Prologue: Tether

AN: A rewrite of my old KFP fanfic from my old abandoned dA account. Kung Fu Panda belongs to Dreamworks. Some elements in this story are inspired by the Fatal Frame series, owned by Tecmo.

The Valley of Peace was certainly deserving of the moniker. Though the village had seen its fair share of murderous madmen, destructive dictators, and chaos unimaginable, nightfall brought with it a sort of unannounced truce. Soon enough, the sun would rise, and with it some new threat to the serenity. Maybe another shamed warrior desperate for violent validation, or perhaps some arrogant king seeking reparations for a misperceived slight. Whatever the daylight would expose would be dealt with in due time. For the moment, destiny was content to let the town be, awash in the gentle moonlight.

Lovely sight. Shame the overlooking palace was soaked in oblivious evil.

Koh Rin averted her eyes from the manor atop the hill, choosing instead to look down upon the village. As much as she would prefer to announce her presence at the Jade Palace and find shelter there, the rules of her profession were very clear: present yourself only when summoned. As far as she could tell, the inhabitants were not yet even aware of the beastly history laid to rest just beneath their feet. She'd have to take her chances and seek lodging in the town.

Not that she didn't think they would be tolerant. Their valley had been founded by another foreigner after all.

A gentle breeze carried the scent of peach blossoms past. Ah. Speak of the devil.

Koh Rin hefted her pack up over one wing. "I don't suppose you know a place to stay?"

A little petal drifted past, swirling and dipping across the ground long after it should have come to rest amongst the grass. Koh Rin nodded. "Alright. I trust you."

Strange to so willingly put faith into a being manifesting as something inanimate. If it wasn't for the severity of the situation, Koh Rin may not have done so.

But the palace had to be cleansed.


The situation has shifted.

Below the floorboards of the barracks, a small figure stirred. Milky white eyes, no longer seeing so much as sensing, fluttered open as she sat up. She yawned, scurrying over to the nearest external wall. She peeked her head out past the stones, and placed a hand on the dirt. Cool. She glanced up at the moon, noticing its shift from her last check.

"A few weeks then. Hm. Good nap."

She turned around, scaling the nearest beam to come up out of the barracks floor. She looked around cautiously, satisfied to see she had come up in the tiger's room, and it was still very much occupied. She ducked back down, ecstatic.

"Tigress didn't die while I was sleeping. That's good."

A quiet hissing noise from a distance startled her out of her celebration. She growled, poking through the wall facing the Hall of Warriors. Unafraid of waking the sleeping inhabitants, she yelled as loud as possible. "Shut the hell up you big infants! Honestly, if that cannon didn't kill her on the spot it wouldn't kill her now! Besides, that nurse of their's could heal a decapitation. That tiger is as good as immortal."

She drew back inside, chuckling. "Idiots."

Then she blinked. "How in the hell did I hear them all the way from-"

The hiss came again. From right outside the barracks.

"Oh."

Again. Right behind her.

"You aren't supposed to leave-"