At sundown, Mantis was settled on the feline's shoulder as they trekked through the bamboo forest silently. The given length of the journey didn't feel far, but when it came to the moment that he somehow ran out of topics to discuss his views on, the world around him was almost a standstill if it wasn't for his inner thoughts. Tigress has told him little about the where's, but no valuble information on the who's, what's and the why's.

Who's in trouble? Who is involved?

Why are we the only two going? Why aren't the others here with us?

What if something happens to us while we're here and we're short of people?

...

What is going on?

"Tigress?"

"Yes?"

"Where are we going? Saying 'out of the valley' isn't telling me anything about what threat we are up against here, ya know?" Tigress merely glanced at him, before looking straight ahead, continuing to walk. Mantis asked again, sounding more annoyed, but sensing that Tigress would snap through her tensing muscles, told him to sit tight and see for himself, he sighed softly, and looked behind him, where the Valley of Peace was shrinking away from his sight.

They made it. They were... home?

Not the Valley of course, but his hometown, before he went to the Valley as a doctor, and soon enough, Master Mantis from the Furious Five.

Memories came flooding through him as they moved past familiar places; like Mr Ding's house, where he spent his days listening to that (now) old man's days in the war, just after he returned, Mrs Yu's bakery, where his mother sent him to fetch the bread once a week, and community school... where he and Kǎi wén spent their days dreaming for something more adventurous, messing around at the back of the classroom, and getting into trouble over little things.

"Kǎi wén..." he whispered softly, before straightening up. "Hey, Tigress... is this mission immediate?"

Tigress stopped in the middle of the market center, where many people recognized and made their way over to welcome them. "No..." she spoke slowly, before a child grabbed hold of her paw, chattering crazily for attention. "Why ask?"

"I... I gotta do something... it's important."

"Alone?"

"No... I'd like to show you something." With a soft nod, they excused themselves from the crowd, asking to be alone. Once the wish was granted and the villagers dispersed, Mantis leapt off Tigress' shoulder, the ground hard under his feet when he landed. It was was leveled, and after being perched on Tigress' shoulder for so long, which moved as her arms swung back and forth while she walked, the ground was suddenly so still his nearly fell off. Once he steadied himself, he motioned her to follow. She did, and they walked between two houses, and followed a cobble stone path into a small patch of bamboo trees, and local flowers. Tigress moved along in silence, unsure where they were going, yet putting her complete trust into Mantis, and his choice to show her what he desired her to see...

Some time later, they reached an area absent of villagers beside a pond, on the east side of the Village. It was fenced off, with candles, pots, fruit, and gold coins loitering around a few pebbles. Tigress didn't have to second guess where they were.

They were at a graveyard.

Many of the graves with simple, but some were poised and spoke with high authority with their height, symbols, and presence. Plots were even bought to secure a resting place for families, or just single ones for the mothers, fathers, partners, and even children that were lost. There were places in the graveyard sectioned off for age groups, genders, wealth, and the family plots. Tigress just shook her head at the thought of the different social classes in society and the subject of death. It makes no difference who you are; everyone is going to be under the same dirt, whether your wealthy or poor. Some stone that states your name should only show mourners where you were, not how financially stable you were.

"Over there," Mantis crawled over to a sectioned wall, away from the other clumps of tombstones. Upon the wall, there were pictures of people, staring at Tigress as she neared Mantis, watching everywhere she was going, like they were making sure she would do anything indiscriminate, or something that was out of her normal character. One that she kept staring at was one that Mantis placed a pincer against, smiling weakly as he bowed his head, so it was touching off the picture. Tigress' brows began to knit together, and knelt down, taking in the details of the person in the painting; a prey mantis, just Mantis, but a darker shade, darker eyes... and darker demeanor was pressed upon him.

" Kǎi wén." Tigress whispered, balancing herself by gently imprinting her fist into the ground she was on.

"Yep..." Mantis' pincer patted against the picture. "Good to see him again..." lifting his head, his facade hidden away from Tigress' view, he added. "It's been a while buddy... a long time til I came to see you... forgive me." Tigress looked around, and spotted a clump of white flowers growing against the wall. There weren't any graves situated against the wall, so she figured it they were wild. Standing up slowly, she swiftly moved towards the flowers, with Mantis still by the grave, not moving his head. He sensed her movement, but his eyes didn't move off the spot on the ground he had them fixed on.

Tigress bent down and gently removed the flowers from the ground, and retraced her steps. Once she was in the same position she was before seeing the flowers, she placed them down. Only then, Mantis looked up at them, as Tigress' paw pulled itself away from the stems. "They're really pretty..." he spent more time studying them. "Are they-"

"White chrysanthemums," she finished his sentence with a smile. "I always thought they were beautiful flowers, next to the blossoms that grow on the tree back home in the palace..."

"Yeah, same here..." Mantis proceeded to pass some of the time by pushing the flowers closer to the stone, until it was lightly pressing against it. Brushing out the petals gently, he added softly. "Kǎi wén was never one to care for flowers... unless he was getting it for a girl, or someone who gave him one meant well... only he accepted them as a deep and meaningful token to get from or give to someone..." Standing up, Mantis backed away, his gaze stuck on the tombstone. "Now... I think we should get going..."

"Why so soon?" Tigress gently moved Mantis back towards Kǎi wén's grave. "I said the mission isn't immediate. I feel you need to stay a little longer."

Mantis shook his head as he backed away from the tombstone. "No... I-"

"Like you said yourself," Tigress spoke more sincerely. "It's been a while since you last came to see him..." and with that, Tigress brought her paw up against his back, and physically urged him forward. "Mantis... you need this. Take your time." Mantis turned, glancing up at her. "Go on... I'll give you time alone." Tigress stood up, and walked away with a gentle sweep of her tail, telling him to meet her in the community centre. Mantis wanted to argue, but instead, watched her leave, and once she was out of sight, he turned back to face the grave. It took a moment or two, before he found his head against the cold stone, tears spilling out of his eyes in sequences. The good memories came flooding in first, thus a tear swept out of his right eye. Then... came the news he never wanted to hear so soon... out came a tear from his left eye. Soon, the feeling of helplessness overcame him, and both eyes released.

Little did he know, Tigress lean out from behind the wall, feeling her hear tug at the sight of his inner suffering.