Hey guys, DemonBlade1410 back with another chapter to this story. I really have way too much free time. So yeah, do give more requests on what you wanna see because I can't be doing all the thinking now can I? Nuff said, read on.
Tigress arrived at the peach tree hill, the small tree overlooking the valley. She picked a peach of one of its low-hanging branches. She normally didn't have midnight snacks, but she felt compelled to do so. She sank her razor sharp fangs into the peach, feeling its skin break under her teeth, the sweet juices tumbling into her mouth. She smiled at the taste.
Finishing the peach, she sat down, placing the small crystal block in her lap. She gazed at it again, the white lily shining out at her from inside the clear crystal. She ran her finger over the engraved word at the bottom.
Taiki.
Her thoughts once again fell to the white Bengal tiger. He was the same color and species as the boy from the Kiatvichian Dojo, and counting the years, he was the correct age. His name was also exactly the same, and how many people had the name Taiki anyway? There were too many similarities for it to just be a coincidence.
'Couldn't sleep?' Tigress almost jumped, but she kept herself composed. She turned to see Taiki standing there, leaning against the tree.
'Speak of the devil' she thought, hugging the crystal to her stomach. Taiki's eyes travelled down to the small peach seed lying on the ground next to her.
'Or were you looking for a midnight snack?' He chuckled, and Tigress picked up the seed. She gently dug a small hole in the ground with her claws, placing the seed in and covering it gently with earth. She heard a plop and looked up; Taiki had dropped down beside her. He sighed wearily, looking years older then he really was.
'When did you become an old man?' She giggled, and Taiki stuck out his tongue. She giggled again. He was just like a kid! His face changed back to serious.
'The stars, they're beautiful tonight.' He said, gazing up at the sky. Tigress looked at him. He seemed so…at peace. And yet, something seemed to be troubling him. Her eyes travelled lower. His bare torso was riddled with scars, some more obvious than others. She ran a hand over the biggest one, a long white line leading from his right shoulder down to his waist. It was perfectly even, rising only slightly out from his skin, so if the line of missing fur wasn't so obvious it could easily have gone unnoticed. His shoulders had obvious signs of stabbing, and his back seemed to have had been sliced through multiple times.
'How much has he been injured?' Tigress thought to herself. Even so, medical salves could easily remove the scars. They'd been extremely useful to the five, them having been injured many times protecting the valley.
'It was a while back.' Taiki muttered. Tigress perked up, curiosity taking over her. Taiki leaned against the trunk of the peach tree behind him.
'A thief tried to raid a store in broad daylight.' He continued. 'It was quite stupid really. It should have been easy he only had a knife! But the cowardly fellow took an innocent lady hostage.'
Taiki grimaced.
'I couldn't risk her getting hurt, so I just stood there as he drew the blade down, across my chest. Eventually I passed out from blood loss. I woke up a few days later, chained to a post. Someone, I don't who, tortured me for days. He never gave a reason why, nor even made a sound.' Taiki's face was a mask of anger now.
'I never even saw his face. The only thing I know about him is that he has a skull tattooed on his left hand.' He slowly clenched and unclenched his fists, trembling with anger. A warm paw closed over his, and he looked up. Tigress was gazing at him, her amber eyes filled with pity, and…understanding?
'What happened after that?' She whispered, gently squeezing his paw. Taiki took a deep breath before continuing.
'Master Luang. He broke in one day, but my captor escaped out the window. I never saw his face, and Master Luang refuses to tell me how he looks like. He always told me, revenge was the path of the Demon, and that life is too precious to be lost so easily.' Tears threatened to leak from his eyes, and Taiki began trembling. Tigress laid a hand over her chest.
'It's okay, I understand.' She took a deep breath before elaborating.
'When I was 18, Shifu sent me on a mission. It was a simple one; rescue a hostage. Not something I hadn't done a million times before. It was easy, I got in, and I got out. I got the hostage out. But at the last second, I was shot.' Tigress pulled up her vest, showing a scar on her stomach.
'I woke up a while later, the arrow still through my side. My captor refused to remove it, kept using it to keep the wound open. He tortured me, trying to get information on the jade palace. I refused to make a sound, and it angered him even more.' Tigress closed her eyes.
'He kept injecting me with a nerve stimulant that caused me intense pain each time. It was the worst thing I had ever experienced.' Tigress wrapped her arms around herself.
'Master Shifu rescued me, and we defeated my captor together. He was sent to prison with a life sentence, and we haven't seen him since.' Tigress giggled. It was a beautiful sound, and it hit Taiki's ears like nothing ever before. All his worries and pain just evaporated, just like that. Tigress stretched out against the tree trunk, looking over at Taiki. Taiki laughed, looking at her.
'What's so funny?' She shot him a puzzled look. Taiki stifled his laughter.
'It's just, in front of the furious five you seem to hate me. When we're alone, you seem to be fine with me. What's up with that?' Taiki settled himself comfortably against the trunk, and Tigress looked away, a blush creeping up her cheeks. Anyone else would have missed it, but Taiki's eyes were razor sharp, and he noticed the slight color change despite her orange fur. A grin crept across his face.
'Could it be…that you actually like me? But you just want to keep up appearances, don't you?' Tigress looked away, and her eyes fell onto the crystal sitting in her lap. She picked it up and held it out to him.
'This is why I'm curious about you okay!' She hissed. Taiki took the crystal from her, understanding dawning on his face.
'I knew you'd realize eventually.' He said, a huge grin breaking out across his face. Tigress giggled again.
'There was no way I could ever forget you. Look at the bottom.' Tigress pointed, and Taiki looked. His eyes fell onto the rough engraving on the crystal. His name. Taiki.
Taiki placed the crystal down between them, standing, looking over at Tigress. She stood, watching him intently. He swallowed. What he was about to try and do was either going to get him killed, or make him the happiest man alive. He took a deep breath and leaned forwards, slowly closing the distance between them.
Tigress's eyes were lidded, and her breathing slowed. She watched him come closer, and closer.
'Why am I not stopping him!' She mentally screamed. 'This is wrong!'
But her body refused to respond.
Taiki felt their lips connect, and his head went fuzzy. Her lips were incredibly soft, and he could feel their fur brushing against one another. Tigress wasn't faring any better. Her head was fuzzy, and she was slightly stunned. The kiss was gentle and scared, tentative, afraid of going further.
Tigress pushed forward slightly, deepening the kiss, and Taiki moaned. The two finally broke apart for air, and Tigress took a deep breath before Taiki's lips closed around hers again. She moaned into his lips; the feeling was incredible! She wrapped her arms around his throat and pulled him closer. Taiki placed his hands on her waist, pushing her up against the peach tree. Tigress giggled.
'Oh! You sneaky tiger!' She exclaimed, connecting their lips once more. She silently slid her tail between his legs, and in one swift motion, swept him to the ground. They lay there laughing for a moment, and Tigress snuggled into his chest.
'I hope you don't think we're going any further than this. Not tonight at least.' Tigress poked Taiki in the chest, and he chuckled.
'Of course not. I'm not that kind of guy.' He muttered, wrapping his arms around her as sleep enveloped him.
'Goodnight love.' Tigress whispered, closing her eyes. This was going to be very interesting.
Okay! That's the end of this chapter, hope you like it. I recently got the third metatarsal in my right foot broken, so I'm stuck in a cast for at least a month. But, at least I can keep you guys happy with new chapters since I won't be preoccupied with sports and whatnot. So chill out, have some ice-cream, and do review some suggestions.
