby panda, and then a cymbal to another. They started playing, and she began to dance around the stage.

  Li elbowed Po. “Best ribbon dancer in the world. At least, that’s what she says.”

  Mei Mei’s eyes met Po’s as she danced. “Look away,” she said. “You can’t, can you?”

  Po turned back to Li. “Dad, why does she keep staring at me like that?”

  “Try to keep up,” Mei Mei said with a wink. She then wrapped Po in her ribbon, yanking him out of his seat.

  “Heh, I, uh, don’t really know how to dance,” Po said.

  “Of course you do! All pandas dance!” said Mei Mei. She reeled Po in closer and dipped him. “I know what you’re thinking.”

  “You do?”

  “How can one panda be so beautiful?”

  Po laughed nervously as Mei Mei whipped him in the other direction. Using her ribbons like puppet strings, she made Po grab some f lowers from offstage and give them to her.

  “For me?!” she said, puppeting Po again to kiss her hand.

  “Help me, Dads!” Po shouted to Li and Mr. Ping as Mei Mei twirled him past them.

  “Yeah, no. You’re on your own.” Li laughed as Mei Mei reeled him in again.

  “You’re doing great, son!” Mr. Ping shouted encouragingly.

  “Your turn!” Mei Mei said, handing Po a ribbon.

  But Po wasn’t the most graceful ribbon dancer—he yanked a cymbal out of the hands of the musician and hit himself in the face! Then his feet got tangled in the ribbon and he toppled over with a thud.

  Mei Mei used her ribbons to yank him back onto his feet before holding him above her head in a final pose. The crowd went wild—even Mr. Ping couldn’t help but cheer.

  As Mei Mei f lung Po back into his seat, Li leaned over to him. “Don’t worry, you’ll get the hang of it.”

  “I have so much to learn,” Po said. But as the pandas of the village surrounded him, the road ahead felt a little easier. After all, he had loads of good teachers to help him.

  CHAPTER 10

  Fear the Bug!

  While Po and Mr. Ping were in the Panda Village, Mantis and Crane continued their search for Kai and the jombies.

  Mantis rode on top of Crane’s hat as they soared over a desert stretching for miles in every direction.

  “Wings of Surveillance!” Crane called out, like it was a special kung fu move.

  “Why do you do that?” Mantis complained.

  “Do what?” Crane asked.

  “Just because you say ‘Wings of . . .’ before something doesn’t mean that you’re doing a special move. It’s like me saying, ‘Antenna of Power.’ Or ‘Thorax of Making Sandwiches.’ ”

  Crane looked up at his friend. “Wings of Disagreement.”

  “Whoa! There!” Mantis cried suddenly, pointing down below.

  Three kung fu masters were making their way across the desert: Master Bear, Master Croc, and Master Chicken. Crane swooped down toward them.

  “Cluck! Jade creatures attacked our villages! We’ve tracked them here,” Master Chicken said.

  “Stop!” Master Bear boomed.

  The group froze. They had arrived at an old, abandoned ship in the middle of the desert. A gaping hole opened up into the hull.

  “They must be in there,” Master Bear said.

  Crane frowned. He and Mantis were supposed to be on a scouting mission, not an attacking one. Kai was just too dangerous.

  “Master Shifu strongly advises—” Crane began, but Master Bear raised his giant battle-axes and ran toward the ship with a mighty cry.

  “Yaaaaaaaaargh!”

  Master Croc followed him.

  “Ooooh waaaaah!”

  “—not to engage,” Crane finished, but it was too late.

  “We’ve got to get in there,” Mantis urged him.

  “Master Shifu said—” Crane repeated.

  “You’re seriously afraid?” Mantis asked. “Even Master Chicken is going in. And he’s a chicken.”

  Master Chicken’s feathered tail disappeared through the hole in the ship as he followed his friends. Seconds later a bright green light f lashed. The screams of the three kung fu masters rang through the desert.

  “That’s it, I’m going in!” Mantis said, preparing to jump off Crane’s hat.

  Crane didn’t like this one bit. “Mantis! We have orders not to—”

  “They need our help,” Mantis interrupted him. “Come on, I’ll go high, you go low!”

  Mantis leaped up and entered the ship through a small crack in the wood. Crane sighed. It was one thing to leave the other masters behind. But Mantis was his friend.

  “Fear the bug!” Crane heard Mantis yell from inside the ship. “All right you little . . . uh-oh.”

  Crane didn’t hesitate. “Hold on, buddy. I’m coming!” he cried, f lying toward the ship. He could still hear Mantis.

  “Antenna of Power! Ah, it didn’t work!”

  A large crash came from inside the ship. Then another green light f lashed.

  “Mantis!” Crane yelled.

  He dove inside the ship and landed, his wings ready to deliver kung fu punishment to the first Jade Zombie he saw. He slowly crept into the darkness.

  “Mantis?” he called out softly. “Mantis?”

  The silence inside the ship was eerie. Crane felt the feathers on the back of his neck prickle. Slowly, he turned . . .

  . . . and found himself looking up at a big, green glowing yak warrior! Crane knew it must be Kai.

  Crane whistled a nervous tune and lowered his hat, but when he tried to walk away casually, Kai lunged. Crane f lew up over Kai’s head, delivering a kung fu kick to Kai as he moved.

  “Your chi is strong,” Kai remarked. “Just like your friend, the bug.”

  With a smug grin, he put a hand on his belt to show Crane the new amulets that dangled there—Master Bear, Master Croc, Master Chicken, and Mantis.

  “Mantis!” Crane cried.

  Kai took advantage of Crane’s moment of weakness. He jumped in the air and pushed his right hand forward, sending a wave of pure chi energy at Crane. The powerful force slammed him against a wall and left him gasping with shock.

  “Don’t worry, little birdie,” Kai said. “I’ll put your chi to good use—destroying the Jade Palace and everyone in it.”

  “No!” Crane yelled. He grabbed the nearest object—a wooden keg—and hurled it at Kai. Then he soared up, crashing through the deck of the boat.

  Kai launched his chain blades at Crane. They wrapped around Crane’s feet and wings.

  “Wings of . . . Regret!” Crane said.

  Kai yanked Crane back into the boat. Kai’s eyes glowed green with chi—but also with greed.

  CHAPTER 11

  Panda Training

  Po had no idea the danger that his friends were in. But he knew he had one main purpose in the Panda Village—to learn how to harness his panda nature so he could become a Master of Chi.

  Po jumped out of bed bright and early the next morning and went over to the little f lowerpot in his hut. Inside it was a little wilted f lower.

  “Oh yeah. First day of panda training. All right, f lower, I’m gonna make you bloom!” he cried.

  He ran outside and across a bridge to Li’s hut. His father was still sleeping, snoring peacefully in a big, comfy bed.

  “Dad,” Po said, but Li didn’t stir. “Dad!”

  Li sat up, startled.

  “What? What
is it?”

  “I’m ready for my first day of panda training!” Po announced. He was practically bouncing off the walls with energy.

  “Well, pandas sleep past noon,” Li grumbled. “So lesson number one is . . . go back to bed!”

  Po headed back to his hut, shaking his head. “Of course,” he scolded himself.

  Po f luffed up his pillow and straightened his blanket. “Nobody said this was going to be easy.”

  Then he climbed into bed—and fell asleep instantly.

  Before Po knew it, Li burst into his hut. Po shot upright.

  “Did I oversleep?” he asked.

  “You sure did!” Li replied proudly.

  “Yes!” Po cheered.

  Li brought Po into the village, where a bunch of young pandas were lined up, eager to help Po.

  Some of the pandas started passing a little puck with feathers called a jianzi back and forth, kicking it or batting it away. The jianzi f lew toward Po and he joined in.

  Bao did a bunch of cool moves, egging Po on. “Can you do this? Can you do that?” he said, kicking it forward and under the knee.

  Finally Bao kicked the jianzi to Po. He caught it with his foot and kicked it high in the air. It soared across the field, up to the top of the hill. Po could see Grandma Panda standing there.

  “Uh-oh, Grandma Panda, heads up!” Po yelled.

  “Hello!” she called. Then, “D’oh!” The jianzi nailed her on the head, knocking her down.

  “We better roll,” Li said, and they all quickly rolled off.

  Po was grateful that it was time for rolling practice. He, Li, and the young pandas lined up on top of the hill when Po spotted Mr. Ping halfway down, holding a big bowl of noodles.

  “Po, lunchtime!” he called up to his son.

  Po had already started rolling down the hill with the other pandas.

  “Ah!” cried Mr. Ping as he darted between the rolling pandas.

  Po continued to hurl himself down the hill, once again hitting every rock and tree in his path. When he reached the bottom, he crashed on top of Li.

  Li shook his head. “You gotta let the hill tell you where to roll.”

  “Rookie mistake,” Po said as he started to walk back up the hill.

  Li stopped Po before he went any farther. Then he walked over to Dim and Sum, who were standing next to two bamboo trees with a hammock hung between them.

  “Dim, Sum, let’s show him how we go uphill,” Li instructed.

  Dim and Sum backed up into the hammock, and then Li pulled back on the trees and released.

  Boing! The hammock launched them into the air! They f lew all the way up the hill and landed in the grass.

  “Whoooooooo!” they cheered as they f lew.

  Po watched them admiringly. “It’s beautiful.”

  Po ran to the catapult and copied what his cousins had done. He went f lying up the hill, over Mr. Ping’s head.

  Still trying to entice Po, Mr. Ping had whipped up some crispy tofu for a snack.

  “Snack time!” he called out cheerfully. Then he noticed Po, airborne above him.

  “I may never walk again!” Po crowed.

  “That’s what I’m afraid of!” said Mr. Ping.

  Po crashed into his cousins, who had landed perfectly, as they were splayed out in lounge chairs on top of the hill. Mr. Ping winced. He shook his head as Po rolled down another hill.

  “Just let yourself fall into it,” Li instructed Po, who was back at the top of the hill again.

  Po took a deep breath and tried to relax as best as he could. Then he closed his eyes and tried to roll . . . but instead he fell backward, headfirst into a rock! And then another . . . and another.

  Eventually he rolled right into Mei Mei, who was practicing her ribbon dancing. The two ended up tangled together in the ribbons.

  “Subtle, Po,” Mei Mei said, locking eyes with him. “Very subtle.”

  Po blushed.

  “Let me get some of that,” said Big Fun, who ran over and picked both of them up in a huge hug.

  Once he managed to free himself, Po catapulted himself back uphill to try again.

  This time as Po rolled, he picked up speed and snow, turning into a panda snowball. But Po couldn’t see where he was going!

  “What are you guys looking at?” one of the pandas asked as he walked past Li and the others at the bottom of the hill, a chair and umbrella in hand.

  BOOM! Po collided with him. Snow exploded everywhere and Po went f lying into the nearby hot spring.

  “Yaaaa hoooooo!” Po shouted, landing perfectly in the pool chair. The umbrella opened right above him.

  Li laughed, beaming a proud smile. “That’s how we roll! Cannonball!” he cried, jumping into the spring.

  The other pandas cheered and followed him into the water—even Grandma Panda on her bamboo raft!

  Meanwhile, Mr. Ping was sad as he returned to the village cooking hut. He had been working so hard, making all of Po’s favorite dishes, but Po wasn’t even interested! Po never said no to his dumplings. Never!

  Ever since Li had come to the Valley of Peace, Mr. Ping had worried that he would lose Po. Now it looked like that might happen. Mr. Ping would be left all alone. No more Po. No more cuddly panda son.

  When he entered the hut, his eyes grew wide. He had prepared a whole feast for Po—radish noodles, tofu noodles, scallion noodles—and the table was crawling with pandas! Bao, Lei Lei, and the baby pandas were eating everything in sight.

  “What are you doing here?” Mr. Ping asked. “That food is for Po!”

  He rushed around the hut, trying to shoo away the baby pandas. One was shoveling dumplings into his mouth from a big bowl. Another was reaching a curious hand toward the cooking fire, and Mr. Ping scooped him up under a wing and whisked him away.

  Bao tossed a baby panda into a pot. “Throw it in!” he cried.

  “Get out of there! No!” Mr. Ping shouted.

  Then he noticed a bowl of noodles rapidly disappearing. His leg got wrapped around the long noodle from the bowl. It dragged him all around the hut, winding around all the baby pandas.

  “Ah, my noodles! Leave my noodles alone!”

  He finally managed to grab the noodle and stop it. With another hand he grabbed his hat. He didn’t realize that it was inside a baby panda’s mouth.

  “No, no, no, not for you!” Mr. Ping scolded.

  The panda opened his mouth and the hat shot out, slamming into Mr. Ping. He went f lying across the hut—and landed next to Bao, who was slurping up the long noodle.

  “We love noodles!” said Bao.

  Mr. Ping gasped. “Just like my Po!”

  Suddenly he softened. He saw all the young pandas in a new light. Maybe he would lose Po, and maybe he wouldn’t. But right now, he had lots of baby pandas to feed. Just like the old days, but with more pandas!

  Oh, what the heck? Mr. Ping thought as he put out more food.

  All the little pandas started munching away, and Mr. Ping smiled for the first time in days.

  CHAPTER 12

  Is This My Mom?

  That night Po and Li sat on the porch of Li’s hut, looking out at the village below them. Po gave a deep, contented sigh.

  “How was that?” he asked Li, because sighing contentedly was another panda skill he needed to perfect.

  Li held up a finger and then took a deep breath, letting out an even bigger, deeper, more contented sigh than Po’s.

  Po was impressed. “Whoa!”

  “Now, you try again,” said Li. “But don’t try so hard.”

  Po nodded and tried again, finally getting it. It wasn’t about how much air you took in or let out. It was about how you felt when you did it.

  One more time, he sighed. This one was almost as deep and contented as Li’s had been.

  “Much better,” Li said.

  Po pumped his fist victoriously. “Yes! Thanks, Dad.”

  “For what?” Li asked.

  “You know,” s
aid Po. “For showing me what it feels like . . . to be a panda. So when do you think I’ll be ready to master chi?”

  “Soon. Real soon. Come on,” Li said. He started to stand up. “I want to show you something else.”

  Po followed Li inside his hut. The f loor was strewn with dirty clothes.

  “Sorry about the mess,” Li apologized. “I don’t usually get visitors.”

  They stepped around the clothes until they reached the front of a small shrine on the far wall. In the center of the shrine was a picture surrounded by lit candles and f lowers—a picture of baby Po in the arms of a female panda.

  “Is this my mom?” Po asked.

  “I had this done on your one hundredth day,” Li told him, picking up the picture. “Your momma couldn’t hold you still. You nearly ate the paper. It’s true.”

  Po saw that a corner of the sketch had actually been nibbled on.

  “What was she like?” Po asked.

  “She was the total package,” Li responded, with a far-off look in his eyes. “Smart. Beautiful. Tremendous appetite. She was the love of my life. And then, just when I thought I couldn’t get any luckier, along you came.”

  He glanced over at Po and smiled.

  “I really had it all,” he said. Then his face clouded. “Until that one moment when I lost everything. . . .” His voice trailed off.

  Even though Po had been just a baby at the time, he remembered that moment. He dreamed about it, sometimes. The evil Lord Shen had sent his army of wolves to attack Po’s peaceful farming village, far from the safety of the secret village. Li stayed to fight, and told Po’s mother to take Po to safety. She ran and hid Po in a crate of vegetables. Po was found and adopted by Mr. Ping, and his mother . . . his mother was lost forever.

  Li’s hand trembled as he carefully placed the picture back on the altar. Po saw how heartbroken his father was, and his own heart broke for Li.

  Po stepped closer to his father and put a hand on his shoulder.

  “Dad. You don’t ever have to worry about losing me again,” Po promised. He pulled his father into a hug. Li wrapped his arms around Po, squeezing him as tightly as he could.

  Suddenly Big Fun ran into Li’s hut. “Let me get some of that,” he said, picking both of them up into a gigantic hug.